Norman Lamont "very optimistic" about future of architects
Norman Lamont speaking at a conference organised by the International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture and Urbanism.
Source: Richard IveyFormer chancellor of the exchequer was speaking at INTBAU conference
The former chancellor of the exchequer Norman Lamont said he is “very optimistic” about the future of the architectural profession despite last week’s announcement that Britain is in a double-dip recession.
Speaking at a conference organised by the International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture and Urbanism (INTBAU) Lamont — who worked under Margaret Thatcher and John Major — said that despite the financial crisis “economies have a tendency to grow”.
“Our economy is not isolated…and there will be new buildings and transport systems. They might be in other parts of the world, but there will be work for star architects,” he told the conference, which had the theme Architecture in the Age of Austerity.
Lamont, who revealed his favourite building is Lincoln cathedral, added that the Eurozone crisis posed the biggest threat to the future of Britain’s economy because “you can’t have a single currency with not just one government”.
His comments come just days after the Office for National Statistics announced that the UK economy shrank by 0.2% in the first quarter of 2012, dragged down by a decline in construction of 3%.
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Readers' comments (14)
"Lamont ... revealed his favourite building is Lincoln cathedral" - so a typically non-contentious choice there! A building not even designed by an architect as we now know them...
"...but there will be work for star architects."
Yawn.
This is good news from somebody, who like the chancellors of all our recent governments has mismanaged our economy, creating not boom and bust, but just one long bust. If Britain were a company, we'd have gone bankrupt decades ago.
Why can't economists, just like other professions, do their job properly, instead of blaming markets and other unexpected events. This will mean, of course, cutting military expenditure by a huge amount, dumping Trident and getting companies who operate in this country, pay taxes in this country.
We survive only by exploiting the poor, here and in other countries. Leave architecture to architects and engineers. Most of us know how to do our jobs properly!
Paul Gillieron
It would be more appropriate to recall Lamont as having served as Chancellor (capital C) under John Major and for claiming, during this period, that recession and unemployment are an acceptable price to pay for achieving inflation low.
So relieved to hear that there will be work for Starchitects on the other side of the world... and medieval cathedral builders. Really brightened my day
@Paul, obviously your projects are not governed by budgets and money. Do you have a wealthy patron, who lets you get on with the job without worrying about how much it will cost?
Economics and architecture are massively interlinked, they have always been so, even in the times of Lincoln Cathedral.
Would that be Norman "Black Wednesday" Lamont ?
Would that be Norman "Black Wednesday" Lamont ? Norman "if it isn't hurting it isn't working" Lamont?
The fact that Mr Lamont is optimistic about the future of architects is about as worrying as hearing that the Child Catcher is looking after my kids.
SO this story essentially says that a politician said positive things with no frame of reference. WOW! that must be the first time that that has ever happened