The City Magazine October 2016 by Runwild Media Group

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ISSUE NO.

108

OCTOBER 2016

CONTENTS ON THE COVER 32 36 40 50 52 54 62 70 96 102

The Wizard of ove The greatest civil engineer of the 20th century gets the credit he deserves false propheT? The rise – and potential fall – of Elon Musk Tunnel vision Switzerland’s Gotthard Tunnel is set to become the longest tunnel in the world BlueprinT for success Engineering heavyweight Hanif Kara on innovation, the future, and telling architects how gravity works life acceleraTed One hundred metres under the French/Swiss border, something incredible is happening WhaT a Wonderful World The most complex and astonishing man-made creations from across the globe Bridging The gap Bridges provide much more than a way of getting from A to B reTurn of The Kings Five years after Gerald Genta’s death, his genius designs are inspiring a raft of sporty reinventions charge iT up and WaTch iT go Can the world’s most advanced electric car handle a long weekend in the British countryside? KazaKhsTan uncovered We lift the lid on the world’s ninth largest We lift the lid on the world’s ninth largest country

AMERICAN MUSCLE

Inspiring views of the Mike O’CallaghanPat Tillman Memorial Bridge over the Hoover Dam

p44

REGULARS

14 18

76 45

CITY LIFE: The ediT The commodities and consumables raising our interest rates this month The social Champagne, jambalaya and Michelin-star fish

COLLECTION: 67 Blurred lines Georg Jensen’s collaboration with the late Zaha Hadid 69 scene sTealer IWC launches a limited-edition piece to celebrate the British Film Institute STYLE: 74 from paris, WiTh love Glance across the channel this month for your style inspiration 86 auTumn arrives Choose your new wardrobe essentials with the latest Men’s A/W16 releases

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

93 94 100

OUT OF OFFICE: verTical limiT Why Hong Kong’s inhabitants need a head for heights visionary We look over the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 electric coupé shirazeh houshiary An introduction to another artist that should appear on your agenda

112

HOMES AND PROPERTY: properTy neWs Looking ahead to a stabilising market

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ISSUE NO.

108

OCTOBER 2016

F R O M T H E E DI T O R

Engineering the World ast month , I left w ork (On e Canada Square, 1991, £624 million), hopp ed on th e DLR (1987, 13 km , £77 million), took a train from Bank to St Pancras Int ernational (renovat ed , spectacularly, by Fost er + Partn ers, 2001-2007), arrived at Luton Airport

(renovat ed , less sp ectacularly, by Fost er + Partn ers in 1998) and three hours lat er was sipping cof fee in Copenhagen (Ryanair, £70 return – you can’t argu e with that). From th ere , w e to o k th e Ø re sund Bri d ge ( 2000, £2. 2 bi l lion) to Malm ö. At alm o st e i g ht ki lom etre s, th e Ø re sund Bri d ge i s th e lon ge st c ombin ed ro a d an d rai l bri d ge in Europ e. S o a s n ot to int er fere w ith air traf f i c from n earby C op enh a gen air p or t, or shi ps nav i gatin g b etw e en Sw ed en an d D enmark, th e bri d ge di sapp ears hal f - w ay a cro ss th e Ø re sund strait, d e sc en din g throu g h Peb erh o lm , an ar ti f i ci al i sl and re cl aim ed in th e mi d d l e of th e sea , an d c ontinu e s a s th e D rogd en Tunn el f or an oth er f our ki lom etre s. Th e annu al e c on omi c b en ef it to b oth c ountri e s i s b eli e v ed to b e m ore th an £ 5 0 0 mi l lion . You’ l l re c og ni se th e cro ssin g a s th e settin g f or S can din av i an crim e drama T h e Bri d g e . Twenty minutes from Malmö is Lund. Under the ancient university town, a consortium of 17 countries are constructing the European Spallation Source, the most powerful linear proton accelerator ever built. If the Hubble Telescope and Voyager 2 are allowing us to investigate distant places in our universe, the ESS will enable scientists to see basic atomic structures in higher definition than ever before. Think of it as the world’s most powerful microscope. Th e natural w orld i s mind-blowing. O ft en , man’s att empts to conqu er, cross and compreh end it are even more stupefying. Mar vel at som e of our most brilliant engin eering feats from page 32. Enjoy th e i ssu e.

RICHARD BROWN, EDITOR

Other titles within the RWMG portfolio

COVER IMAGE (P44) : from The Bridge at Hoover Dam, £50, Jamey Stillings, Nazraeli Press, nazraeli.co.uk; jameystillingsprojects.com

A WEBS IT E. A M IN DS ET. A L IF ES T Y L E.

W W W.L U XU RYLO NDO N. C O .U K

ISSUE NO.

108

OCTOBER 2016

CONTRIBUTORS

E D I TOR -IN -CH IEF LESLEY ELLWOOD

EDIT O R RICHARD BROWN

A S S I S TA N T EDIT O R BETHAN REES

E D I TO R IA L A S S IS TA N T DAVID TAYLOR

S E NI OR DES IGN ER LISA WADE

B R A ND CO N S IS T ENCY LADDAWAN JUHONG

G E N ER A L M A N A GER

CHRIS ALLSOP

ALEXANDER BEER

CHRIS HALL

Chris is a Bath-based

L o n d o n - b o r n f a s h i o n , sp o r t

C h r i s i s d e p u ty e d i t o r f o r

f re e l a n c e j o u r n a l i st a n d

a n d a dv e r t i si n g p h o t o g ra p h e r,

QP watch magazine, and has w r i tt e n a b o u t t e c h n o l o g y a n d

p h o t o g ra p h e r w h o m o st ly

Al e x a n d e r s h o o t s f o r a w i d e

w r i t e s a b o u t t rav e l , f i l m a n d

ra n g e of p u b l i c a t i o n s a n d

c a r s f o r t h e l i k e s o f Wi r e d

cheese. This month, Chris

b ra n d s , i n c l u d i n g G Q , E s q u i r e ,

a n d E s q u i r e . Fi n d o u t i f t h e

d o c u m e n t s t h e r i s e of f u s i o n

P u rd e y a n d R i c h a rd Ja m e s .

Te s l a Mo d e l S c o u l d h a n d l e

f o o d i n o n e of t h e w o rl d ’s

Al e x a n d e r g e t s a r ty o n p a g e

the rigours of the British

m o st v i b ra n t c i t i e s , Ho n g

7 8 , s h o o t i n g i n si d e t h e

c o u n t r y si d e o n p a g e 9 6 .

Ko n g ( p . 1 0 6 ) .

W h i t e c h a p e l G a l l e r y.

Linen shirt, £108, Michael Kors, farfetch.com

Cashmere cable crew neck, £650, Dunhill, dunhill.com

FIONA FENWICK

P R O DUCT IO N HUGO WHEATLEY ALICE FORD JAMIE STEELE DANNY LESAR

P R O P E RT Y D IR ECT O R SAMANTHA RATCLIFFE

E X E CU T IV E D IR ECT O R SOPHIE ROBERTS

MA NA G IN G DIR ECT O R EREN ELLWOOD

Leather duffle bag, £515, Polo Ralph Lauren, mrporter.com

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1 0 0 , M a r k t u r n s o u r a tt e n t i o n

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motoring highlight, on page

s e t t o b e c o m e t h e w o rl d ’s

perception and the uncertainty

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Me r c e d e s - May b a c h 6 .

December (p. 40).

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Zero, 2014, Shirazeh Houshiary, lissongallery.com

Men’s vintage star sunglasses, £155, Mercedes-Benz, mercedes-benz.co.uk

The Builders: Marvels of Engineering, £10, National Geographic Society, abebooks.co.uk

on our website: rwmg.co.uk/subscribe

COURVOISIER.COM

CITY LIFE

OCTOBER 2016

THE POWER AND THE GLORY This yEaR maRks ThE 350Th annivERsaRy Of ThE gREaT fiRE Of lOndOn, and ThE BEginnings Of wREn’s gREaTEsT masTERpiECE

The Great Fire of London officially claimed only six lives, but the toll on the City’s infrastructure was much higher. Out of 80,000 inhabitants, the homes of 70,000 were destroyed. Eightyeight parish churches were razed to the ground, as was St Paul’s Cathedral. Many were rebuilt through the collaborative efforts of Sir Christopher Wren, Robert Hooke and Nicholas Hawksmoor, but St Paul’s is Wren’s personal masterpiece. Out of the ashes of a Gothic church grew today’s iconic Romanesque construction, a reminder of the monumental effort spent rebuilding an obliterated city. Page 26: Discover how Wren and his contemporaries rebuilt the City’s churches in the 60 years following the Great Fire

THE CHALETS

ALPINE GURU’S U.S COLLECTION

T I D IC TY E

IFE] [CITY L

maB Onsu C d n nTh Es a OdiTi Es This mO m m O ThE C EREsT RaT nT OuR i

lEs Ra

ising

Luxury chalet specialist Alpine Guru has announced the launch of its first U.S collection, an impressive portfolio of more than 120 super luxury escapes across nine of the States’ most sought-after ski resorts, including Aspen, Vail and Deer Valley. Many of the chalets are brand new and exclusive to the UK market for the 2016/17 winter season. Aspen has forever been one of the world’s favourite ski resorts and the Red Mountain Estate (top and below) provides the perfect lodging solution for up to 10 people. The gated property is located just outside Aspen’s core and comes complete with stunning views, an outdoor pool and a Boston grand piano. Elsewhere, Breckenridge offers skiers a more relaxed atmosphere in an old mining town in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Alpine Guru’s 5 O’Clock Lodge (bottom) is perfect for big groups or families – it can sleep up to 14 adults and eight children. For entertaining, hunker down in the The Morning Star Lodge (top left), which boasts a bar, shuffleboard, gaming table and an outdoor patio. alpineguru.com

