Here’s one from London that gets me chuckling:
Mansour Namaki wants to link his Grade I-listed Regency villa – which was designed by James Burton in 1828 – to the mews house that also sits on the land.
Fair enough. He owns both properties and the land between them, and it makes good sense to link them rather than have to walk through the garden (in British Weather) just to get from one to the other. But then it all went pear-shaped:
He has hired Gherkin tower designer Ken Shuttleworth to design a ‘striking’ glass walkway that will join the two properties in the Regent’s Park Conservation Area.
Ah yes… the Gherkin:
…a.k.a. the Glass Suppository, which all by itself made London look… uglier.
What did he expect would happen?
Well, this is what would happen:
…so needless to say, the Usual Suspects and Busybodies got involved:
According to the council, the walkway’s ‘sculptural form would be a deliberately striking intervention which would over-compete with the architectural forms of the historic building and would demand attention.’
Richard Simpson, chair of Regent’s Park Conservation Area Advisory Committee said: ‘We asked the council to reject it and they did. Now we are waiting for the appeal decision.
‘It’s a very interesting house historically.
‘This walkway would be a completely inappropriate addition both in terms of its scale, as it is two storeys, and its design. Its exotic curvy glazing which is really quite inappropriate.
‘It’s possible that an application for a walkway could be accepted. We are not saying he can’t as several others have but they should be much more modest. The buildings need to be respected.’
And another:
‘The rules are there for a reason. These houses are Listed and the rest of us have to abide by the restrictions. If Historic England has refused to approve it then they will have valid reasons for doing so.
‘The plans aren’t in keeping with the architecture. If he wants to build something modern he shouldn’t have bought a Listed home – they are very strict in the conservation area about what can and can’t be changed.’
And I agree. This bullshit is all about “Well I bought something so I can do anything I want with it” is typical rich-man’s solipsim and arrogance.
Anyway, that glass tunnel looks like something a pervert would use to insert a rat up someone’s anus.
The only good thing I can say about this silly man is that his wife would look really good in a Regency-era ballgown.
No permit needed for those.
As a staunch conservative, anti-religious, suck-my-ass motherfucker fed up with all people in general, and a lifelong architect that has worked on 7,000+ projects over the past half century, I believe should do whatever they want with anything they own and everybody else sticking their fat, pock marked noses into their business should be told to go pound sand.
The very idea, that if the dood across the road does something with his property that I don’t like, that I would tell him I don’t like it and tell the “authorities” to make him stop doing it, is completely beyond my grasp.
Seriously, is my life THAT bereft and boring that am compelled to mind someone else’s business?
That’s not the point. The point is that people move to a neighborhood because of its “character”, and then about destroying that same character simply because “I bought it so I can do whatever the fuck I want with it”. Totally boorish behavior and attitude.
It’s little different from moving into a genteel area and then defacing all your exterior walls with graffiti, or playing earsplitting rap music out of a 25,000-watt sound system at all hours.
Community standards are important, especially if you live in a confined space, say, within a city.
And yes I know, having to deal with the Karens of an HOA is the above taken to an extreme, but everything taken to its extreme is irksome.
Including your attitude.
Agreed. Here in Taxachusettes, there are new Laws in place that attempt to force a change in local zoning laws to force communities to accept high density low income housing in places that don’t want it ( and since we have no access to public transport, it doesn’t even make sense ).
We bought a house in this community BECAUSE of the zoning that requires homes to be on at least 2 acres ( most are 4 plus ).
Lots of surrounding exurban communities are suing to prevent this unconstitutional law from being enforced, but i have little faith in our state court system.
We moved to small acreage in the woods 18 years ago so we could live deliberately, and in spite on what other people might think. It’s about 600 feet to the closest neighbor and we’re thinking that’s too close.
BTW, I’ve worked on numerous ancient projects where the “Hysterical (Historical) Society” took control so I am well aware of conformity. As a master at my craft, conformity can be an obsession with me.
When you put it in the perspective of a HOA, i.e. they knew when they bought it that there were rules and limitations, then it doesn’t seem so bad. Though over there it seems more govt whereas here the HOA’s are strictly private.
Where I have an issue is that in my area, any nice neighborhood has an HOA. There isn’t much option to opt out, as it were. You either move into a crappy area or you move so far out into the country that your daily commute induces suicidal thoughts. Either way, living in close proximity to other people always causes some levels of conflict.
The buildings are on the (rough) equivalent of the National Register of Historic Places, which means (a) he knew the rules when he bought them, and (b) part of the appeal AND VALUE of those and surrounding homes are in the combined aesthetic.
When the Caliphate is established and the UK is no more, anything you build will require a minaret.
The Gherkin? That’s the Oxo Tower. 🙂
I think you’ll find it’s the gerkin 😌
His missus has a botched nose job, poorly applied botox (left eyebrow) and is in need of a new set of bolt-on fun bags.
It’s not like they don’t have the money…
her nose is from the Michael Jackson collection