Fairfax & Sammons Architects are in the running and being considered for redesigning Chelsea Barracks, a prime 13-acre property in Chelsea, London. The original plan has been scrapped upon protest from HRH Prince Charles of Wales. The developer, Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company, bought it for an estimated £600 million. The Queen’s Guard used Chelsea Barracks, the site included administrative offices, armories & housing for approx. 1,300 people. There should be a common understanding of… how traditional, historically relevant buildings coexist with modern architecture. Another issue is quality, and traditional buildings have always held information that can be used for current building practices. Modern architecture sacrifices basic tenets with a focus on efficient, well-built buildings. By restoring and improving existing buildings, we ensure that the buildings will withstand after fads of time.
“Several US firms are understood to be eying the scheme, some of which have ties to the Congress for New Urbanism, formerly chaired by Prince’s Foundation chief executive Hank Dittmar. These include Andres Duany and New York-based Fairfax & Sammons, who join others in the frame, such as Alan Baxter & Associates, John Thompson & Partners, SOM, Allies & Morrison, Edaw, and Demetri Porphyrios. The Prince’s Foundation is one of the bodies Qatari Diar is liaising with on the proposed new designs, which it wants finalized by the end of the year. But despite the level of interest, Pringle said the winning firm would still earn the scorn of rivals.
Richard Rogers has been bounced most appallingly. Either people don’t see the principle at stake here or don’t care.’ Labour councillors at the planning authority, Westminster, will put down a motion next week asking for the council to confirm that the revised development will still have 50% affordable housing.”
Reference: BD Online 10 July 2009 by David Rogers
5 Responses
Seeing American firms with ties to the Congress for the New Urbanism, like Fairfax & Sammons and Andres Duany, being considered for the Chelsea Barracks is a massive endorsement of their global expertise. The Prince’s Foundation clearly understands that traditional urbanism isn’t just a local British pursuit; it’s a universal language. Designing a 13-acre site in a historic area demands a masterplan that honors the pedestrian, local materials, and classic proportions. This is a brilliant shortlist.
Richard Rogers being ‘bounced’ from this project is the best news for London’s skyline in a decade. Contextual design must always win over architectural ego!
While the architectural style is crucial, the push by Labour councillors for 50% affordable housing on this 13-acre site is equally important. Qatari Diar needs to realize that a successful Chelsea Barracks redevelopment must serve the local community. Traditional urbanism from a firm like Fairfax & Sammons usually handles mixed-income integration much better than isolated modern glass towers.
HRH Prince Charles was absolutely right to intervene here. The original modernist scheme would have been a disaster for the historic context of Chelsea. So glad F&S are in the running.
It is incredibly refreshing to see Vitruvius’s principles of firmness, commodity, and delight explicitly mentioned in contemporary development discussions. Modernist architecture often sacrifices these basic tenets for the sake of efficiency or ‘starchitecture’ fads. Fairfax & Sammons’ approach to the Chelsea Barracks—understanding how historically relevant buildings must coexist with modern needs—is exactly what London requires to maintain its character. Replacing Richard Rogers’ scheme with a traditional masterplan is a massive victory for longevity in the built environment.