THE WATCH

THE MISSION, NIXON California-based watch and accessories brand Nixon is launching what it calls the first action sports smartwatch. Landing 10 October, The Mission is built on Google’s Android Wear, is the first smartwatch to be water resistant to 100 metres, and allows wearers to create weather notifications for their favourite surf and snow locations. Housed in a custom-molded, shockproof and stainless steel case, the 48mm watch houses a battery that Nixon says will last more than 24 hours. Customisation options mean that 44,000 configurable case, bezel, band, and face options are available, while standalone GPS allows live ocean and mountain condition information to be sent to your wrist, wherever you are in the world. The Mission, £339, Nixon, nixon.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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| NEWS |

THE HOTEL THE JACKET

MIRAMONTI BOUTIQUE HOTEL

MONCLER MUSCADE Named after French ski village Monestierde-Clermont, Moncler was founded by Alpine climber René Ramillon in 1952. Originally a manufacturer of quilted sleeping bags, Moncler is now the first name in luxury winter wear. This two-tone bomber jacket is made of an ultralightweight material and is water repellent. As stylish on the streets of the City as on the slopes of Val d’Isère. Muscade bomber jacket, £1,450, Moncler, moncler.com

THE KIT THE NORTH FACE SLEEPING BAG When it comes to being prepared for the outdoors, few do it quite like The North Face. This two-season mummy sleeping bag is filled with Heatseeker Eco insulation, which offers durable, warm and resilient protection from the elements. Aleutian 35/2, from £75, thenorthface.com

THE WISH LIST

Ribbed cashmere beanie, £95, Paul Smith, mrporter.com

2 3 4 5 Cable Car Ronde sunglasses, £215, Vuarnet, vuarnet.com

Leather and denim down gilet, £485, Rocky Mountain Featherbed, mrporter.com

Testa skis, £POA, Zai, zai.ch/en

Sacramento boots, £501, Weber Hodel Feder, farfetch.com

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Opened in 1932, the miramonti boutique hotel brings a whole new meaning to the word sleek, after its numerous remodelling and rebuilding projects. a minimalist jewel nestled on the side of the dolomites, italy’s snow-capped alps, this hotel showcases stunning scenery through its glass-fronted viewing platform. This alpine hideaway combines traditional hospitality with contemporary style and a saltwater infinity pool. if you needed another reason to visit, the hotel screens a James Bond film every Sunday. hotel-miramonti.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

H C E T CITY

IFE] [CITY L

E of th hEad a g in r kEEp tus fo a r a p p tial a EssEn

BLAST FROM THE PAST

For those of you yearning for a return to big hair, headbands and roller skates, audio giant Monster has provided the catalyst for your next block party. The Monster SuperStar Blaster takes a classic boom box and updates it for the modern, mobile world. The classic style (imagine it over your shoulder) and heavy

curvE

bass are complemented by Bluetooth and USB connectivity, meaning sharing music is quick and easy. The specs are pretty impressive, the cabinet design and high-end EQ capabilities boost sound quality, both indoors and outside. This thing is loud. Water resistance also means that a few spillages won’t be a

problem. It’s an old-school product brought bang up to date. We tested a SuperStar Blaster at a recent flat-warming party, successfully provoking complaints from three separate neighbours (true story). Well, start as you mean to go on and all that. SuperStar Blaster, £349.95, Monster, monsterproducts.com

EMBRACING THE RETRO TECH REVIVIAL THE AUDIO

A retro design pays homage to 30 years of quality audio kit from British sound stalwart Ruark. R1-30, £199, Ruark, ruarkaudio.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

THE CAMERA

42.4 megapixels means your Christmas shots are going to be National Geographic-worthy. A7R II camera, £3,239, Sony, sony.co.uk

THE TURNTABLE

VPI’s history of great turntables at fantastically lofty prices continues. Here, the deck has a 3D printed arm. Prime turntable, £4,000, VPI, audiodestination.co.uk

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| NEWS |

S S E N T I F CITY

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g fit ightin f u o py o kee icks t r t d s an the tip

HOME MADE

don’t fancy dragging yourself to the gym? stay at home and get the same results, courtesy of BodyBuilding.com’s personal trainer Lee constantinou What sort of exercises lend themselves to home workouts? Bodyweight exercises are best for home workouts. Push ups, squats, lunges, and bed/chair dips are all great exercises that require no equipment and just a bit of space. In which equipment should we invest? Stick to the basics – dumb-bells and a barbell with some weight plates, a mat and stepper. You’ll be able to do a range of exercises to get a full body workout. There’s no need to get fancy with heavy machinery, especially if you have limited space. What nutritional essentials should we stock in our cupboards?

You should have a daily multivitamin, fish oils, vitamin D and a probiotic supplement for optimal health and well-being. I’d also recommend a protein powder to support your recovery and optimise your protein intake across the day (aim for 1g per pound of bodyweight). What are the benefits of exercising from home as opposed to a gym? Working out at home can save you a lot of time. If your work schedule doesn’t allow you to get to a gym then a quick 30-minute morning blast 3-4 times weekly will be enough to keep your heart healthy and support with fat burning and muscle building. Working out at home is also great

if you’re self-conscious or haven’t quite got the confidence to walk into a gym. Start gradually and build up slowly: start at two days per week and gradually increase your workouts to 3-4 times weekly. bodybuilding.com

AT-HOME WORKOUT PLAN:

3 sets, 90 seconds rest in between • 20 push-ups • 30 bed/chair dips • 20 crunches • 20 body squats • Plank – 60 second hold • 20 Lunges – ten each side • 15 Burpees

STARTER KIT:

1. Deluxe 40kg rubber dumb-bell kit, £69.99, Bodymax, powerhouse-fitness.co.uk; 2. Apple Watch Nike+, from £369, Apple/Nike, apple.com; 3. HumanX weighted vest, £87.95, Harbinger, uk.bodybuilding.com

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

THE FAT BEAR FINDS A PERMANENT HOME

L A I C O S IC TY

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h thE aZEs rY cr Ed WIt a h IN Is l r cu ou s aNd urE N NchE E EPIc u h a t l G t tEs KEEPIN E’s la rE mIl a u q s

Award-winning pop-up The Fat Bear is now a permanent fixture in Blackfriars, and welcomes new executive chef Daniel Núñez. The inspiration in the American diner comes courtesy of Cajun and Creole influences and from the deep South, seen in core dishes like chicken and waffles and gumbo, alongside seasonal dishes such as seafood Cioppino. Big feasts are a speciality, with the Beefsteak Bacchanalia a highlight (the restaurant runs the hashtag #getgoutorgetout). World-class American whiskies include the full Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, and a ‘Pickleback’ shot is a must-have. The Fat Bear, Upstairs at the Rising Sun Pub, EC4V, thefatbear.co.uk

Festival of fizz Champagne Week is back. From 1-7 October, and for the sixth year running, luxury hospitality brand Searcys is hosting a celebration of all things fizz and the ever-growing UK Champagne scene. Open to the public, events include a ‘Champagne on the Rocks’ masterclass, tapping into the new fashion of Champagne with ice; rarest and finest Champagne tasting; a Champagne supper club; and a Golden Cork treasure hunt through London. The grand opening will be held at the St Pancras Champagne Bar, the longest of its type in Europe. Champagne is becoming ever more popular, as accessibility soars and major Champagne houses buy UK vineyards due to similar climates and cheaper land rates. All of this means more Champagne for us, with the trend only going up. And with houses such as Taittinger, Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot vying for attention this October, consider yourself cordially invited. Champagne Week runs from 1-7 October across London. For information and tickets, go to nationalchampagneweek.co.uk

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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| NEWS |

THE REVIEW: ANGLER

FISHING FOR COMPLIMENTS WORDS: DAVID TAYLOR

he sign of a good hotel (besides the essential jumping-on-the-bed test) is a critically acclaimed restaurant to match. The South Place Hotel has this in the form of Angler, a Michelin-starred fish bistro that graces the hotel’s top floor. Opened in 2012 by D&D London as the company’s first venture into hotels – it had already enjoyed restaurant success with the likes of Coq d’Argent, Le Pont de la Tour and Canary Wharf ’s Plateau – South Place Hotel occupies a sociable spot in the City, located as it is slap-bang between Liverpool Street and Moorgate stations. This autumn marks ten years since D&D founders Des Gunewardena and David Loewi began their culinary mission, which the duo’s portfolio of restaurants are celebrating with a series of events. (On Wednesday 5 October, 10 D&D restaurants are offering diners a three-course lunch or dinner for just £10). Angler is an unpretentious, light and airy affair, providing lesser-seen views of the Square Mile below. Arrive early and, weather

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permitting, enjoy an extensive spirits and cocktail list on an outdoor terrace. A couple of whisky cocktails later, we were taken to a table decorated in nautical blues and creams. After a commendable starter of steamed courgette blossom with a mousse filling of Dorset crab and lemon verbena, the Cornish bass was a delicate delight. The sight of Jersey royals normally fills me with disappointment, but on the

across his face as he explained the pitfalls of each bottle at which we pointed. The choice we (he) finally made was a sensation. The only, slight, negative on the night was a somewhat lacking atmosphere. Perhaps this was because we visited on a Tuesday, in August, when the rest of London was on holiday. Service, though, was impeccable. Stuffed, we made our way to the lifts, faintly hoping that the management might

Angler is an unpretentious, light and airy affair, providing lesser-seen views of the Square Mile advice of our waiter, I persevered, and was pleasantly surprised. I would’ve liked a second chance at the dessert; a warm, 64 per cent chocolate truffle was categorically over-indulgent. I nigh-on inhaled it. Putting the sommelier to good use, we asked for a red to go with our varying fish dishes. Hardly a hint of frustration flashed

offer us a room for the night. No such luck. But no complaints; we were easily persuaded to return to the terrace for a nightcap. Struggling to keep my eyes open, I asked for a short drink and sleepwalked home. It’s easy to see why Angler has so many people hooked. 3 South Place, EC2, 020 3215 1260, anglerrestaurant.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

E L P P I T Y CIT

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As The Macallan debuts the new Double Cask, the distillery’s head of education, Daryl Haldane, discusses how to discover the right whisky for you

o create the Double Cask, selected oak was transported from America to Spain to be crafted into casks. Here, they were sherry-seasoned before making their way to The Macallan distillery on Speyside, where they were left to mature for 12 years. A unique characteristic of our whisky is that it is massively varied in taste and texture. You have a very light and flowery whisky with the Fine Oak, a much more intense, complex and balanced whisky in

To find the right whisky for your palate, you have to be willing to explore, in a similar way to drinking coffee. When you start drinking coffee you make allowances: you add sugar or have a mocha and then two years later you’re drinking espresso. You have to find out what your first great experience of whisky is going to be – perhaps a cocktail, a food pairing or something

To find the right whisky for your palate, you have to be willing to explore the Double Cask, and when you get to the Sherry Oak, you get a very rich and sweet style of The Macallan. For a whisky novice I would suggest The Macallan 12 Years Old Fine Oak. If you like spirits and already enjoy rum or other blended whiskies, perhaps The Macallan Double Cask is another great way for you to start your journey.

