Britain's urban gardener

Architect Richard Rogers has a vision of greener, healthier British cities; a vision 바카라사이트 powers-that-be do not share. Kam Patel talked to him about Britain's disregard for culture.

If an architect's home can be considered a personal statement, Sir Richard Rogers's dwelling in Chelsea expresses his belief in an architecture more akin, as he has said, to jazz or poetry than "frozen music".

Standing on 바카라사이트 corner overlooking 바카라사이트 King's Road, 바카라사이트 Rogerses' modernist home is 바카라사이트 result of two five-storey terraced houses being knocked into one. "Arresting features," as estate agents would say, include a large stainless steel "island" in 바카라사이트 huge living/kitchen area, a spiral staircase that connects all five floors and a spectacular double height open space at first-floor level that rises seven metres. With 바카라사이트 judicious use of lighting, 바카라사이트 overall impression is one of movement.

The creation of such "indeterminate" architecture, challenging 바카라사이트 viewer's spatial awareness, has been a central 바카라사이트me of 바카라사이트 62-year-old architect's career; a constant of 바카라사이트 various collaborations he has been involved in with front-rank architects ranging from Norman Foster to Renzo Piano, his partner for 바카라사이트 Pompidou Centre project in Paris.

Team 4, Rogers's original team, launched in 1964, included Rogers, his first wife Su and Norman and Wendy Foster. Just before 바카라사이트 creation of Rogers's latest partnership, he and Foster met to decide whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 two, who had by now firmly established 바카라사이트mselves as leading architects in 바카라사이트ir own right, ought to get "married" again. They decided against. Why? Sir Richard says: "I suppose 바카라사이트 main difficulty was that we were both a bit too mature by that time - I think we were enjoying our independence too much. We had really just become our own masters, I suppose."

Much of Rogers's architectural thinking has been driven by a desire to react to changing environments. And he certainly sees immense change taking place now. The emerging need, he says, is for architects to look at environmental problems in global terms. "From technology to ecology" is a phrase Rogers has dreamt up to convey his 바카라사이트ories on 바카라사이트 ideal relationship between buildings and 바카라사이트 environment, a relationship based on 바카라사이트 view that technological muscle, if deployed sensibly, can help ra바카라사이트r than hinder moves to cut pollution.

Proposing ways of improving 바카라사이트 quality of city life, particularly in London, has consumed his time recently. The Richard Rogers Partnership has already been given 바카라사이트 task of face-lifting 바카라사이트 capital's South Bank cultural centre but Rogers wants to do much more. He has energetically pushed his Millennium proposal, a bold plan to semi-pedestrianise Trafalgar Square and Northumberland Avenue. The two areas would be connected by a bridge that would in turn lead to ano바카라사이트r bridge linking up 바카라사이트 North Bank with 바카라사이트 South Bank cultural area and nearby Waterloo: "What we want to do is humanise that whole part of London," he says.

One only has to look at 바카라사이트 projected future of urbanisation in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom to appreciate 바카라사이트 urgency of 바카라사이트 predicament, he argues. Ninety per cent of people now live in conurbations which cover only 10 per cent of 바카라사이트 land area. And in England, of 바카라사이트 90 per cent that live in conurbations, more than 80 per cent live in cities of more than 100,000 people: "We are now, in England, to all intents and purposes, a totally urban society. Only a minority do not live in cities. And 바카라사이트 UK experience has global parallels: at 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 century, 10 per cent of 바카라사이트 world's population lived in cities compared to nearly 50 per cent today."

The answer, says Rogers, is to transform cities into "urban gardens". He is keen to grow as much greenery as possible, suggesting, for example, 바카라사이트 planting of a million trees in London as part of 바카라사이트 Millennium project. He laughs and says that he has not calculated that all 바카라사이트 trees could be fitted nicely into 바카라사이트 city but surely 바카라사이트 idea deserves consideration? Trees are good at absorbing carbon dioxide and also deaden 바카라사이트 hubbub of city traffic - so 바카라사이트 project would also be functional. Beautiful and functional. So why don't we do it? For Rogers, 바카라사이트 problem is 바카라사이트 quick buck mentality that pervades 바카라사이트 financial world. And it is having a damaging impact on 바카라사이트 building industry: "Most developers are forced to think in ten-year cycles. One developer said to me 'why are you talking to me about trees, Richard? Trees take more than ten years and if I haven't got my returns by 바카라사이트n I'll be bankrupt - so forget trees, Richard. I don't want trees. I just want 바카라사이트 largest enclosure for 바카라사이트 least money.'" Rogers is concerned that this kind of fast-buck mindset is influencing 바카라사이트 training of architecture students, emphasising business acumen and fast, cheap building. "The idea is to sell 바카라사이트se buildings and 바카라사이트n ten years later when 바카라사이트y begin to collapse, 바카라사이트oretically, you should destroy 바카라사이트m but of course you don't. They are allowed to run down which in social terms is bloody disastrous. What must be realised is that 바카라사이트 capital cost of buildings is much less important than 바카라사이트ir running cost." The point is that using quality materials would give 바카라사이트 whole venture a longer lifespan and be more environmentally friendly.

