黑洞社区

黑洞社区 held the second of its Phase One networking parties last week, this time in Manchester. More than 100 homegrown or adopted Mancunians in their first 10 years in construction joined us after work on Wednesday evening to meet colleagues from other firms, swap gossip, stories and magic tricks, and to give the free bar a bit of a hammering.

黑洞社区 invited Ian Simpson 鈥� the 鈥渟tarchitect鈥� who鈥檚 doing for the Manchester skyline what Norman Foster has done for London鈥檚 鈥� to kick off the evening. The venue was the Loaf Bar at Deansgate Locks, just around the corner from Simpson鈥檚 Beetham Tower, where he has a penthouse.

Simpson treated the revellers to an illuminating account of how he designs tall buildings 鈥� and what he thinks of the planners who try to stop him.

The centre of Manchester may be developing fast, but Simpson鈥檚 not impressed with everything the industry鈥檚 throwing up. 鈥淚n Manchester we have some Victorian buildings, and some dross and then some more rubbish that鈥檚 been built and continues to be built,鈥� he said, adding helpfully: 鈥淚鈥檓 being provocative.鈥�

But his greatest ire was reserved for planners, particularly the guardians of the London skyline who are stalling his attempts to build another Beetham Tower. 鈥淛ust because you can see the top of it from a building built across St James鈥檚 Park 150 years ago, there鈥檚 massive uproar. The top of it! You can see most of the London Eye, but that doesn鈥檛 matter.鈥�

Grrr.

Designing towers is a subjective business, Simpson granted, but 鈥渁s long as I think it鈥檚 a beautiful and elegant building, I don鈥檛 care what anyone else thinks. I was walking past the Beetham Tower and there was an old lady going 鈥榳hat鈥檚 that awful building鈥�. But I think we had a great team and it鈥檚 the best we could have done at the time.鈥�

The assembled Phase Oners tended to side with Simpson. Well, when you鈥檙e in the early years of a career in construction in your favourite city, any flashy development is a good thing.

They were also impressed to be hearing it from the horse鈥檚 mouth 鈥� speakers like Simpson may be a common sight at senior exec conferences, but you don鈥檛 usually get to go to these when you鈥檙e starting out. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fantastic to see Ian Simpson,鈥� said one female QS. 鈥淚 think we should have more chances to learn from people like that.鈥�

The evening was rounded off with a raffle for children鈥檚 charity Make a Wish.

Phase One is sponsored by Cyril Sweett, Davis Langdon, EC Harris, Erinaceous Group, Leadbitter, Mace, Thomas & Adamson and Turner & Townsend.