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

as simple as a whisky and soda – and then you can start enjoying and experimenting with different ways of drinking it. I recommend that people share food while enjoying whisky. The Macallan Double Cask is quite an intense whisky with

a lot of flavour; I always find lots of beautiful vanillas and brioche notes in it, which work well with seafood such as scallops and tapas foods like salted meat, ham and olives. The whisky is able to compete with those kinds of flavours and add balance. I was in a Hong Kong hotel recently and the bartender created a drink using mustard. The more spicy, savoury and almost umami flavours worked brilliantly. As we come into Autumn I really enjoy The Macallan on ice. Sometimes – on colder evenings especially – I like a neat whisky with coffee, and every now and then I like an Old Fashioned. We have a new distillery coming in 2018 which is incredibly exciting. We are very confident about what can happen in the future and we want to continue to make brilliant whisky for another 200 or 300 years. Double Cask, £55, themacallan.com

circles from top Limited Release MMXII; Estate Reserve; The Macallan Trilogy

BLENDING THE PERFECT MA MALT LT

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Our MaN-abOut-tOwN, INNerplaCe’s NICk savage, gIves yOu the INsIder lOwdOwN ON lONdON’s MOst hedONIstIC hauNts

WELCOME TO THE CLUB

New City-based private members’ joint, Devonshire Club, aims to beat Mayfair at its own game

rian Clivaz has exerted quiet yet commanding influence on London clubland for decades, as chairman of L’Escargot, founding director of Home House, and managing director of both Scott’s and The Arts Club. This wealth of experience has given him a perspective on the changing DNA of the capital’s private members’ scene. Eschewing straight and narrow rules such as prohibiting phones or members from certain industries, both Clivaz and general manager Ian Palmer realise the importance of connectivity to a modern membership, and have built Devonshire Club accordingly. The brasserie at the club is overseen by Simon Whitley, who has cooked for the Royal Family and the last three prime ministers. The food, as you’d expect, is par excellence. In terms of toeing the line of traditionalism, however, the buck stops here. After wending my way through the somewhat byzantine passageways of Devonshire Terrace, I finally locate the 19th-century Regency warehouse, where a cool £25 million has been invested to bring it up to speed. Spread over 58,000 sq ft, the

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up feel yet without any stuffy formality. On the opposite side you’ll find the Cocktail Bar, which is a bit brighter and more playful, a detail that is reflected in the selection of cocktails. Bar manager Tiziano Tasso has done an admirable job putting the lists together. On the third floor, I get a better sense of the club’s functionality as I tour its many meeting rooms, equipped with a collection of tea that would pique Fortnum & Mason’s envy. There are a number of details included to enhance members’ lives, including a private gymnasium with personal trainers, a Pilates studio, a yoga space, four treatment rooms in the wellness centre, and even a blow-dry and nail bar. Dinner is pitch perfect: Innerplace a homage to the club years of is London’s personal venture encompasses 68 yore. Ingredients are of the lifestyle concierge. Membership provides complimentary access luxury rooms and suites, highest quality. King’s cure to the finest nightclubs, the best with a scale that is smoked salmon, flown restaurants and top private members’ unmatched in EC2. in from Scotland on the clubs. Innerplace also offers priority Following a breezy same day, is dusted with bookings, VIP invitations and updates on the latest openings. check-in at reception, I’m diced red onion, chives Membership from £50 a month. whisked along on a whistleand capers, with sprigs of innerplace.co.uk stop tour, up a short flight dill nestled atop little pockets of stairs to the Champagne of goat’s curd. This is followed bar, which adjoins the brasserie. by a côte de boeuf of obscene Capacious in scale, it offers wine walls with proportions, sliced into ruby red tranches, some great selections from the US, France and eased down the oesophagus with and England – with both Gusbourne and lashings of St Joseph Syrah. Veuve Clicquot well represented. For those Clivaz worked with March & White, that would like to enjoy the Great British lauded for its work on yacht interiors, summer when it’s feeling cooperative, or to design the Devonshire Club, which even a smoke outside when it isn’t, there’s seems fitting as the club is run like a tight a large outdoor area that was fizzing with ship. With some great deals for founding members basking in the sunshine. members, it’s probably best to jump aboard We enter a lift to the second floor and sooner rather than later. 4+5 Devonshire Square, EC2M, enjoy a dram of Nikka Coffey Grain in the devonshire.club Library Bar, which has more of a buttoned-

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

& ALL THAT

JAZZ Boisdale, in Canary Wharf’s Cabot Place, is more than just exquisite Caledonian-inspired cuisine and striking Scottish décor, founder Ranald Macdonald tells us why

hat originally started as a fluke, has led Ranald Macdonald, founder of Boisdale, to a world of Scottish success. It was after Macdonald had been thrown out of St Andrew’s University for the third time that he decided it was time to walk a new path. Wanting to make a living out of something he had true passion for, he opened a wine shop in 1987. A few years later he added Scottish cuisine, cigars, whisky and live music to the mix and introduced Boisdale of Belgravia in 1989. Following his success, he opened another two branches; one of them overlooking the stunning fountains in Cabot Square, Canary Wharf. Macdonald’s “home away from home” has become renowned for its electric live music every night, its hearty Scottish meals and its impressive 12-metre long bar filled with more than 1,000 bottles of whisky to complete the night. Boisdale, Cabot Place; boisdale.co.uk

SAVE THE DATE: A TASTE OF BOISDALE 11 October Nikka Whisky Tasting Whisky Ambassador Stefanie Holt will give guests a guided tasting on a selected range of Japanese Nikka whiskies 12 October Cuban Cigar Tasting Cigar afficionados will be able to taste the Punch Serie de Oro #2 Limited Edition 2013 cigar; the first limited edition offered by the Punch brand 19 October The Balvenie whisky, Cheese, Cured meat and Pickles Tasting Guests will try different expressions

BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH Enjoy two hours of endless prosecco or wine

of The Balvenie whisky paired with unusual foods, including pickles, cured meat and cheese

with your brunch for

Why did you go down the Scottish route for Boisdale?

£24.50 on Sundays from 11am - 2pm

Being a Macdonald I am a Highlander and naturally I love Scotland. I simply put all the things I loved most under one roof. I have spent much of my life in Scotland and understood that the best culinary ingredients in the world are to be found there. My mother is a wonderful cook and my father adored restaurants so my upbringing was very unconsciously food focused. I had no idea it would lead onto a career.

What inspired you to bring this concept to Canary Wharf? When I first saw our site in Cabot Place I was dumbstruck. I fell in love with the entrepreneurial spirit of adventure that Canary Wharf represents to me.

Why did you decide to bring live music to Boisdale? I am a musician and love music so I naturally wanted live music. It fills the senses that remain unsated by wine, food and cigars to complete the Boisdale experience.

Who has been your favourite act to work with in the past? There are so many, but when Muddy

Water’s son Mud Morganfeld sang, it literally sent a bolt of electricity through my body. I nearly fainted.

What’s next for Boisdale? We have recently introduced a British Tapas menu which allows customers to enjoy all the ingredients we have on our menu on small, less formal, sharing plates.

canarywharf.com

@yourcanarywharf

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| COLUMN |

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

Dear

THAMES PARTY CRUISES… Y

ou’d think it would be a hard sell. Persuading people to board a cramped, damp ‘pleasure’ cruiser for the prospect of cheap Champagne, soggy canapés and a playlist that peaks with the Vengaboys’ We’re Going to Ibiza. But apparently not. I’ve had that 1999 party anthem broadcast through my bedroom window every night for more than a year now. Recently, I saw on the news that one of your vessels was involved in an incident mere minutes from my Canary Wharf office. Its engine caught fire and the captain had to send it drifting harmlessly into a jetty in the slowest action sequence ever recorded on film. It was the most pleasure I have ever derived from your noise-polluting mobile discos. Or, rather, almost the most pleasure. For I too have experienced a Thames shindig. I was invited by a friend, who took me to his company’s annual aquatic kneesup. An unassuming plaque informed us that our venue for the night had served at Dunkirk in 1940. How the mighty had fallen. The evening wore on, and a strange thing happened. As I met an increasing number of people animated by the fact they were on a boat, listened to pop songs I knew more than half the words to, and quaffed a solid amount of sparkling something, I began to enjoy myself. Especially when I realised that the boat was going past not only my favourite pub, but also my house, the place where, for months, I had cursed the river revellers for interrupting my otherwise peaceful little corner of England. It was then that I realised a devastating truth. I had become everything I hate. I was the reveller, the shouter (“that’s my house! Everyone, that’s actually my house, I’m not even kidding!”) I was the one trying to recreate the Titanic ‘King of the World’ scene with a lady I’d met just two hours before. I was having fun. And this raises a problem. How can I bemoan your bacchanalian river parties, when the only time I’ve ever embraced a

