Book Reviews
REDEFINING LONDON
Edited by Andrew Mead (New London Architecture) £18
ISBN: 978-0-9559569-0-4
Published to mark the 2008 London Festival portrays England’s Capital city as a living,
of Architecture, Redefining London is a stroll breathing entity.
around six Central London districts, taking As well as providing some historical
in some of the most significant buildings context for the districts it covers, the
and telling the story of how architecture old collection of essays combine to help the
and new has come to co-exist in these areas reader to think forward to the next stage
– some having done so more successfully in the lifecycle of some of the capital’s
than others, of course. best-known central locations.
The impact on Bloomsbury of the The inclusion of a collection of
establishment of the University of London’s individual personal perspectives is also a nice
buildings, the current reclamation of former touch. Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger talks
waste grounds to the north of King’s Cross about his newspaper’s relocation from trendy
station to create prime development land, Clerkenwell to the supposedly soon-to-be-
and plans to revive the tourist trap that is trendy King’s Cross, whilst Dan Cruickshank
Covent Garden are all well documented. explains why he’s backing a campaign to get
What becomes clear is that London the imposing yet long forgotten Euston Arch
almost has a life of its own, with sometimes rebuilt to its former magnificent glory.
dramatic shifts in the fortunes of individual Topped off with maps enabling you
areas within the city. Today’s run-down, to explore some of the new and soon-to-
deprived area can fairly rapidly become be-redeveloped areas yourself, Redefining
tomorrow’s trendy hotspot. In this sense, London is an important book, capturing
Redefining London makes a rather good London at a time of significant change and
accompaniment to Peter Ackroyd’s fantastic offering a fascinating glimpse of how parts
London: The Biography which so vividly of it might look in the near future.
UNIVERSAL DESIGN
By Oliver Herwig (Birkhauser) £39.90
ISBN: 978-0-500-51392-7
The global population is ageing, and that
unstoppable human change represents
perhaps the greatest challenge to successful
design in the future. How will products (and
the spaces they operate in) serve us in the
future as our physical needs and abilities
change? What will be possible through
changes in technology and how can these
new possibilities be fully exploited?
There is a growing demographic of older
consumers that not only typically has the
most money to spend, but also expects new
standards in design and architecture that
merge aesthetics, ergonomics, comfort, and
bold lines. No longer about specific solutions for readers elsewhere since factors such as
for the few, it is about making life comfortable desires, ambitions and dreams tend to remain
for all: clear menus, spacious rooms and consistent across national boundaries.
sizeable objects that are easy to use. So too, Herwig accepts that initially the
Oliver Herwig’s book provides design- focus had been on how design was needed
related and socially conscious answers for to help the elderly, but that it soon became
designers, architects, decision-makers and apparent that there was a far wider spectrum
companies – in fact, for anyone interested in of society that could benefit from more
addressing the needs of this discerning target thoughtful, natural and ergonomic design.
group on a long-term basis. It examines Some of the points in Universal Design
the personal situation of an ever-aging are a little laboured, but this is compensated
generation and plants some seeds of thought for by the inclusion of some fascinating
on design strategies, product innovations, concept products. The SimpliciTea ceramic
and architectural solutions for a barrier-free teapot with a pouring stand to take the
world which would benefit everyone. weight, Hemi’s Range 805 barrier-free
The author’s work was originally written bathroom and an oversize light switch by
from a central European perspective and the Merten that you can turn on with your
conclusions may have been different had elbow if your hands are full are examples
it been primarily addressing other regions. of the thought-provoking ideas that might
The way societies think, feel and – to a just help one day to make universal design
certain extent – age can be very different. something that comes as standard with any
However, there is still plenty to consider new product or building design.
Books DEC.indd 16 19/11/08 10:22:16
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