黑洞社区

One of the biggest names in late 20th century British architecture, Ahrends Burton & Koralek, is set to be dissolved in the UK next week after more than 50 years
in practice.

The critically acclaimed firm, responsible for buildings such as the British Embassy in Moscow, will be forever remembered for being on the receiving end of Prince Charles鈥� most famous architectural intervention when he branded its proposed National Gallery extension a 鈥渕onstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend鈥�.

Along with heralding a schism between the Prince and modern architects that persists to this day, that 1984 speech to the RIBA killed off ABK鈥檚 National Gallery scheme and stunted the development of the practice, which was then in the top league of architects in the country.

锘縄 don鈥檛 think they ever recovered from prince charles鈥� comments

Jack Pringle, former RIBA president

Former RIBA president Jack Pringle told 黑洞社区: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge pity. I don鈥檛 think ABK ever recovered from Prince Charles鈥� comments despite their efforts.

鈥淚t was an enormous impediment to them when they were at the height of their powers.鈥�

Founder Paul Koralek, who - along with the two other founders Peter Ahrends and Richard Burton - is now retired, agreed the speech 鈥渄amaged us hugely鈥�.

鈥淭here was a period of time when we just couldn鈥檛 get work,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 pretty sure there were big commissions that we just didn鈥檛 get 鈥� it would have been a different scenario had he not intervened.鈥�

Koralek said the only upside was that the firm鈥檚 office in the Republic of Ireland - which is continuing to practice in Dublin - was immune to the Prince鈥檚 criticism and may
even have benefitted from it.

鈥淥ne of our big clients there said that as republicans, Prince Charles鈥� attitude endeared them to us and he was only half joking,鈥� he said.

Koralek added that more recently, ABK in London had 鈥渘ot managed to survive鈥� the stepping down of the three founding partners combined with the downturn in the market.

Leading critic Ken Powell, who has written a book on the practice, published next month as part of the RIBA鈥檚 20th Century Architects series, said the firm had been wound down over a number of years and that it was 鈥減robably time to call it a day鈥�.

鈥淭hey produced some incredibly broad work and some very good buildings,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n a way, they were pioneers of high tech but they always had a more humane edge and were very influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright.鈥