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I’ve had Vengaboys’ We’re Going to Ibiza broadcast through my bedroom window every night for more than a year now pleasure cruise, I was the one singing along with the Vengaboys the loudest? Well, I’ll tell you how. I’m writing this at 11:30pm, on a Friday, after a working week that has failed to provide me with enough hours to meet the deadlines that stretch out before me. The work is slow and the reason it’s slow is because every half an hour I’m interrupted by Dexys Midnight Runners drifting into earshot. Of all the prevailing vexations that invade my daily life, nothing grows as irritating as having Come on Eileen stuck on repeat inside my head. So, what to do about this dilemma? How can I reclaim my evenings while

allowing your guests to continue enjoying the spoils of an evening like the one I had? I have a suggestion. As the Pet Shop Boys sing with unerring regularity on your trips: Go West. There’s no point in coming all this way east, anyway. Nobody wants to see Canary Wharf, other than those that have to. Woolwich is an eyesore. Pass Big Ben, pass the London Eye and don’t stop until you’re in Richmond. Do the right thing; veer upstream, and keep going. Yours faithfully, Flo Ting Hell DT

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

this image St Clement Eastcheap, EC4 Opposite Wenceslaus Hollar’s ‘Exact Surveigh of the Streets Lanes and Churches contained within the Ruines of the City of London’, 1666-1667, ©The British Library Board, Maps.Crace.Port.1.50

FIRE | FEATURE |

in his new book, architectural historian angelo hornak explores how the churches constructed in the 60 years after the great fire of london transformed the capital, and, in particular, the makeup of the square mile WORDS & IMAGES: ANGELO HORNAK, AS APPEAR IN AFTER THE FIRE – LONDON CHURCHES IN THE AGE OF WREN, HOOKE, HAWKSMOOR AND GIBBS

AFTER THE T

he Great Fire of London offered a unique opportunity to Christopher Wren and his colleagues – including Robert Hooke and Nicholas Hawksmoor – who, over the next 40 years, rebuilt St Paul’s and 51 other London churches in a dramatic new style inspired by the European Baroque. In 1667, within months of the fire, Parliament passed the Rebuilding Act, which authorised a tax to be levied on all coal arriving in the City of London. The coal unloaded here was not only for Londoners, it also provided much of the fuel used in the whole of the Thames estuary, ensuring a large tax base. In 1670, three-quarters

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of the Coal Tax revenue was allocated to rebuilding the parish churches and St Paul’s. It also provided money for the Monument to the Fire of London. In 1711, another Act of Parliament extended the tax to pay for the Fifty New Churches Act [in addition to replacing the churches lost in the fire, 50 more were planned – a response to London’s dramatically rising population]. Within days of the fire going out, the King was presented with several ambitious plans for rebuilding London. The first came from Christopher Wren, who beat his friend John Evelyn by a couple of days: ‘Everybody brings in his idea, amongst the rest I presented his Majestie my owne

conceptions . . . within dayes after the Conflagration: But Dr Wren had got the start of me.’ Just as he had wanted a radical modern solution to the problem of St Paul’s, Wren’s plan for the City swept away the old medieval street plan. He replaced this with a bold new geometric design of grand vistas and radiating avenues interconnecting at a series of piazzas. One was at the bridgehead of London Bridge, another in the west between the Temple and the river Fleet, itself to be turned into a navigable canal. The grandest piazza was to be built in the east, around the Royal Exchange and other vital commercial offices: the Bank, the

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

Above ‘a Prospect of the City of London’, by Johannes kip, 1724 below The gilded urn at the top of the monument, with strands of twisted copper representing flames

Mint, the Excise Office, the Post Office and the Goldsmiths’ Hall. From this, a dead-straight avenue leads east to another piazza in front of a new St Paul’s. Wren’s plan clearly shows St Paul’s with a dome, revealing his continuing determination to build a dome over the cathedral. Before the fire there had been more than 90 churches in the City of London. Wren proposed reducing this to a mere 19: how different the City of London would have looked if this had happened. Wren may have been the first to come up with a new plan for London, but he wasn’t alone. John Evelyn’s own plan, submitted shortly afterwards, is similar enough to Wren’s to suggest they had discussed it together before the fire. They share the radiating avenues converging on piazzas, but Evelyn’s plan has a more rigid grid and fewer streets. Another plan, now lost, was presented to the City authorities by Robert Hooke, and was well received by them. Apparently this was also based on a grid, and it allowed for only 15 churches in the rebuilt City. The Act of 1667 originally provided for 39 of the 87 destroyed churches to be rebuilt, with 48 parishes disappearing. Protests from the threatened parishes led to this being changed in the 1670 Act, which listed 51 churches to be rebuilt and specified which parishes were to be combined, effectively sharing a rebuilt church. The rebuilt churches are often referred to as ‘Wren churches’, as if Wren himself had designed them all. This impression is reinforced by the claim made by his son in

Parentalia: ‘Fifty-one parochial Churches of the City of London, erected according to the Designs and under the Care and Conduct, of Sir Christopher Wren, in lieu of those which were burnt and demolish’d by the great Fire.’ However, the only church Wren himself specifically claims to have designed is St James’s Piccadilly, in Westminster, away from the City. During the years of church rebuilding Wren had many other duties. As Surveyor General to the King’s Works, a post he retained until 1718, he was involved in several large royal projects, including Chelsea Hospital, Greenwich Hospital and Hampton Court. And from 1675 to 1710 he was also in charge of rebuilding St Paul’s Cathedral. He was even briefly a Member of Parliament. All these activities suggest that the 51 City churches rebuilt after the fire could not possibly all have been designed in detail by Wren himself. Like Wren, Robert Hooke makes no claim to have been the architect of any particular church, but he played a crucial part in the whole process. His diary entries for the years 1672−80 include many references to visiting various churches, particularly those in the north-eastern corner of the City, near his home at Gresham in Bishopsgate.

l-r St andrew-by-the-Wardrobe, eC4; St Pauls, eC4; St mary-at-hill, eC3

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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| FEATURE |

For most parishes the urgent task was to get the main body of the church completed as fast as money from the Coal Tax would allow. As a result, many of the churches were originally built with a nave and perhaps a tower, but without a spire or steeple. The towers were boarded over to wait for Coal Tax money to be spared for steeple building – which means that in most cases the steeples are several years, or even decades, later than the churches they adorn. These steeples, all crowded together within the square mile of the City, provided London with a famous skyline. In 1759 the Italian traveller Count Algarotti wrote that ‘Londra è il paese de’ bei campanili’ (‘London is the land of beautiful bell towers’) and could think of only one Italian steeple in Mantua to compare with them. Engravings of London before the fire show a skyline bristling with Gothic towers and steeples, dominated by the tower of old Saint Paul’s. After the Fire, the great contribution of Wren and his colleagues was to recreate this skyline using the forms of classical architecture, based on models from ancient Greece and Rome and the Italian Renaissance. The spires and steeples of the London churches are very varied, ranging from plain towers topped by a balustrade (St Clement Eastcheap, St Andrew-by-theWardrobe), to square towers with obelisks or pinnacles at the corners (St Andrew Holborn, St Mary Somerset). St Benet Paul’s Wharf has a lead lantern above a shallow dome, and St Peter Cornhill has a small spire above its dome. A handful (St Edmund the King, St Nicholas Cole Abbey), have trumpet-shaped spires. In a few cases, Wren produced Gothic designs (St Dunstan-in-the-East, St Mary Aldermary, St Alban Wood Street). The grandest steeples were multi-stage designs, as at St Bride’s Fleet Street, with its diminishing octagonal stages, or Christ Church Newgate Street with its composition of three square stages ending in an elegant finial. St Magnus the Martyr, another multistage design, has a steeple clearly based on the Jesuit Church in Antwerp. The grandest of all is St Mary-le-Bow, a complex design rising from a square tower into a circular colonnade of free-standing Corinthian columns, all topped by a glorious dragon for its weathervane. There is another splendid weathervane in the shape of a fully rigged galleon at St Nicholas Cole Abbey (originally at St Mildred Poultry). Forty-five years after the Great Fire, the Act of 1711 established a ‘Commission for Building Fifty New Churches’. It also provided money for the new churches by extending the Coal Tax until 1724. Besides politicians, lawyers and churchmen, the Commission included the principal officers

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of the Royal Works: Sir John Vanbrugh and Sir Christopher Wren, as well as the architect Thomas Archer. Wren at the age of 79 didn’t design any of the New Churches, but he set out his view that churches should be built as ‘auditories’. In the event only a dozen churches were actually built, and of these Hawksmoor was responsible for half. Of the 51 churches built by Wren and his colleagues in the City, there are 29 left in one form or another. One, St Mary Aldermanbury, has been rebuilt in Missouri in the United States. Six remain only as towers, where the body of the church was either demolished in the 19th century or destroyed in the intensive bombing of London by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. The worst destruction of the City churches was in the second half of the 19th century. As those working in the City moved to the suburbs, the residential population declined dramatically, and fewer churches were needed. With increasing pressure on land for new railway stations, road-widening projects and more office space, the Church of England set about selling the sites of unwanted churches. In the mid-19th century, as the Gothic Revival came to dominate church architecture, the Baroque churches of Wren and Hooke had little appeal, being dismissed by Pugin as ‘meagre imitations of Italian paganism’. In this climate the Church authorities met little effective opposition to the demolition of Wren’s City churches. Visiting the churches requires a bit of planning, as their opening hours vary. Most are closed at the weekends,

Of the 51 churches built by Wren and his colleagues in the City, there are 29 left in one form or another although some, including St Bride’s and St Sepulchre’s, have regular Sunday services. Many of the churches have lunchtime concerts and organ recitals, as well as weekday services. The best source of information about the churches in general, as well as special events and opening times, is the Friends of the City Churches, a charity dedicated to promoting their protection and appreciation. Besides their informative website and regular newsletter, the Friends provide a rota of volunteer ‘Church Watchers’ who keep some 20 of the churches open to visitors on different days of the week – an invaluable service to those who love and value London’s City churches. london-city-churches.org.uk

most of the City churches have a weathervane; the most common type is the simple arrow and pennant design as at St magnus the martyr, eC3

After the Fire – London Churches in the Age of Wren, Hooke, Hawksmoor and Gibbs, by Angelo Hornak, Foreword by Stephen Platten, £50, Pimpernel Press Ltd, pimpernelpress.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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THE WIZARD OF OVE

The ultimate magician, the hidden hand of the engineer rarely gets the credit it deserves. To coincide with a retrospective running at the V&A, Kari Colmans lifts the curtain on the greatest civil engineer of the 20th century, Sir Ove Arup

