Architects' Gingerbread City

The Museum of Architecture and Tibbald's Planning and Design came up with a novel way to increase public awareness of urban planning. I hurried along to see the unusual Christmas exhibition on its final day in London's South Kensington.

Recognisably Foster & Partners even in gingerbread!

Judging by the range of gingerbread creations, architects were inspired by the opportunity to work in a new medium. It also brought out a competitive edge. Museum visitors were requested to vote for their favourites. Judge for yourself using my photos and YouTube video below.

Cottrell & Vermeulen's gingerbread entry

Piercey & Company's gingerbread entry

Penoyre & Prasad's gingerbread entry

Sarah Wiggleworth Architects included a roof-top tennis court and swimming pool

It's amazing that most gingerbread buildings managed to survive days of visitors and inquisitive little fingers after the tempting sweets...

Under grandmother's watchful eye

Urban design with water and green environment

Aerial view of rooftops in varied materials and popcorn trees

They even thought of a crane!

Casting Light on Urban Renewal

A return to a once familiar area can be a revelation. Last night I found myself in Bankside, London. In the 1990s, I would often find myself working in the office late into the evening. As a young woman, I found the late evening walk to the tube too dark, quiet and even unsafe.

Last night, I was amazed at the area's transformation. It really highlights what can be achieved with well-coordinated urban planning and renewal. Just look at the photos.

Colourful building with brightly-lit ground floor

The area has been filled with much brighter office buildings, a new retail area and wider pavements with clear visibility.

Blue Fin Building and retail outlets in Bankside

The old dark, hidden doorways are gone. The lights of shops and offices remain on even outside normal business hours casting light onto the pavements.

Uplighting, low-lighting and lit trees

Additional lighting has been added at various levels. I loved the uplighting of trees. Hedges are kept small and well-lit.

Low-lighting near NatWest Bank  and Bankside offices

The sign on the front of the Citizen M Hotel read 'Another World is Possible'. My experience was a complete contrast with my past memories of the area. It felt that I had stepped into a new world with a bright future.

Karen Andrews is a freelance French to English translator/transcreator, content writer and editor. She has a strong background in marketing and project management.

Email Karen for further information via karenanglicityen@gmail.com in French, German or English.

Spring Air in Paris

Spring colour in the Marché aux Fleurs, Place Louis Lépine

The third day of my recent Paris trip was officially the first day of Spring. The Marché aux Fleurs (Flower Market) in Place Louis Lépine was filled with spring colour and greenery. Paris will be hosting COP21 in the battle against climate change in 2015. Air quality was poor during my stay. French TV claimed it was worse than Shanghai.

On my first morning, the Eiffel Tower was obscured by mist and murk. At the weekend, travelling by Metro was free to encourage Parisians to use public transport instead of their cars.

Paris owes much to Baron Haussmann for its wide, "airy" streets. British cities simply cannot replicate his urban planning . Today, such an autocratic approach will not be tolerated. British cities also have much heritage to preserve and cannot emulate Paris despite inner-city congestion problems.

Boulevard Haussmann in Paris

The Recession seems to have left Paris with a backlog of maintenance repairs, but the solid infrastructure must leave many cities envious. Wherever I went, traffic seemed to move without too much difficulty - even during the rush hour. Accustomed to London congestion, I kept allowing too much time to get from A to B.  I couldn't help wondering if the wide streets were such a blessing if they made Parisians more inclined to drive into the capital.

I was very surprised by reports on French TV. Despite regulation, the French still smoke heavily in public places - and, French women are more likely to continue smoking in pregnancy. I have always understood the French to be very health-conscious.

I saw evidence of eco-friendly initiatives. Paris has its equivalent of London's "Boris bikes". I saw row upon row of them - all largely unused. Maybe because of the high pollution rates during my stay? I also saw electric cars being charged in the streets. Again, I was disappointed not to see one in use. 

Autolib' electric car sharing scheme in Paris

At the Centre Georges Pompidou, I saw an artwork by the British-born and New Zealand-based David Trubridge. It was an orange sphere representing the sun with white wings to either side. Trubridge used natural, sustainable and recyclable materials.

The work hangs above visitors' heads as a poetic reminder of the dangers of climate change. David Trubridge was inspired by both Maori legend and Greek myth. Like Icarus, Man is flying too close to the Sun. It seems an appropriate warning in the host city for COP21 - especially just after the solar eclipse.

If you would appreciate help with your technical marketing communications, email karen@anglicity.com or call Karen on +44 (0)20 8581 9369.

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is a

technical writer and 

translator with over

15 years' marketing

experience. Anglicity offers

marketing consultancy and

content marketing with a 

particular focus on innovation

and the environment.