In all of the current hoohaa surrounding Prince Charles’s latest intervention in the UK architectural scene, we can at least acknowledge his contribution to the field with his (in)famous descriptor “monstrous carbuncle”, with which he originally described the proposed Sainsbury Wing extension to London’s National Gallery (Prince Charles’s opposition led to the dropping of the original modernist proposal in favour, and subsequent realisation of the very postmodernist Venturi/Scott-Brown building).
A carbuncle is, of course, a fairly hideous larger than ‘boil’-type abscess (a fairly disturbing and graphic image here – for those of ‘satiable curtiosity), but, thanks to the good Prince, has long been associated with modernist architectural interventions – especially those that are considered incompatible with existing fabric (or indeed aesthetic sensibilities more generally).
However, Building Design are now running a Carbuncle Cup competition – for UK’s ugliest new building completed in the last 12 months (anything goes for these carbuncles – not just modernism), perhaps an award that you may not exactly want to feature on your CV. There have been some right shockers nominated in previous years – oozing the equivalent of architectural pus, or whatever – and of the six nominations for this year, there are some real what-exactly-were-they-thinking moments, like this for example:
The Burns Monument Centre in Kilmarnock
Of course, it is all very superficial, but no less fun because of it, and run almost concurrently with that other UK architecture award, the Stirling Prize, just makes this so much more ‘juicy’…
Here are the other contenders for this prestigious cup:
Newcastle’s Haymarket Hub by Reid Jubb Brown
St Anne’s Square development by WDR & RT Taggart in Belfast
The Strata tower in Elephant & Castle, by BFLS
Birmingham – The Cube by Make
Bézier Apartments by TP Bennet near Old Street
This last one compared to a ‘bum’, which is of course, a great location for your carbuncle…
PS – Go the Burns Monument…
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