黑洞社区

Architect Ted Cullinan received the royal gold medal from the RIBA this week 鈥� but preferred to discuss the Prince of Wales鈥� latest foray into architectural criticism.

Speaking to 黑洞社区 before the award ceremony, the 76-year-old architect recalled the prince鈥檚 last attack on the architecture of London when, in 1984, he likened ABK Architects鈥� proposed extension to the National Gallery to a 鈥渕onstrous carbuncle鈥�.

鈥淟ubetkin said at the time that the last person who had attempted to censor architecture along conservative lines was Hitler,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat might be taking it a bit far, but it鈥檚 pretty accurate.鈥�

Comparing the heir to the throne to the 20th century鈥檚 most notorious dictator might not seem like appropriate behaviour for a man about to be awarded with a Royal medal, but Cullinan seems circumspect.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not his, it鈥檚 his mother鈥檚,鈥� he says. 鈥淧rince Charles is a member of the English land-owning gentry. They love Georgian architecture because they were brought up in it, and have lived in it all their lives. It doesn鈥檛 make it very easy to see the world as it actually is.鈥�

Cullinan might have more reason than some to be wary of the conservative thinking of the Prince, remembering the atmosphere after the 1984 speech: 鈥淧lanning officers used to ask you directly whether you thought Prince Charles would like it. The answer was normally no,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always been a battle to do good modern buildings in the UK, but this was the hardest period of all.鈥�

And after 50 years in the industry, Cullinan should know. His career began when he worked with Denys Lasdun before forming his own practice, Edward Cullinan Architects, in 1965. Significant pieces of work include Chapel Court at St John鈥檚 College, Cambridge; St Mary鈥檚 Church in Barnes; and the Weald and Downland Gridshell in Sussex, which was nominated for the Stirling Prize in 2002.

The practice is currently working on a scheme for Edinburgh鈥檚 Royal Botanical Gardens and the long-delayed visitor centre at Stonehenge.

Though he has designed schemes in the USA, Asia and elsewhere, it is England that he knows the best, though he is at pains to say it is a love/hate relationship.

鈥淚t is a very conservative country. It鈥檚 probably natural for a country that has lost an Empire in my lifetime. But it tends to make people somewhat nostalgic, and conservative. My work has been a process of working against that.鈥�

Like most architects, Cullinan has had run-ins with oppressive and traditionalist planning regimes since the beginning of his career.

鈥淭he first complete house I ever did in 1958, I had to draw plans on an Ordnance Survey map that showed you couldn鈥檛 see it from any public road. It was based on the assumption that anything you build would be so horrible it would deeply offend everyone who saw it. It鈥檚 been a tremendous battle.鈥�

Planning officers used to ask you directly whether you thought Prince Charles would like it

Ted Cullinan

But this is not to say he is totally opposed to conservatism. On the contrary, he says architects can learn a lot from the past, especially in the housing sector.

鈥淚鈥檓 trying to think of a single developers housing scheme recently that wouldn鈥檛 be better if Voysey had built it 100 years ago,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he problem is with developer鈥檚 houses is that they鈥檙e just a collection of magnet joinery windows in a wall, with a roof on top.The house doesn鈥檛 say anything to you.鈥�

Cullinan and his practice are now working on a sustainable housing scheme in Swansea. Green considerations have given him a new lease of creative life. 鈥淭he next great domestic architecture is going to come out of considerations of sustainability,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really fascinating to start to think about things like that.鈥�

But Cullinan has always been concerned about environmental design, originally by positioning buildings and using materials to take advantage of the elements. One of his earliest buildings was designed to yield passive solar gain, but it came with a crucial drawback.

鈥淚t was far too hot. I used to think it would be such bliss to be south-facing and have the rays of the sun,鈥� he says.

鈥淏ut this house had a glass wall, so it just roasted. We devised a system of blue screens that you hang up in summer, so it was fine. We all make mistakes!鈥�

Cullinan is to be awarded the royal gold medal on February 12, and will make a speech to distinguished guests, friends and family. He has decided he will talk about his life in architecture.

鈥淚 was born in 1931, which was the same year in which three very important buildings were completed. LeCorbusier鈥檚 Villa Savoir, the Hilversum Town Hall by Dudok, and the Chrysler 黑洞社区,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey are three very powerful influences on modern day architecture, and on me in particular. The abstract cubist composition and the arts and crafts tradition from the past. It鈥檚 very important to English architecture.鈥�

While much of his speech will concentrate on what has changed since the modernist ideals of the mid-20th century, he says there are many things which remain the same.

鈥淎rchitects still feel very hard done by,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e tend to be very paranoid. But as Freud said, paranoia is the essential basis of creativity so that can鈥檛 be a bad thing!鈥�

In spite of the retrospective feel of much of the celebrations surrounding his medal, it is evident the septuagenarian has no plans to retire just yet.

鈥淭he best thing about architecture for me now,鈥� he says, 鈥渋s that it is very likely to stave off the onset of Alzheimers, all that thinking and reacting to sensitive situations. And besides, it鈥檚 the only thing I know how to do.鈥