Renzo Piano’s giant glass cube towers over the rest of the Stirling prize’s samey brick-built shortlist
Architect Renzo Piano's new office building, Paddington Square, is discussed in the context of the Stirling Prize shortlist. The article contrasts the building's 'cubic' design with the more traditional brick-built architecture of its competitors.
Why it matters
It reflects the ongoing tension in urban development between modern, high-tech architectural aesthetics and heritage preservation in major cities.
‘Curiously self-effacing, despite its cubic chonk’ … Paddington Square in London, led by architecture studio Renzo Piano. Photograph: Hufton and Crow ‘Curiously self-effacing, despite its cubic chonk’ … Paddington Square in London, led by architecture studio Renzo Piano. Photograph: Hufton and Crow Architecture Renzo Piano’s giant glass cube towers over the rest of the Stirling prize’s samey brick-built shortlist Catherine Slessor Coming from the same developer as the Shard, London’s latest trophy building may be 54 storeys shorter than envisaged but should rise to building of the year
The piece is a cultural critique focused on architectural aesthetics rather than political or social bias.
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