Squire and Partners in Lambeth

[editor]

I use the shopping centre on way home sometimes. The Pound land and Iceland. I can't see it lasting in long term. I've been following some of what's going on
35% Campaign

Depressing account of how social housing has been whittled down over time in this "regeneration" project.

It's a case of social cleansing of Elephant Castle.

They've been well and truly shafted. Criminally so.

 

[Gramsci]

I notice from Skyscraper News that Squire and Partners are involved in the development of 71 tower blocks.

One The Elephant particularly irks me. The Unison Headquarters in Camden is by them. But the list contains many schemes either cancelled or just proposed.

Looks like architecture is quite speculative - and I suppose the art must be in producing a scheme which everybody can approve and sign off.
Squire and Partners - Architect, Visualisation Firm
View attachment 110473
One the Elephant. Replacing a council swiming pool and leisure centre, and next to Spurgeon's Metropolitan Baptist Tabernacle, this building has elevated a down-at-heal shopping area to the Metropolitan Elite - don't ya think?

To be fair most architectural practices are "speculative". They enter competitions. Even if they don't get contract they make themselves known. For every scheme that never makes it off the drawing board they get one they actually get go ahead for.

 

[Crispy]

For every scheme that never makes it off the drawing board they get one they actually get go ahead for.

More like 10-1

 

[Gramsci]

The one next door with the triangular balconeys is a bit better (and it appears to have some actually affordable housing attached at ground floor. Someone will tell me it's actually "affordable" now I'm sure...)

In Elephant & Castle its worse. The argument is no longer about affordable but how so
called affordable providers are nothing of the sort.

See this latest article from the 35% campaign. I find reading it mind boggling.

These so called social housing providers are being taken to court by Southwark.

A Signal embarrassment

Provision of social housing is now a game. I find reading about it surreal. It's not fraud it's how so called social housing providers will test the law. In practice provide no social housing as the ordinary man in the street like me would see as as affordable housing.

 

[CH1]

When I attended the Brixton Pound awards heard that the Brixton Neighborhood Forum AGM will take place at Squires new offices in Ferndale road. That's going to be interesting. I am planning to go as I attend the Forum meetings.

There is an book launch event concerning social housing and gentrification at the Lambeth Accord building basement gallery 6.30 pm Friday 7th July
Big Capital - book launch at 336 Brixton Road

 

[Gramsci]

There is an book launch event concerning social housing and gentrification at the Lambeth Accord building basement gallery 6.30 pm Friday 7th July
Big Capital - book launch at 336 Brixton Road

I've read her other book. This one sounds good. A lot of it is known. But worth her putting into one book.

Despite what is happening to London I am optimistic. Housing is a class issue. No one is blaming immigrants. Ordinary people I know understand that London is for "them" not "us". Anger is directed against the rich and powerful. A good sign. See the same attitudes in Brixton and Loughborough Junction.

To add on news being listening to people in Battersea complaining about the Battersea Power station development. Oh and the developers of the Battersea Power station have just managed to reduce "affordable" housing element as it's " financially unviable" for them to do so.

 

[ViolentPanda]

I've read her other book. This one sounds good. A lot of it is known. But worth her putting into one book.

Despite what is happening to London I am optimistic. Housing is a class issue. No one is blaming immigrants. Ordinary people I know understand that London is for "them" not "us". Anger is directed against the rich and powerful. A good sign. See the same attitudes in Brixton and Loughborough Junction.

To add on news being listening to people in Battersea complaining about the Battersea Power station development. Oh and the developers of the Battersea Power station have just managed to reduce "affordable" housing element as it's " financially unviable" for them to do so.

Anna was a member of the panel at the debate ("What is the role of the architect in the housing crisis?") held at the Cressingham Rotunda on Wednesday. She made the point that anger against "luxury developments" (and their developers!) is very obviously cross-class now, with not just the working class objecting to being priced out and cleansed from their neighbourhoods, but a significant minority of the urban middle classes too.