‘E

ngineering is central to human progress – almost nothing is invented without it,’ writes Gregory Hodkinson, chairman of Arup Group, in the glossy tome Design Book: Total Design Over Time, ‘and Ove Arup was an extraordinary engineer who was deeply concerned with that process.’ With a philosophy underpinned by a belief in the reciprocal roles of engineering in design, and vice versa, Ove’s Total Design vision was shaped by humanistic as well as technical ideologies; the impact of design, big and small, on society. While his approach was open-minded and holistic, taking into account all of the disciplines and skills required for construction, his goal was always to give people a better quality of life through creative engineering. With an extensive portfolio that includes some of the world’s most famous structures, Ove (1895-1988) was often the discreet technical genius behind the buzz. Probably his most famous construction,

Ove’s Total Design vision was shaped by humanistic as well as technical ideologies

lead image © aiyoshi above Sir Ove Arup by Godfrey Argent, 25 April 1969 ® National Portrait Gallery, London Air Photos

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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| ENGINEERING SPECIAL |

discussions regarding the Sydney Opera House began in the 1950s. The complex design work for the iconic pre-cast concrete shells was achieved through the then pioneering use of computers to model the roof and analyse the structure. The discovery of the ‘spherical solution’ was a turning point for devising the final, buildable version. In this scheme, the roof was based on the geometry of a single sphere, while each triangle that formed the outer surface of the roof was a portion of that sphere. The solution, demonstrated by this model, gave the roof the desired shape, and crucially, a geometric regularity that allowed parts to be prefabricated as repeating components. Another notable Ove construction is Kingsgate Bridge. Built in 1963, the bridge over the River Wear connects Durham

University’s 19th-century buildings on the cathedral peninsula to the campus south of the river, and it is in fact the last project that Ove designed. In line with his Total Design philosophy, he made the joining mechanism for the two halves of the bridge a feature in itself, with a ‘T’ that points to the town and a ‘U’ that points to the university, with two cylinders between them to allow for movement. At the time, he described the bridge, with its iconic 90-degree angles, as “the complete integration of architecture, structure and method construction”. The sophisticated simplicity of its symmetrical design was both aesthetically pleasing and practical; fabricated on site, the two halves were simply swung together in 40 minutes. With its cutting edge, spiral-shaped ramp, London Zoo’s penguin pool was one

of the first structures ever to use reinforced concrete. Designed to mimic the creatures’ natural habitat, the project put Ove’s name, as well as the architectural firm Tecton (led by Berthold Lubetkin) on the map when it was built in 1934. Ove was nothing if not versatile, and during the Second World War, was one of few who worked on the temporary and portable Mulberry Harbours to enable the Allied invasion of Normandy. In so doing, he was partly responsible for a revolutionary type of concrete fender. Over the channel, another Ove landmark includes Centre Georges Pompidou, a complex steel super-structure in the heart of Paris, which came about as a result of a winning competition entry in 1971, and inspired future buildings by redefining open spatial planning inside.

l-R Michael Lewis, Ove Arup and Jack Zunz on site, October 1964. Photographer: Max Dupain © Max Dupain; Ramps under construction, Penguin Pool, London Zoo, Regent’s Park, London (c) Architectural Press Archive, RIBA Collections; Sydney Opera House under construction, 6 April 1966 -® Robert Baudin for Hornibrook Ltd. Courtesy Australian Air Photos

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

‘The inside-out building turned the continues to carry the Ove baton world of architecture upside-down,’ today, and is one of the top engineering according to Arup’s Design Book. Other consultancies in the world, still guided notable achievements include the Lloyd’s by the Total Design philosophy – joining building in London, the first post-war all the professions right from the start by building to be Grade I listed. housing them under one unifying name. Having come from a privileged To name one of a countless number background, Ove was strongly influenced of schemes, Arup won the largest design by his academic studies in philosophy, package for Crossrail, which included the which he would often articulate in his detailed design for the twin-bored tunnels, unique, charismatic manner. “There are and Tottenham Court Road station. It was two ways of looking at the work you do also appointed for the civil, structural, to earn a living,” Ove famously told an geotechnical and building services of the audience in Winchester in 1970, Canary Wharf Crossrail station. in a presentation that is still All in all, Arup has had Engineering compulsory reading for significant design input the World: Ove anyone who joins Arup, into six of the ten new Arup and the Philosophy the eponymous firm stations and has of Total Design, supported by he founded in 1946. provided the project Volkswagen Group, with additional “One is the way with numerous support from Tideway, runs until propounded by specialist services 6 November at the V&A, vam.ac.uk/ the late Henry such as acoustic EngineeringSeason Ford: work is a and fire engineering, necessary evil, but archaeology, and Design Book: Total Design Over modern technology sustainability Time, £30, available to buy from will reduce it to a consultancy. harriman-house.com; minimum. Your life is In an effort to bring arup.com your leisure lived in your to light the ‘art behind ‘free’ time. The other is: to the art’, the Victoria and make your work interesting Albert Museum has spent and rewarding. You enjoy both the last few weeks welcoming your work and your leisure. We opt visitors to its Engineering the World: Ove uncompromisingly for the second way.” Arup and the Philosophy of Total Design Known as Arup’s ‘Key Speech’, he went exhibition. The first major retrospective of on to discuss the pursuit of happiness. the work of arguably the most influential He saw only two options: to act in only engineer of the 20th century, it is a key your own self-interest, regardless of the feature of the museum’s debut engineering consequences to others; or, to recognise season, which highlights engineers as the that no man is an island, and that real unsung heroes of design. It explores more happiness in isolation is impossible. “We, than 150 previously unseen prototypes, again, opt for the second way,” he said. “Our blueprints, models, drawings, doodles, work should be interesting and rewarding.” photographs and films, as well as a host of One of the most notable visionaries new immersive digital displays containing of his day, the Arup firm he founded animations, simulations and augmented

BUILDING THE MODERN WORLD ENGINEERING’S MOST BRILLIANT MINDS WHO: John Smeaton (1724-1792) WHAT: Smeaton lighthouse (1759), Perth Bridge (1771), Smeaton’s viaduct (1768) WHY: Known at the father of civil engineering, Smeaton founded the Society of Civil Engineers in 1771, a forerunner of the Institution of Civil Engineers. He pioneered the use of ‘hydraulic lime’ (a form of mortar that will set under water) and developed a technique involving dovetailed blocks of granite in the building of lighthouses. Integral to the development of modern cement, he is credited by some with inventing the cast iron axle shaft used in waterwheels. The famous Brit is one of six civil engineers depicted in the Stephenson stained glass window, designed by William Wailes in Westminster Abbey.

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

WHO: Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859) WHAT: Great Western Railway (1838), Clifton Suspension Bridge (1864), The Great Western steamship (1838) WHY: Despite Brunel being refused entry into a renowned French engineering school (because he was considered a foreigner regardless of his French father), he went on to be a prolific engineer who revolutionised transport systems, which still exist today. Over his career he built 25 railway lines, over 100 bridges, including five suspension bridges, eight pier and dock systems, three ships and a prefabricated army field hospital. His legacy also lives on through Brunel University, with engineering being one of its specialities.

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| ENGINEERING SPECIAL |

imAge Centre Georges Pompidou © Dennis van de Water.

reality, spanning a century of work. ‘When it comes to creativity and the arts, the worlds of design, fashion and architecture tend to grab our attention,’ writes Martin Roth, director of the V&A, in Design Book. ‘But when we look a little closer to appreciate the wonderful façade on our favourite building, the performance of a car, or the mysterious ease with which something just ‘works’, often what we are admiring is the work of the engineer… It is their work that not only interprets and brings a vision to life, but frequently has a hand in its design.’ As well as a behind-the-scenes look at Ove’s key projects, more obscure highlights give a closer insight into his more whimsical side. These include a portrait of Ove with a handwritten dedication by the architect Le Corbusier, which has never been on public display

before. Le Corbusier’s 1923 book, Towards a New Architecture, which celebrated the importance of the engineer, had a profound influence on Ove, and the portrait hung on his office wall until his death in 1988. Ove’s idiosyncrasies and passion for the arts as well as engineering were highly unusual at the time, and his witty persona and artistic nature translated into a compulsion for doodling. Appearing on notebook pages, meeting agenda documents and accompanying his own poems and notes, Ove’s playful sketches express his animated mind. In addition to the exhibition, a series of major cutting-edge engineering projects from around the world by British engineering firms such as AKT II, Atelier One, BuroHappold Engineering, Expedition Engineering and Jane Wernick Associates are currently available to view in the free display Mind over Matter in the V&A + RIBA Architecture Gallery, and reflect London’s status as an engineering capital, and Britain as a world leader in creativity and design. Roth says: “Engineering is so important to the world we live in. We should give it the recognition – and respect – that it deserves.”

THiS imAge AND LeFT Lloyd’s of London

WHO: Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923) WHAT: Eiffel Tower (1889), Statue of Liberty (1886), Church of Notre Dame des Champs (1910) WHY: Eiffel was very much in the right place at the right time, with the Industrial Revolution creating many opportunities for civil engineers and architects with both his skill and foresight. Open and quick to adopt groundbreaking techniques first used by others, such as the use of compressed-air caissons and hollow cast-iron piers, the Frenchman was a pioneer in his calculated approach; combining analytical equations with highly accurate drawings and manufacturing techniques.

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WHO: Hedy Lamarr (1913-2000) WHAT: Frequency Hopping Theory (1942) WHY: Recalled by most as a beautiful Hollywood moviestar of the 1930s and 40s, few are aware that this glamorous Austrian also invented a remotecontrolled communications system for the U.S military during World War II. Lamarr’s frequency hopping theory (the repeated switching of frequencies during radio transmission to reduce interference and avoid interception) is now an important element behind the basis for modern communication technology such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi network connections.

