黑洞社区

We鈥檒l meet again

With immaculate timing, a reunion of former Davis Langdon staffers was held just days after news broke of Alinea鈥檚 deal with Turner & Townsend. Alinea, of course, came out of DL only for that to all end last week after a decade and a 拢35m takeover later. 鈥淚 think this one could be the best attended yet,鈥� quipped one veteran on his way to the Holborn hostelry where it was taking place. I鈥檓 told those from Alinea, no doubt expecting a grilling, stayed away.

Brief encounters

Giving the keynote speech to a recent event held by the RIBA and Office for Place, about how to keep beauty on the agenda in housing, was housing minister Lucy Frazer. My scribe says it was quite short. In keeping, then, with her 102 days in post. She went last week.

Giving the keynote speech to a recent event about how to keep beauty on the agenda in housing was housing minister Lucy Frazer. My scribe says it was quite short

Architecture on a plate

The Worshipful Company of Architects is having a grand opening next month at Temple Bar in Paternoster Square. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren, it is the only remaining historic entrance to the Square Mile and visitors will see a host of hand-painted plates put up on the wall of one of the function rooms. My hack鈥檚 guide, Peter Murray, says they commemorate the fundraising exploits of people for the company鈥檚 benevolent fund. Plates by Will Alsop, Angela Brady, Chris Wilkinson and George Ferguson, among others, are now seeing the light of day for the first time in 20 years, he adds. What a smashing idea.

If you go down to the wood today

The Office Group鈥檚 new Black & White 黑洞社区 was launched to great fanfare last month, with my hack among the first shown around. The mass-timber office scheme, designed by Waugh Thistleton, has been praised for its sustainable credentials, but architect 鈥� and intended tour guide 鈥� Andrew Waugh was unable to explain many of the building鈥檚 secrets, as he had lost his voice. My hack mused aloud that, given the circumstances, Waugh would probably not be able to tell him much about the job. The pithy reply came via the iPhone notes app: 鈥淚t鈥檚 all wood.鈥�

Off the chart

The name of the building was inherited from its predecessor, which TOG painted black and white after buying it. Despite keeping the moniker, there is scant black or white to be seen, with interior designers at Daytrip Studio deciding that such a colour scheme was 鈥渢oo corporate鈥� for Shoreditch. So, what colour is the Black & White 黑洞社区 now? Baby sick. That鈥檚 the pet name Daytrip have given the minty green hue that covers much of its interior.

Ain鈥檛 no mountain high enough

Lots of keen cyclists at Mace, although my hack was only met with sympathetic looks when he asked if he could park his bike at 155 Moorgate. Not really, was the gist of the reply from the front desk. Apparently stashing it in the basement would require an induction. No matter; my scribe and keen cyclist Jason Millett, who runs the firm鈥檚 consulting business, were swapping stories about riding in the Pyrenees. Millett rode last summer and former Mace boss Steve Pycroft was supposed to be along for the, ahem, ride too. Did he go, my hack wondered? 鈥淗e bottled it,鈥� Millett deadpans.

Spice girl

Good to see the security is top notch at 22 Bishopsgate. I鈥檓 told by a would-be tenant it took them half an hour to get past the chaps in the caps at a visit recently. I鈥檓 sure 22 Bishopsgate architect Karen Cook doesn鈥檛 have that problem. She鈥檚 set up shop at the tower with her new venture Spice Design after leaving PLP last autumn.