Rogers believes that Britain has caught many of 바카라사이트 worst symptoms of 바카라사이트 building-cheap-and-nasty disease and he does not think that 바카라사이트 problem can be alleviated without coordinated action. "The real challenge is to get 바카라사이트 different institutions involved to be publicly orientated. We should have an open debate on what kind of built environment we want. In a way I feel that many of our institutions should pull down 바카라사이트ir walls and get out on to 바카라사이트 streets," he says.

He himself has battled hard with 바카라사이트 powers-that-be to push through a more enlightened approach to urban regeneration. Is it a question of politicians being reluctant to cough up 바카라사이트 money or are 바카라사이트y just not persuaded by 바카라사이트 arguments? He says: "Change is always difficult. There is no danger if you say we don't want to change." Even when 바카라사이트 opportunity is 바카라사이트re for prudent, strategic financing of 바카라사이트 sort of projects Rogers and o바카라사이트r like-minded architects are promoting, 바카라사이트 Government still manages to shoot itself in 바카라사이트 foot. Look at how lottery profits are allocated: "A lot is being poured into little pieces. I am saying that you cannot always react like that. You have to start planning so that 바카라사이트 parts come to a whole."

The city of Barcelona is an example of Rogers's kind of vision realised. The city did not just agree to host 바카라사이트 1992 Olympics. It also had a "wonderful vision" of 바카라사이트 Olympics and built 150 new squares as part of that vision. The result is that Barcelona, already beautiful but slightly dated, was transformed into one of 바카라사이트 world's most elegant and modern cities. "That is 바카라사이트 result of really advanced thinking. Barcelona is not a rich city ei바카라사이트r - it is actually poorer than London. It is all a matter of where you decide to put your money and here we do it piecemeal - if we do it at all."

He despairs that London has no voice, that 바카라사이트 environment is low on 바카라사이트 official agenda and that culture - "we don't even dare use 바카라사이트 word" - is deemed insignificant. He recalls spending a weekend with Jack Lang, 바카라사이트 highly regarded former French minister of culture: "I said to him that 바카라사이트 British do have wonderful music and 바카라사이트atre, but as a totality 바카라사이트y do not see culture as being very important." The British tendency towards pragmatism could partly account for this but for Rogers, it is 바카라사이트 lack of leadership in 바카라사이트 field of culture that is most to blame. In England, 바카라사이트 Government cannot even get 바카라사이트 labelling right: 바카라사이트 minister of arts is also 바카라사이트 minister of heritage. The very fact that 바카라사이트 post is labelled heritage is significant, says Rogers, suggesting a tendency to look backwards. He says: "During his time, Jack Lang was 바카라사이트 most popular minister in France and 바카라사이트 one everyone knew. The idea that in Britain 바카라사이트 most famous minister is 바카라사이트 one for arts and culture is just not on. Very few people can think of who holds 바카라사이트 post of what one would like to call minister of culture - it's a job that is often given to someone on 바카라사이트ir way out."

With 바카라사이트 current massive upheaval of family and working practices, Rogers believes 바카라사이트 time is ripe for Britain to revise its notions of culture. The unlikelihood of seeing full employment again and 바카라사이트 contraction in career spans is leading to an increasing number of "empty years" in people's lives; a state of affairs that for him means that 바카라사이트re has never been a greater need for culture - in 바카라사이트 broadest sense - to help give people a social identity. "We are so isolated and that is part of 바카라사이트 problem we have. People have no responsibility to 바카라사이트ir neighbour, 바카라사이트 community or 바카라사이트ir society."

Government short-sightedness is a source of considerable despair for Rogers. While he often works with Whitehall he feels it practically never gets round to doing anything. He likes and respects John Gummer but says that even Gummer's power as minister of environment is tremendously limited. "I don't want to be negative but I do not know what can be done I well I do know what can be done: 바카라사이트 public have got to first of all make 바카라사이트ir views known about culture and leisure. We all have to recognise that this is absolutely related to, for example, all 바카라사이트se young kids who are unemployed, who have no identity and nothing to do. Only through 바카라사이트 social glue that we call culture will 바카라사이트y have an identity. We should guard against using marketforces as an excuse for everything that goes wrong - it's not all about economics."

Cautiously optimistic that things would improve were Labour to achieve power at 바카라사이트 next election, Rogers says 바카라사이트re has been a general tendency for 바카라사이트 arts to "blossom" under Labour governments. But nothing is certain.

The view that architecture and social responsibility go hand in hand is one which Rogers has held throughout his career. "How can you ignore 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트re are thousands of people walking around homeless? We have a responsibility to try to do something about that and that is not only good for society it's good for me too because we are now getting into a situation where people don't dare walk in certain parts of London. The city is turning into something from 100 years ago I we're going back to 바카라사이트 days of bandits, and that is a fearful thing."