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

Image Â© Helga Esteb

ELON MUSK:

SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD OR FALSE PROPHET? 36

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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He’s the playboy philanthropist that inspired Iron Man’s Tony Stark, but after Tesla’s 13th consecutive quarterly loss, a tragic death involving one of his self-drive cars, and the exploison of a rocket worth $260million last month, can billionaire tech tycoon Elon Musk maintain his near-messianic aura? WORDS: CHRIS ALLSOP CRS-4 launch, September 2014, © SpaceX

The Falcon 9 Rocket in SpaceX’s hangar at Cape Canaveral, March 2014 © SpaceX

othing stops a party like a fatality. On 7 May 2016 the tragic death of Joshua Brown did just that for the fledgling autonomous driving industry. The 40-year-old tech company owner, described as a ‘Tesla enthusiast’, ploughed his Model S into the underside of an 18-wheeler after the autopilot mode failed to distinguish between the bright sky and the white of the truck’s side. Elon Musk, the 45-year-old South African-born billionaire owner of Tesla, tweeted his condolences, while his company released a statement noting that it was the first autopilot death in 130 million miles driven by its customers. For Musk, 2016 hasn’t been a good year. In March, his actress wife Talulah Riley filed for divorce citing ‘irreconcilable differences’. It’s the second time the pair

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are divorcing (third time’s a charm?), and there’s no mention of a pre-nup where the tech tycoon’s £9.9 billion fortune is concerned. Fortunately, his company is doing well… or is it? After the crash revelation, stock in Tesla plummeted 15 per cent. According to reports, Tesla loses money on every car sold, and on 3 August, the electric car manufacturer reported its 13th consecutive quarterly loss – that’s despite a rise in sales in its Model S and Model X cars – leading to a quarterly net loss of $293.2 million. Later the same month, a Model S reportedly burst into flames on a test drive in Biarritz, France, resurrecting the spectre of 2013 – another blazing Model S, another previous sharp fall in share price. The Tesla chairman, CEO, and ‘product architect’ addressed concerns over the

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

stunning run of poor quarterly results by making the remarkable diagnosis that Tesla was not really “a money-losing company”. He followed this up by crushing any distant hope stockholders might have had for Tesla becoming cash-positive by rolling out his latest ‘Master Plan’ for the company, one that involved solar power cars, and an expansion of the product line to include self-driving pick-ups, buses, and more. Just as Musk must have been thinking that things couldn’t get any worse, disaster struck at SpaceX, the space exploration company he also runs. When the company’s Falcon 9 rocket exploded during a ‘test-fire’ on a Florida launch pad in early September, it wasn’t just the $60 million rocket that went up in smoke; the Falcon 9 was carrying the Amos-6 satellite – backed by companies including Facebook, Wikipedia, ESPN and Accuweather to the tune of $200 million. So, why aren’t Musk’s investors taking him to task? The answer lies in a question no one seems to know the answer to: is Musk a brilliant visionary whose enthusiasm carries him to habitually overpromise and under-deliver (by the Wall Street Journal’s reckoning Tesla has, over five years, fallen short of 20 projections made by its CEO), or is he simply an extremely canny marketer?

‘My mind is not easily blown, but this place and this guy were amazing’ Ron Baron, whose Baron Capital Group has a Tesla stake of over $300 million, told the WSJ that he wasn’t worried by Musk’s perpetual overreaching (Musk has claimed that he “never sets a goal that I know is unrealistic”), convinced that they’d receive good ROI on Tesla. Baron prefaced his comments by saying: “This guy wants to save the world.” Whatever you believe about Musk, it can’t be denied that his brand building has been superbly executed – but there’s also been a healthy dose of luck involved. It can’t have hurt that his name sounds like a futuristic cologne, but the most powerful association has come through the blockbusting Iron Man movies, and reports that the star Robert Downey Jr visited Musk’s SpaceX HQ as research for his role as billionaire inventor, Tony Stark. In journalist Ashlee Vance’s book Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, Downey is reported to have said: ‘My mind is not easily blown, but this place and this guy were amazing.’ The two men had lunch, and Vance writes:

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

‘Downey appreciated that Musk was not a foul-smelling, fidgety, coder whack job. Both Musk and Stark were the type of men, according to Downey, who “had seized an idea to live by and something to dedicate themselves to’ and were not going to waste a moment”.’ Myth-making of the highest order, here, which added a certain gloss to Musk’s media profile that his connection to PayPal certainly had not. A crucial element of this myth, however, is the question of Musk as a leading engineer and the inventor of our time. His detractors argue that he tweaks preexisting tech rather than truly inventing anything revolutionary (the Hyperloop for example, his subsonic train concept, is based on a proposal from the 1970s), and that he is a skilled marketer, whose use of scientist Nikola Tesla’s last name is a PR bolster to a real-life flaw. Whatever the truth, it’s undeniable that Musk’s public persona as the world’s favourite futurist encourages near mass hysteria whenever anything connected to him appears in the public arena. His high-minded mission statement for SpaceX, presents him as the saviour of mankind, keen to reduce the “risk of human extinction” by “making life multi-planetary”. It’s reached the point where, as one commentator noted, only Musk could propose something like the Hyperloop and be taken seriously. About the same time that Tesla announced its latest quarterly losses, Wired magazine was placing him top of its WIRED 100 list of ‘influential people shaping the world’s culture, tech economy, consumer behaviour and scientific discovery’, ranking him ahead of Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Apple’s Tim Cook and Google’s Larry Page. It’s the sort of accolade that’s key for Musk’s messianic aura, this idea of future delivery – in real terms, it equates to Tesla delivering its Model 3, pre-sold at unheard of levels, on time in 2017. With Hyperloop and SpaceX continually in the news and feeding back into the Musk myth, the magnate has created a personal brand with miles to run – so long as the economic effects of his perpetual brand building don’t impinge disastrously on the day-to-day running of his companies. There have been recent reports that the new divorcee is partying with supermodels and actress Amber Heard at London nightclubs – has he, perhaps, begun to believe his own, overpowering Tony Stark hype? Described in Vance’s book as ‘no hard-drinking carouser’, are we beginning to see the superhuman sketch shaded out with something more human, more fallible? If there’s one thing that the world likes to sink its teeth into more than a selfappointed saviour, it’s a fallen angel.

CRS-2 Dragon at station, April 2013 © SpaceX CRS-6 Falcon 9 launch, April 2015, © SpaceX

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ELON MUSK PLANS TO SET UP A HUMAN COLONY ON MARS. HERE’S WHAT ELSE HE’S DONE… TESLA (2003) Named after ingenious electrical engineer and physicist Nikola Tesla, Musk’s most well-known company brought the concept of electric cars into public consciousness. Tesla’s first widespread attention was earned by the Roadster, the first completely electric sports car, and the luxury sedan Model S, has helped Tesla sell almost 140,000 cars since the company’s inception. Its latest initiative, autonomous cars, has had its fair share of setbacks, with a Chinese security company managing to hack into a car’s system this September and manipulate the car’s brakes. tesla.com

SPACEX (2002) & FALCON 1 (2006-2009) The Space race is back up and running, with Virgin Galactic and Musk’s SpaceX programme vying for dominance. The technology being developed aims to reduce space transportation costs, with the end goal of colonising Mars. Space X has enjoyed some success so far, with its reusable launch technology showing promise, and the Falcon 1 becoming the first privately developed rocket to go into orbit around the Earth. However, there have also been a number of high-profile failures, including September’s Falcon 9 explosion. Facebook had planned to use the $200 million satellite on board to provide internet across 14 countries in Africa and the Middle East. spacex.com

SOLARCITY (2006) CRS-2 F9 Dragon rollout, April 2013 © SpaceX

Whatever you believe about Musk, it can’t be denied that his brand building has been superbly executed SpaceX Falcon 9 rolls out of the hangar for SES 8, November 2013, © SpaceX

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As its name suggests, SolarCity designs and installs solar power systems across the United States. Founded by Musk’s cousins, based on his suggestion for a solar company concept, SolarCity started well, and was the largest provider of residential solar panels in the US by 2013. It has since started to struggle, however, mostly as a result of rising energy costs. Tesla Motors acquired SolarCity in 2016 for $2.6 billion. solarcity.com

HYPERLOOP (2013) An offshoot of SpaceX, the Hyperloop concept – a high-speed tube transportation system for humans and goods – was described by Musk in a 2013 paper as a “cross between a Concorde and a railgun and an air hockey table”. If built, Musk says Hyperloop could transport people between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area at average speeds of 600 mph. It remains to be seen how far along the pipeline this, er, pipeline has progressed. hyperloop-one.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

TUNNEL F

rau Merkel and Monsieur Hollande couldn’t help themselves. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Gotthard Rail Tunnel this June, they assured a sceptical, largely Swiss audience, that it was symbolic of a unified Europe, rather than, perhaps, indicative of Swiss sovereignty in action. After all, the first train through the tunnel – before Merkel, Hollande and other heads of state rode on theirs – carried 1,000 randomly selected Swiss citizens; indeed, the whole 17-year long, $12.5bn enterprise only went ahead following the approval of a national vote.

