Описание: Another photo of the rear of John McAslan's + Partners, (JMP) former N17 Studio. JMP has gone but is not forgotten. The empty studio and this empty rear yard with a frequent pile of rubbish is one of the legacies of the international starchitects firm given temporary free premises by Haringey Council. On 3 January 2014 "The Guardian" newspaper had an article by Robert Booth about McAslan's then forthcoming "Design Studio" in Tottenham. The newspaper's headline was: Leading architect John McAslan turns his attention from Haiti to Tottenham. The Guardian sub-head was: " 'Everybody deserves an equal chance,' says Scottish designer, who is opening first architect's studio on Tottenham High Road". Robert Booth interviewed the great man himself and was plainly impressed. John McAslan, wrote Booth: "... helped rebuild Haiti following the devastating earthquake of 2010 and erected schools in Malawi, one of the world's poorest countries, but now the leading British architect John McAslan is to turn his attention to Tottenham in north London. Booth name-checked McAslan's' "former colleague ... Richard Rogers". And Ralph Erskine the architect of Byker Wall in Newcastle-upon-Tyne; who McAslan told Booth, was an inspiration for this Tottenham studio. The location of the McAslan studio, Booth explained is: "on Tottenham High Road, opposite the police station where protests spilled over into riots in 2011 that spread across English cities." Which is almost accurate. Then reporting "McAslan's vision"... "he wants to train local youngsters as architectural apprentices and give them control over their home areas. In the process, he hopes to help rectify a major imbalance in the make-up of the UK's architectural profession that has hardly improved since the murder two decades ago of Stephen Lawrence, the black teenager who wanted to study architecture. Only 2% of the country's architects are non-white, according to a recent government study, compared with 40% of the population of Haringey, the borough where Tottenham is situated." "Everybody deserves an equal chance," said McAslan, who has worked with Bill Clinton on his foreign projects. "I felt the same way in Malawi, Haiti and now in Tottenham. The riots happened and this is about trying to contribute to the rebuilding of Tottenham by engaging with young people." This ambitious "helping to rebuild" is undermined when Booth explains that the studio was fitted out at Haringey Council's expense. ... The lease is being paid for by the London borough of Haringey, whose leader, Claire Kober, met McAslan a year ago at a lunch hosted by the London mayor, Boris Johnson. Lunches with important people, yes, that's where key decisions may be taken in Claire Kober's Haringey. The project was officially launched on 30 November 2014. By the following March another reason for McAslan's presence in Tottenham became clear. My Comment in the Architects' Journal 5 March 2015 So now John McAslan + Partners’ display shop in High Road Tottenham has morphed into a "teaching practice studio". Which will be "...creating new opportunities for the firm to expand into urban regeneration". Some of us who live in Tottenham have suspected that the premises at 451-453 High Road were a route to getting in on the "regeneration" action. So it's refreshing to read JMP frankly admitting this. John McAslan Partners are enjoying these free premises at the cost of lb181,548 from the public purse. (Figure obtained in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.) Although well in excess of the maximum €200,000 allowed under the EU "State Aid" rules, as far as I am aware Haringey Council did not apply for permission to subsidise JMP. Although there was a full year where they could have done this. Instead Haringey offset the subsidy by calculating the notional value of benefits-in-kind provided by McAslan. Well the cat is now out of the bag - courtesy of the AJ and Natasha Manzaroli, JMP spokesperson. It now appears that a substantial benefit may be flowing in the opposite direction giving McAslan+Partners opportunities for regeneration contracts. That this is a real benefit and not just wishful thinking, has been confirmed by a new website from Grainger plc which shows JMP's Designs for a new "landmark" building at Apex House N15. apexhousedevelopment.co.uk/ The Apex House site is at the junction of High Road, Tottenham and Seven Sisters Road N15. It's opposite the highly contentious Wards Corner building where local protest groups have for years been locked in a battle with Grainger plc who wish to develop the entire block. The Apex website states that Haringey Council sold Apex House to Grainger in July 2014. Consultation is now taking place [March 2015] on McAslan's designs. Although it's hard to see what is being consulted on, as it strongly appears that the key decisions have already been taken. There will be a residential tower. The drawings show 22 storeys/ 70 metres. Another lower block - or perhaps a row of town houses - will fill the rest of the site. Haringey Council Services now located in Apex House are supposed to be moving at some point to the main Tottenham (Marcus Garvey) library - taking away half the existing floorspace from within the library itself. Not exactly another "benefit-in-kind" for Tottenham residents. My feelings about McAslan are coloured by what I see the firm can do. Two evenings ago my wife and I welcomed a friend arriving at Kings Cross Station. We enjoyed once again being in the beautiful Western Concourse (McAslan; & Arup) and the views from the new King's Cross Square. But urban regeneration in areas like Tottenham should be about serving existing communities and having sensitivity and understanding to people who live here. At present what’s presented as regeneration plans across Tottenham are little more than grabbing public land because it's available. Or could be made available if enough existing residents and small local businesses booted-out. The sites would be used for mainly private tower-blocks to meet numerical housing targets. Even if they are unaffordable for most local people. JMP clearly have the skills, imagination and experience to do something far far better. Will we see it?
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