Design watchdog praises 'intelligent response' to brief but calls for 'bolder' architectural expression

The government鈥檚 design advisory body has praised Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners鈥� designs for an extension to the British Museum, but called for the architect to be more adventurous.

Cabe said Rogers鈥� designs were an 鈥渋ntelligent response鈥� to a 鈥渄ifficult brief鈥�; it praised the firm鈥檚 鈥渁ccomplished鈥� stylistic approach and said the building鈥檚 internal organisation was 鈥渟kilful鈥�.

However, Cabe鈥檚 design review panel thought Rogers and his team could have been more adventurous in the architectural expression. It said the appearance of the building from Montague Place could be 鈥渆ven bolder in appearance and status鈥� and suggested the that architect explore 鈥渄ifferent dimensions of the cladding panels鈥�, made from Portland stone and textured glass.

The 拢135m extension will cover 17,000m2 in the north-west corner of the British Museum site. Rogers beat rivals David Chipperfield, Bennetts Associates and Stanton Williams in a competition as long ago as May 2007, but the designs were only unveiled in April.

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