黑洞社区

It was won by the Museum of Modern Literature in Germany, but both UK entrants on the shortlist (the Young Vic theatre in London and the Savill 黑洞社区 in Windsor Park) were built by Verry.

Geoff says: 鈥淥ver the years there has been an association between Verry and the prize. We were proud to have the only two UK entries.鈥�

Jamie adds: 鈥淚 think we respond a lot better to design than many of our competitors.鈥�

John, a trained architect, can鈥檛 resist joining in. 鈥淏asically my job is to translate concepts.鈥� He pauses before adding: 鈥淚鈥檓 a concept translator.鈥�

He then expounds on his theory of good architecture for several minutes before the others hint he has been talking a lot.

'After six years of designing chicken processing plants in the middle of nowhere, I鈥檇 had enough,鈥� says John

鈥淚鈥檓 Irish,鈥� he explains. 鈥淎lthough you English like to use conversation to get from A to B, what is wrong with enjoying the journey along the way?鈥�

He then makes a statement that captures everyone鈥檚 attention. 鈥淚 once came very close to knocking down the tallest building in Warsaw.鈥�

He explains that he emigrated to Poland in 1992 and spent six years there 鈥� and almost succeeded in replacing the Palace of Culture and Science with a mixed-use residential scheme.

鈥淭he cladding was falling off plus it was a point of principle. It was put there as a reminder from Stalin about who was in charge.鈥� Local politicians ensured the plan was doomed.

So why did he leave Poland? 鈥淎fter six years of designing chicken processing plants in the middle of nowhere, I鈥檇 had enough.鈥�

'Drunken gorilla?鈥� the others ask. John admits he has no satisfactory explanation as to why he said that.

John鈥檚 global contacts have proved useful over the years and he says he recently called one in Hong Kong with a query about which bolts to use for the fence around the gorilla enclosure at London Zoo. 鈥淭hey needed to withstand 500lbs of angry drunken gorilla,鈥� he says.

鈥淒runken gorilla?鈥� the others ask. John admits he has no satisfactory explanation as to why he said that.

Inevitably we move on to the subject of the banking crisis and to the share price plunges of recent days. 鈥淚 do wonder how a 25-year-old City analyst can fully understand the dynamics of a large organisation,鈥� muses Craig. 鈥淗e could always ask his parents,鈥� suggests Jamie.

John says the stock market last week was like watching a Looney Tunes cartoon. 鈥淚t was crash, bang, wallop,鈥� he says, complete with wild hand movements and sound effects. Then someone mentions credit default swaps, but fortunately the beer already drunk quickly puts paid to that conversation. Phew.