黑洞社区

Richard Rogers, friend of the powerful

Things worked out very nicely for Lord Rogers this week. Not only was he awarded the Pritzker prize, but it had also conveniently been decided that the award would be presented in London for the first time since 1986. This meant that Rogers could while away the afternoon having tea with Tony Blair before sauntering across Whitehall to the ceremony at Inigo Jones鈥� Banqueting House. London must have seemed a very model of the compact, walkable city that Rogers has so long championed 鈥�

Richard Rogers, erotic writer

In a pious press conference announcing the award, one person could be relied on to spice things up. That was Renzo Piano, who was there as an award jury member, as well as Rogers鈥� former partner and life-long chum.

鈥淐an you explain the relationship between food, sex and architecture?鈥� teased Piano.

Rogers was unfazed. 鈥淎t the end of our Pompidou Centre project [designed with Piano in the sixties] there was no work coming in,鈥� he replied. 鈥淲e thought of writing a book called Sex, Food and Architecture.鈥� The book was never written, but perhaps it鈥檚 no coincidence Rogers went on to marry a celebrated restaurateur 鈥�

Credit: Scott Garrett

Ripping yarn

An evening themed around murder and death may be considered a slightly dubious choice of entertainment for a pension provider, but that didn鈥檛 trouble B&CE last week. The company held its own Jack the Ripper event in the city of London, treating guests to a grizzly tour of the notorious murderer鈥檚 crime scenes, complete with graphic illustrations of the victims鈥� deaths. It would have been more eerie were it not for an unfortunate disturbance during one part of the tour, when the song 鈥淚 Shot the Sheriff鈥� blared out from a nearby pub, drowning out the tour guide. This was swiftly followed by real-life police sirens, proof if proof were needed, that crime in the capital may not be what it used to be, but it鈥檚 still alive and well.

Sustainability begins at home

I was delighted to hear that the Heating and Ventilating Contractors Association and the Electrical Contractors Association have signed a joint sustainability agreement to, in the words of David Pollock, ECA鈥檚 director, 鈥渁nswer some important questions about how to achieve major reductions in UK carbon emissions鈥�. Here are two to start with, David: Why did the ECA choose to hold their annual conference a four-hour flight away in Rhodes? And why did the HVCA have to fly out there to sign the agreement?

You can go your own way

News of the potential acquisition of materials giant Hanson by German outfit HeidelbergCement has caused some anxiety at brickwork contractor Irvine Whitlock, which has just been sold to Hanson. But staff need not fear. A reliable source informs me that a buyout team from within Irvine Whitlock is poised to leap in should the management at Heidelberg take the company in an unwelcome direction.

All-action scaredy cat

I hear that EC Harris has recruited Paul Callaghan, the former star of the hit TV show the Apprentice. Callaghan, a former army lieutenant, will join as a . According to the Apprentice website, he is 鈥渁 real smooth player鈥� whose hobbies include 鈥渟ky diving, polo, skiing and yachting鈥� and whose biggest fear is 鈥渂eing eaten by a shark鈥�. So why he鈥檚 entering the murky waters of is anybody鈥檚 guess.