 

[editor]

Some bloke commenting on the Buzz article is actually drawing comparisons between the indifference some feel about this lot arriving in Brixton and the racism and troubles faced by the Windrush generation.

it’s an improvement on the UKIPpery that smacks of the racism directed at the Windrush generation. I’m old enough to remember Brixton changing in the early 60s, and some of the nastiness directed at the people from Squire is the self-same thing as the rubbish that was directed at the new arrivals from the Caribbean.

And then there's this Norman Tebbit-style lecture:

Why so much hatred. Lets not forget that these guys who manage to finally obtain the qualification have not just walked into the job. It takes seven long hard years of studying to become an architect. That is also seven years of dedication and student loan. £66k per year average is money well earned and needed to pay back the loan, which they will be paying for a long time
Don’t hate. Appreciate or better still, stop bitching about people that are putting back into society and join in.
Go get your degree (most people with degrees are not born with silver spoons in their mouths, they aspire for better).
Or don’t get a degree. Your choice. You can still achieve remarkably without one.
You are where you are today because of your life choices.
Stop making excuses, stereotyping, blaming others and aspire for a better life. Not just for yourself but for the world around you.
When you put a positive things on things you attract positivity.

Squire and Partners talk vibrancy and show off the shiny dome of their new Brixton Department Store home

 

[Reiabuzz]

What's all this about? It's their offices. Are they supposed to let people just stroll in off the street and just wander around?

Their new offices are huge, comprising 4,767sq m of design studio which includes what they’re describing as “a new social rooftop space expressed as a series of pavilions.”

We assume that this sociability will only extend to their staff and not to members of the public.

 

[editor]

What's all this about? It's their offices. Are they supposed to let people just stroll in off the street and just wander around?

Then they're not 'social.' They're 'private' and 'exclusive.'

 

[Reiabuzz]

I think you're misreading the press release. They're for their staff to socialise with each other. Like any other office. Or maybe you're not misreading the press release and you actually expect this firm to allow members of the public to be able to use their meeeting rooms?

 

[DietCokeGirl]

C'mon, it's pretty posh for an office to have its own cafe and private garden and such. Mine doesn't even have enough desks or computers for everyone.

 

[DietCokeGirl]

Aesthetically I quite like it, they've made the most of an interesting building (design-wise) and I'm glad they've worked with the original features. I'm relieved it hasn't been turned into luxury flats or a bland TKMAXX-style effort.
Let's hope they invite local schools to teach them about architecture, or hold some interesting exhibitions open to the public in the proposed gallery, or something. They clearly have resources so I hope they use them to benefit as many people locally as possible.

 

[lang rabbie]

The £66k "average" salary quoted is from a dubious salary comparison site and based on only two data points.

Squires are a commercial firm and they have been doing pretty well out of the speculative residential property boom of the last few years.

However, I seriously doubt if the median pay for their staff coming to Brixton will be anything like £66k.

Probably knock £20k off that, unless they have suddenly started sharing profits much more widely beyond the partners in the practice?

 

[editor]

I think you're misreading the press release. They're for their staff to socialise with each other. Like any other office. Or maybe you're not misreading the press release and you actually expect this firm to allow members of the public to be able to use their meeeting rooms?

I'm not misreading anything.

When they said they were building a, "new social rooftop space expressed as a series of pavilions," what they actually meant was that they were creating a new posh private and exclusive rooftop for themselves.

And here's that 'social' thing again when they mean private.

Owning the entire building, rather than a few floors, represents an opportunity to communicate the practice’s creative and social spirit, which has always been central to our practice ethos.’ [--]

 

[editor]

The £66k "average" salary quoted is from a dubious salary comparison site and based on only two data points.

Squires are a commercial firm and they have been doing pretty well out of the speculative residential property boom of the last few years.

However, I seriously doubt if the median pay for their staff coming to Brixton will be anything like £66k.

Probably knock £20k off that, unless they have suddenly started sharing profits much more widely beyond the partners in the practice?

I'm sure most of the staff there are doing very nicely for themselves compared to a lot of workers in Brixton, and those at the top are getting a very fat salary. And don't forget there's all those channel-hopping free trips to look forward to for the staff plus jolly team building larks all around the UK too. The lucky fuckers.

 

[teuchter]

The £66k "average" salary quoted is from a dubious salary comparison site and based on only two data points.

Squires are a commercial firm and they have been doing pretty well out of the speculative residential property boom of the last few years.

However, I seriously doubt if the median pay for their staff coming to Brixton will be anything like £66k.

Probably knock £20k off that, unless they have suddenly started sharing profits much more widely beyond the partners in the practice?

Absolutely zero chance that the median pay for their staff will be anywhere near 66k. Knock 25 to 30k off that. And a big chunk of staff who will be earning quite a bit less and who may be earning, by actual hours worked, not much above the London living wage.

Salary guide 2017

 

[ricbake]

Canova Hall
They are recruiting staff

New Bar Spy: Canova Hall Brixton London Restaurant Reviews | DesignMyNight

 

[editor]

Canova Hall
They are recruiting staff

New Bar Spy: Canova Hall Brixton London Restaurant Reviews | DesignMyNight

A "A gin distillery, pizza oven and cocktail trolley" - just what Brixton has been waiting for!

And look at the innovation and imagination that's going into the decor: "exposed brick, Edison light bulbs and quirky vintage furniture."

 

[editor]

Good grief. It's for "London's next generation of creatives and the "Millennial working generation."


Albion and East to open Martello Hall, aimed at "Millennial working generation"

 

[ricbake]

Canova Hall - from the name one would expect marble entrance and fresco ceilings

 

[trabuquera]

"Millennial working generation" is a euphemism with so many implicit red lines baked in, it's almost funny. It means "No wrinkles, no interns, no povs" right?

 

[editor]

"Millennial working generation" is a euphemism with so many implicit red lines baked in, it's almost funny. It means "No wrinkles, no interns, no povs" right?

More here: Canova Hall bar and restaurant to serve Brixton’s ‘millennial working generation’ in Squire & Partners building

 

[CH1]

Canova Hall - from the name one would expect marble entrance and fresco ceilings

Canova captures the mood of many Brixton residents perfectly I would have thought

By I, Sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0, File:Antonio canova, orfeo, 1777, 01.JPG - Wikimedia Commons

 

[Gramsci]

More here: Canova Hall bar and restaurant to serve Brixton’s ‘millennial working generation’ in Squire & Partners building

Some choice comments at end of piece.

Looks like a decent use of space to me. Bring a bit more activity to that part of town and provides a much needed alternative to the Weathersppons dump over the road.

I use the Beehive. Mixed crowd. The food is cheap. On Saturdays get younger crowd who eat there Saturday afternoon. Says it all refering to Beehive as a dump.

If it wasn't for the Beehive there wouldn't be an affordable place to go now the cafes in arches have gone.

 

[lang rabbie]

A bit embarrassing for a reputable modernist firm like Squire and Partners to have this bar full of retro junk masquerading as "Canova Hall"

Carlo Scarpa's postwar addition to the Gypsoteka & Museo Canoviano in Possagno is one of the greatest small art gallery spaces in Europe.

 

[Gramsci]

More here: Canova Hall bar and restaurant to serve Brixton’s ‘millennial working generation’ in Squire & Partners building

Another better comment:

Whae I was a young sprog we had the Lyons Tea Shop across the Brixton Road from Woolworths where proles could get a cheap cuppa and a snack with mates and take their time. Unlike the outfit which the above Buzz report features.

I remember back in Plymouth regularly being taken to the Lyons. This was in the rebuilt centre of Plymouth. ( bombed in WW2). Back then regeneration was about providing good affordable places for the "proles". Not now. We are supposed to be grateful that Squires have come here and set up cafe for "millennials".

 

[editor]

There seems to be some sort of narrative that the building's tower was some sort of semi-derelict wreck before Squire came in and saved the day and added their ostentatious dome : so this photo from 2002 is worth noting.

 

[bimble]

I never got a response to my email asking them how come there's no weathervane like in the drawings just an empty spike on top.

 

[ricbake]

In May 2015 it looked ok from this angle

And this appears to be the top of the old dome now sitting in one of the roof gardens