Let them eat cake

On Monday I had a lunch do with Ian Schrager. The hotelier, who is responsible for The Sanderson and St Martins Lane Hotel in London, as well as a host of incredible luxury retreats around the rest of the world, is currently drumming up a little publicity for the hotly anticipated 40 Bond concept in New York.

And yes please can we all go and live there? At around the $9m mark per condo (basic rate) it looks quite comfortable. The idea is that it combines all the benefits of home ownership with the services, privileges and amenities of a world class, five-star hotel. And there’s no more of the Starck-raving Alice and Wonderland themed proportion distortion that Schager hotels are known for either – Schrager ditched Philippe a couple of years ago. The building, designed by the eminently more sophisticated Herzog & de Meuron, is widely billed as “an architectural masterpiece”.

Shrager was charming and millionairish, as you’d expect. But one point he did bring up was surprising. He explained that some people are questioning the ethics of creating such architecture that will only be experienced by a very small, very wealthy minority. “But I believe that this building is so extraordinary that everyone who walks by it will be able to enjoy it,” he said. “And in that way this architecture will benefit everyone – even if it’s only the very wealthy who can actually stay in it.”

I don’t agree all good architecture should be public necessarily, but I do think Schrager would do better to stay quiet on that one – it’s a little too “Let them eat cake!” not to grate.

Mind you, I'm happy to investigate further – I could maybe stay in one of the residences and watch the public’s reactions to the architecture as they go passed… Hmmm – might have to pitch that.

Comments

[Tom]

All architecture is public to the extent that it makes the spaces we live in - and that can be a beautiful thing.

But all too often it can be a fucking disaster.

Architects have a responsibility to the public which gives great opportunity for beauty, but which is too often relegated by self - important wankery.