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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VISION

When it opens this December, Switzerland’s Gotthard Tunnel will be the longest in the world. As a feat of engineering, its scale and sublimity puts it on par with the Panama Canal or the Øresund Bridge, writes Josh Sims

“Ultimately, this is really a story about emotion, about achievement,” said Andre Bernheim, co-CEO of Mondaine, the watch company that made a minimalistic icon of the Swiss railway clock, and the man whose company is named on the front of the lead train. “And I say that as really one of the minnows in this story. But then,” he jokes, “I’m more of a car guy. You can be sure there will be plenty of train nerds keen to come here to go through this tunnel.” What leaves many speechless is the sheer enormity of the project. The Gotthard Rail Tunnel is not just another tube

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

underground. It is both the world’s longest tunnel – at 57.1km it eclipses both the 53.9km Seikan Tunnel in Japan and the 50.5km Channel Tunnel – and, at 2.4km below the surface, also the deepest. More remarkable still, is the fact that it allows its 250km/h, high-speed trains to take just 14 minutes to power from Erstfeld to Pollegio, right under the Alps – one of the planet’s greatest natural obstacles. This is expected to bring sizeable economic benefit to central Europe – opening up the line between the linchpin ports of Rotterdam and Genoa, as well as taking countless, polluting juggernauts off already congested routes between northern and Southern Europe. Some 250 trains loaded with a total 377,000 tonnes of freight will run through the tunnel in each direction each day, as well as 150 passenger trains. Yet in and of itself, the two-line tunnel is an engineering feat on the scale and sublimity of, say, the Panama Canal,

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

Hoover Dam or the Øresund Bridge. This is why Charly Simmen, its senior engineer – a man who has spent nearly all of his career on this one structure, so is inevitably feeling a sense of anti climax now it’s completed – is nonetheless immensely proud. “I’d say there has been nothing like it in the world so far. In engineering terms, it was almost to take on the impossible. The result is a gamechanging piece of infrastructure.” Certainly the systems developed over the two decades of the build are likely to both allow and encourage further tunnelling around the world. The 10m-tall ‘drill bits’ which fronted each 410m-long tunnelling machine may have ground their way through a record-breaking 40m of rock a day – all told, moving enough rock to build seven pyramids – but they did it in a way that has revolutionised tunnelling more broadly. Among the many necessary

All images courtesy of Gottardo 2016, gottardo2016.ch

“We even had to keep in mind the fact that the technology we were using would change over the length of a project like this”

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THE GOTTHARD TUNNEL: BY NUMBERS L E N GT H

57 KM

(the longest rail tunnel in the w orld)

DUR AT I O N O F T UN N E L J OURN EY: A little under

20 minut es

M AX I MUM RO C K C OVE R

2,300m

C O N ST RU C T I O N T I ME ( E XC LUD I N G E X PLO R AT O RY W O RK)

inventions – from dealing with rock fall to environmental fallout – was the creation of a steel, fibre-infused spray concrete. The drilling machinery which cut into the rock also crushed what it cut away, blended it with other chemicals to a formula that was some four years in development, and then sprayed a coating over the inside of the tunnel as it went. This temporary wall was then lined with steel and a special insulator to hold the Alps at bay. Geologists, too, had a literal field day, developing new ways of excavating the dozens of different rock types uncovered as the drill bits rumbled on. “We even had to keep in mind the fact that the technology we were using would change over the length of a project like this,” says Simmen, “that what you start working with you don’t end up with. You have to try to plan into the future. Normally in company life you get to the end of the week and plan the next week. But with this we had no plan. We just ended the week with more questions and more problems. “I think I was most impressed by the logistical management of it all. Nobody really had any experience of getting a tunnel as long and as deep as this done on an organisation level – just getting all the people, all the machinery 20km inside a mountain every day, and then the material out.” Such things considered, the result was achieved (almost) on budget, on

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17 YEARS

E XC AVAT E D M AT E RI AL

28. 2

MILLION TONNES

C O ST O F T H E G OT T H ARD B A SE T UN N E L £11 billion (the cost of Crossrail is expected to be around £16 billion)

C O ST O F T H E E N T I RE PROJEC T

£18 BILLION

schedule and with remarkable precision. The tunnel was actually dug from both ends, meeting in the middle – to within an accuracy of 10cm. It may be a stretch to see it as Merkel and Hollande do, but for Switzerland at least, the tunnel may prove an important cultural connection between the Germanic north and the often marginalised ‘mountain people’ of the Italian south. Indeed, to travel through the tunnel is to actually move between climates – perhaps a 10ºC shift from pouring rain to glorious sunshine. That’s just how far this tunnel goes.

T I METABL E D SPE E D : Freight trains: 100 km/h Passenger trains: around 200 km/h

M AX I MUM SPE E D : Freight Trains: 160 km/h Passenger Trains: 250 km/h

O F F I C I AL O PE N I N G 11 D ecember 2016

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

AMERICAN MUSCLE 44

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

igh above the Hoover Dam, scorching in the American South West, stands a testament to the ingenuity of man. The Mike O’CallaghanPatTillman Memorial Bridge (or Hoover Dam Bypass, to save breath) took more than five years and £180 million to construct. It’s almost 2,000ft in length, crosses the border between two states, and is suspended 900ft above the Colorado River. Construction had to be started from both sides, demanding a cable car system high above the half-built bridge to carry parts – and people – across the gorge. The bridge opened in October 2010. Only 30 miles from Las Vegas, it’s certainly worth the detour. This incredible series of images was captured by photographer Jamey Stillings in the final two years of the bridge’s construction, and documents the final push of an engineering feat that now provides a thoroughfare for 15,000 drivers every day. jameystillingsprojects.com; bridgeathooverdam.com.

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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The bridge is named after favourite sons of Nevada and Arizona, the states the bridge crosses. From Nevada, Mike O’Callaghan was a decorated Korean War veteran, the Governor of the state from 1971 to 1979, and the executive editor of the Las Vegas Sun newspaper. Arizona’s choice was Pat Tillman, a former Arizona Cardinals NFL player, who gave up a multi-million dollar career in football to enlist in the US army. He died in Afghanistan in 2004.

“Nature entrusts you with a site and you must respect nature with a design that can complement her setting. That was never more evident to me as a designer than when first standing on the rim of the Black Canyon, looking to my left at the great Hoover Dam and to the right at the rugged rock gorge and majestic Colorado River below”. DAVID GOODYEAR, PE, SE, DESIGNER AND CHIEF BRIDGE ENGINEER, FROM THE FOREWORD TO THE BRIDGE AT HOOVER DAM

The Bridge at Hoover Dam, ÂŁ50, Jamey Stillings, Nazraeli Press, nazraeli.co.uk

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

BLUEPRINT Architects have it easy. Put together some ideas, build a model, and leave it in the hands of the engineers. The real work starts with the first brick. The City Magazine talks to Hanif Kara on the vital relationship between architect and engineer

anif Kara set up structural engineering practice AKT II with partners Robin Adams and Albert Williamson-Taylor in 1996, aiming to redefine the discipline. Twenty years on, having won the Stirling Prize twice and worked with architects such as Lord Norman Foster and Dame Zaha Hadid, he’s learned a thing or two about turning dreams into a reality. What made you want to go into structural engineering? My father was a builder, so I had a subliminal interest in construction as a young boy. When I left school at 16, I wanted to make things, particularly buildings, rather than become a designer or an engineer. I used to walk around East Africa with my dad when he was on construction sites all the time. I emigrated to the UK at 16, and worked as a draughtsman until 19. Having worked at the sharp end of engineering, I worked in London for other people until there was a crisis similar to now, born out of ecological and economic problems. What I’d trained to be was perceived to be no longer needed, and I wanted to prove people wrong. So I started

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

a practice, because the only answer was to do something different. When I started my design office, it gave me a completely new focus, which was driven by wanting to redefine what we conceive to be engineering. When does an engineer first get involved in a project? Projects start in different ways. They could start from a client owning land, to designing a gallery for a competition. Often, it’s to do with people wanting to reinvent a type of building, for example the Bloomberg HQ, King’s Cross, or a number of buildings at the Olympics. The key is that you have the technical competence and a very strong disciplinary mind, so that whenever there’s a major, complex project, you’ve built up enough knowledge of how to do things quickly and well, and that draws clients to you. London is a centre of excellence. Its solutions to problems are probably the most innovative, particularly for an engineer. Trying to build anything in London is pretty difficult. If you can do it here, you can do it almost anywhere. How important is the engineerarchitect relationship for the success of

a development? Great architects work well with great engineers, so there’s rarely a problem of ownership, or where the boundaries are. Engineers have an innate tendency to fall back on closed systems like costs and time, and to tell architects how gravity works, but there’s also a passion to push them to do the best they can, through defining common goals. You respect the best architects if you’re an engineer, because it’s a combination of both that creates greatness. The best projects are when we’re on the table early together, trying to devise a way of doing something differently. The Bloomberg site had three generations of buildings on it, two tunnel lines, and a sewer. You can’t just draw a building on it, you have to work all that out, and your client has to know what you’re faced with. How much of a middleman is the engineer between architect and client? Many clients understand the measurable things – value, cost, area. What they can’t quite get their finger on is how you create the intangibles,

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T FOR SUCCESS

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through beautiful architecture. We almost become a translator of those ideas between the two. We tell the client ‘you have to put a bit more money into this,’ and the architect ‘you’ve got to tame it down a bit’. The wishes come from the architect and the client, but the engineer has to have the confidence to say ‘yes we can make it, and this is how we’re going to do it’. Which of your projects is your favourite? It’s so difficult to pick a project, because we’ve been fortunate enough to be on the Stirling shortlist eight or nine times and won it twice, which is unprecedented. The favourite thing for me is the family that has been created, the practice. It has over 40 nationalities in total, 50 staff, so my office is a microcosm of London, in terms of talent, nationality and ability. That is a highlight. How much of a benefit is having such a diverse workforce? The variety of educational systems that all these people come through creates incredible solutions and competition within an office. This is vital when there is a complicated, interesting building – like the one we did in Baku with Zaha Hadid. Most people said it would never stand up. If you show anybody a picture

now, they still think it’s a model. This success comes through a technical rigour and competence that you build through the top talent that London attracts. You go out into the world and realise how much other people appreciate the creative talent this country offers, more than we do ourselves sometimes. Do you think your own Stirling success was the reason you were chosen to be the Prize’s first engineer judge? I think that was one of the contributing factors. I’d also been a CABE [Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment] commissioner. When you judge the Stirling Prize you have to be fair, you mustn’t be affected by a particular style like glass or steel. I’d been judged as somebody with a fairness and integrity in what I do, but also intellectual rigour and design flair. It was a fantastic honour: it’s such a wonderful process.

phenomenon as a positive rather than a negative, because the urban sprawl that we see in other parts of the world is already causing ecological problems. I think we have to stop worrying too much about innovation and creativity. That just happens. You can create an environment like we have that encourages innovation, but if you’re in a place like London and you’re not automatically innovative and creative, you must be blind. akt-uk.com

In which direction do you see future engineering heading? As populations increase, you need more shelter. The difference is that most population increase is in the developing world, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it from London, you just have to engage with it. It’s going to be about engineering the world, about dealing with the economic and ecological challenges we have. As the density of London increases, it gets taller and taller, and that’s a phenomenon of any city that you look at. I don’t have an objection to that, provided the infrastructure is in place. That’s the killer: if you don’t put the infrastructure in, it’s difficult. Otherwise, I see the

