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Will Alsop

Sax

14:15 / 22.10.03

I'm interviewing Will Alsop tomorrow, the architect responsible for, among other things, the Hotel Du Departement Des Bouches-Du-Rhone in Marseilles,
Cardiff Bay Visitors' Centre, and Peckham Library

Anyone know much about him? Anyone got any questions they want me to ask on their behalf?

Saveloy

14:24 / 22.10.03

I know:

- he used to design a building every morning before breakfast. You could ask him if he still does that.

- he's been on telly recently doing a series about his latest Big Idea: Super Cities. I only saw one, about his proposal for 'Diagonale', a city stretching from London to the Midlands. You should prolly ask him to bang on about that.

- he's got a thing about eggs, or egg shapes anyway.

Not much, really, sorry.

Saveloy

14:25 / 22.10.03

Ooh, ask him why he didn't say anything about Portsmouth on his Super City program about 'Wave' (the South Coast one).

Saveloy

14:57 / 22.10.03

Proper question:

- How involved do you get with the technicalities and details of a project? Are you the sort to fret about doorknobs, or do you draw a shape on a post-it note in green felt-tip and say "here you go, build that"?

Not so proper question:

- Do you think you could have Jonathan Meades in a fight?

Saveloy

15:14 / 22.10.03

More off the top of me 'ead:

- Does form have to follow function? If not, how do you decide upon a final form? Do you trust your own instincts that a building 'looks right'? Why do a wall in blue rather than green? etc

- Is it easier for you to get built in Britain now than it was ten years ago? If so, why do you think that is? If not, what needs to change to make it easier?

- That modernist site mentions comics as an early influence. Do you still read 'em?

Sax

05:49 / 23.10.03

Wow, thanks Saveloy. Do you want to disguise yourself as a fat Terry Christian and do the interview for me?

But seriously, helpful stuff there. Cheers.

Saveloy

09:52 / 23.10.03

A pleasure, sir! Good luck with the interview / hope it went well. When's it likely to be published?

Sax

17:34 / 23.10.03

It went exceptionally well, thanks Sav. I could have done with more time with him (I had about half an hour), and more time to write it up (about an hour) but them's the breaks when you're turning stuff around for daily paper deadlines.

I might be able to post a linky to the piece later on Friday, if you're interested.

Saveloy

10:17 / 24.10.03

Excellent! Glad it went well. Yes, please, a link would be lovely.

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