From Sir Richard MacCormac.

I WROTE an article for Country Life (20 years ago!) with the title, ‘Tyranny of the Familiar’.

It set out to question why the familiar, in every age, seems more acceptable and beautiful than the new. The outrage provoked by the appearance of St Paul’s, Wren put down to the fact that the unfamiliar design could not satisfy what he termed ‘customary beauty’.

So I am sorry but not at all surprised by some of the reactions to Portelet. It was never going to satisfy expectations of the ‘customary’ but it is a serious commitment by an exceptional

design team which includes a world-class landscape designer and a renowned artist.

Portelet is currently a raw construction site without landscaping. We are not afraid of robust criticism but ask that judgments are made when the project is complete.

MJP Architects, London

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *