Review of 2014: Pantomime villains

Peter Rees

The controversial City of London planner left his post of 30 years to head to the Bartlett in 2014, and is listed here solely for the reason the much-criticised figure, who gave the go-ahead to the Walkie-Talkie and the Gherkin in his time, is the only Building interviewee to have self-identified as a pantomime villain during the year - though he’s hoping for a change in 2015. “It’s got to the point, like Dr Frankenstein’s monster, where I need a bit of [rejuvenation] myself. I’m seeing this professorship as some sort of vampiric attempt at rejuvenation,” he told the magazine.

Brandon Lewis

The housing minister (left) caused huge disappointment among developers and planners when he lashed out at the garden city proposal which won this year’s Wolfson prize. Run by Tory peer Simon Wolfson, it had been thought that the prize could pave the way for more overt government support for a wave of new towns. But Lewis said Urbed’s winning proposal “will not be taken up” and said it followed “the failed example of top-down eco-towns” that had built “nothing but resentment.” Strong words.

Ed Vaizey

The architecture minister became one of the least favourite people for much of the profession when he appeared to immediately kick the findings of Sir Terry Farrell’s detailed and well-received review into the role of architecture into the long grass. Despite the fact many of Sir Terry’s 60 recommendations required action by government, Vaizey said at the launch: “The first audience for these recommendations is not government but developers.”

Austria

Supporters of a revived new-build nuclear power plant programme in the UK – who presumably include Laing O’Rourke and Bouygues, appointed to build the £16bn Hinkley Plant – were angry at the intervention of the Austrian government after the UK finally got the financial deal to support EDF’s planned new plant approved by regulators. The Austrian government threatened to launch a legal challenge which experts say could delay a start on the scheme by four years.

Scottish art students

Final year students at the Glasgow School of Art were held responsible for the fire that blazed through the historic Mackintosh Library at the university in May, held to be the masterpiece of architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Students setting up for their degree show accidentally set light to a projector, causing nearby foam panels to catch fire, and leading to widespread damage to the 1909 building.