FROM TOP Peckham Library (Roderick Coyne); UK Pavilion (Hufton Crow); Heydar Aliyev Centre (Hufton Crow)

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

LIFE WORDS: BETHAN REES

ack in 2008, the science world stood still as the Large Hadron Collider first started up. Located 100 metres underground, beneath the border of France and Switzerland, it was, and is, the largest and most powerful particle accelerator in the world. The collider was built in order for scientists to reproduce the conditions that existed within a billionth of a second after the Big Bang, by colliding beams of high-energy protons close to the speed of light. ATLAS, one of the major experiments at the collider, is designed to exploit the full discovery potential that the Large Hadron Collider provides. Weighing in at close to 7,000 tons, the same as the Eiffel Tower, and measuring 45 metres long and 25 metres wide, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about half as large as the Notre Dame Cathedral. ATLASâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aim is to search for new discoveries in head-on collisions of protons and extraordinarily high energy, which will help teach us about the basic forces that have shaped our universe since the very beginning. The experiment is searching for discoveries relating to the origin of mass, extra dimensions, microscopic black holes and dark matter. The ATLAS experiment and the Large Hadron Collider are re-writing science textbooks, 13.7 billion years after the Big Bang is thought to have happened. atlasexperiment.org

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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ACCELERATED The ATLAS experiment, running within the Large Hadron Collider, is aiming to answer the biggest question of them all

LEFT Installing the ATLAS calorimeter. The eight toroid magnets can be seen surrounding the calorimeter that is later moved into the middle of the detector. This calorimeter will measure the energies of particles produced when protons collide in the centre of the detector. Photograph: Maximilien Brice, 04 Nov 2005, © 2005-2016 CERN FAR LEFT, FROM TOP Inside the ATLAS detector at CERN; work conducted during the 2011/2012 shut down. Photograph: Claudia Marcelloni, 02 Feb 2012, © 2005-2016 CERN The scale of the LHC. The area under which the tunnel for CERN’s LHC can be found is shown near to Geneva and lac Leman. Photograph: AC Team, 01 Jan 2001, © 2005-2016 CERN The CMS detector before closure. CMS is a particle detector that is designed to see a wide range of particles and phenomena produced in high-energy collisions in the LHC. Photograph: Patrice Loiez, 18 Jul 2006, © 2005-2016 CERN

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

WHAT A

WONDERFUL WORLD

Manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attempt to conquer Earth has created some almighty structures. Here are seven of the most astounding WORDS: BETHAN REES

he earliest recorded reference to the Seven Wonders of the (now Ancient) World is attributed to Greek engineer and writer Philo of Byzantium around 225 BC. It referenced the most remarkable creations of classical antiquity located near the Mediterranean Rim. The original selection included the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia and the Great Pyramid at Giza (the only structure still standing today). Why seven? The Greeks believed this number represented perfection. In 1996, the American Society of Civil Engineers provided a list of its own Seven Wonders of the Modern World, in it was included the Empire State Building, the Channel Tunnel, and the five-mile-long Itaipu Dam, which spans the Parana River at the Brazil/Paraguay border. Here are seven other, centuryspanning, logic-defying feats of human engineeringâ&#x20AC;Ś

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

Time To bUild: 2,000 years leNgTH: 13,170 miles deaTH Toll: 1,000,000 Original conceived by Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the 3rd century BC to prevent invasion and attacks from the north of the country, the Great Wall of China is arguably the most distinguishable symbol of the country and one of the most extensive construction projects ever completed. It represents and reflects collisions and exchanges between civilisations in ancient China and is a remarkable example of military architecture, mainly built by hand. The wall itself is not a single structure – it consists of numerous walls and fortifications, which have been added throughout its existence by different dynasties. The Great Wall begins at Shanhaiguan in Hebei province in the east, and ends at Jiayuguan in Gansu province to the west, and includes fortresses and watch towers that span 13,000 miles. In August 2016, China Foundation for Cultural Heritage officials launched an online crowdfunding project for its repairs and restoration – it’s hoping to raise ¥11 million (£1.2 million) by December 2016.

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

PETRA

Time To bUild: Unknown SiZe: 102 sq miles A city carved into a rock face by the Nabataeans, Petra in Jordan is a monumental project and was an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes linking China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome. Inhabited since prehistoric times, the city is thought to have been constructed around 312 BC. Petra was half-built, half-carved into dusty pink rock and was unknwon to the Western world for centuries until Johann Ludwig Buckhardt, an explorer, unearthed it in 1812. With elaborate tomb and temple architecture fusing together traditional Nabataean style and Hellenistic influence, religious high places and a sophisticated water system, Petra is one of the most important examples of early, largescale, sophisticated construction.

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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MACHU PICCHU

TIME TO BUILD: Unknown SIZE: 125 square miles Spectacularly located in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, Machu Picchu in Peru is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world, standing 2,430 metres above sea level. It’s tangible evidence of the urban Incan Empire and reflects the peak of its power – creating a citadel from cut stone without mortar, around the 15th century. Machu Picchu was abandoned when the Inca Empire was conquered by the Spaniards and it was virtually forgotten about until 1911 when this legacy of civilisation was revealed to the world by American archaeologist Hiram Bingham. The site covers mountain slopes, peaks and valleys and is made up of approximately 200 structures with a rigorous plan dividing the city into a lower and upper part separating the farming area form the residences. A true engineering triumph, the citadel even had an extensive road and trail system, irrigation canals and agricultural terraces.

PANAMA CANAL

TIME TO BUILD: 10 years (1904-1914) LENGTH: 48 miles COST: £285 million DEATH TOLL: 25,000 A man-made, 48-mile waterway, the Panama Canal in South America connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade, saving around 8,000 miles from a journey around the southern tip of South America. The canal was built to shorten the distance that ships had to pass between the oceans and following the completion of the Suze Canal, France thought a similar project could be carried out with little difficulty. Construction began in earnest in the 1880s, led by Count Ferdinand de Lesseps (the builder of the Suez Canal) but had to stop due to engineering problems, incessant rain causing heavy landslides, a high worker mortality rate and the realisation that building a sea-level canal was too difficult. The United States continued the building in 1904, with yellow fever and malaria causing setbacks. The canal uses a system of locks to lift ships 85 feet above sea level and was the biggest engineering project of its time. The Panama Canal officially opened on 15 August 1914.

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

CHRIST THE REDEEMER

Time To bUild: 5 years (1922-27) HeigHT: 98ft / 30 metres CoST: £2.4 million Created by French sculptor Paul Landowski and designed by Brazilian Heitor da Silva Costa, Christ the Redeemer has become the international symbol for Rio de Janeiro. Despite being hit by lightning – approximately 2-4 direct hits a year – the statue is still intact, minus the tip of a thumb. Christ the Redeemer dates back to the 1850s, when a local Catholic priest requested funds from Princess Isabel to build a Christian monument – the princess was not inspired and the plan was scrapped, turning the church against the state. Fast-forward to 1921 in the wake of the First World War, a group of Brazilians feared the advancing tide of godlessness and so the Catholic Circle of Rio began to collect signatures and donations for a privately funded statue. Construction began in 1922.

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

Time To bUild: 18 years (ongoing) SiZe: 357ft / 109 metres (end-to-end) CoST: £114 billion (so far) Orbiting the earth, the International Space Station (ISS) has been home to astronauts since 2000, the first component of the satellite having been launched into space in 1998 – since then, many other parts have been added. Approximately 220 miles above Earth, the ISS helps NASA learn more about the universe and is big enough to house five bedrooms, two bathrooms and a gym. The most complex ongoing engineering feat in space, the station has solar arrays turning sunlight into electricity and its robot arms helps astronauts move around outside. Flying at an average speed of 17,500mph, the ISS can be seen from earth without the use of a telescope.

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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BURJ KHALIFA

Time To bUild: 6 years (2004-10) HeigHT: 2,722 ft / 845 metres CoST: £1.14 billion deaTH Toll: 1

maiN mage © Lazy Llama

Not only is Dubai’s Burj Khalifa the tallest building in the world, it also holds six other world records, including the elevator with the longest travel distance. Its construction began in 2004 and its doors opened in 2010 as part of a new development called Downtown Dubai – the decision to build the Burj Khalifa is reportedly based on the government’s decision to diversify itself from an oil-based economy and earn an international reputation. Designed by Adrian Smith, then of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (responsible for One World Trade Center), the 163-floor building is three times as tall as the Eiffel Tower and almost twice the height of the Empire State Building. Its design was inspired by the Hymenocallis, a desert flower, so that its structure is composed of three elements arranged around a central core, ensuring incredible views from every window. No outlook compares to the observation deck, however, the highest outdoor observatory in the whole world.

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

WORK HAPPY Tired, uninspiring workplaces are a thing of the past, if the growing number of well-being-focused developments across London is anything to go by

happy worker is a good worker. We’ve known this for decades, but the dreary office space still persists across the country. A seemingly obvious idea, but if you like the place in which you work, the work you do is more likely to be inspired. A 2014 study from the University of Warwick showed that happiness made people approximately 12 per cent more productive. That might not sound like much, but in a high-intensity profession, percentages count. Warwick’s Dr Daniel Sgroi is quoted on the university’s website as saying “the driving force seems to be that happier workers use the time they have more effectively, increasing the pace at which they can work without sacrificing quality.” The interior design of workspaces is something in which an increasing number of developers are investing.

A 2014 study showed that happiness made people approximately 12 per cent more productive It’s not just the conceptual idea of ‘happiness’ that is front and centre here, either. More focus is being put on physical fitness. As most of us are reminded on a regular basis, sitting down is a big problem. A major Lancet study of more than one million adults found that the risk of premature death is increased by up to 60 per cent if you’re sitting in front of the computer in the office for more than eight hours a day. Something needs to be done, then. Luckily, there has also been an upturn in schemes encouraging us to lead a healthy lifestyle while at work. Some of these developments might seem a little curveball, but don’t be surprised if you’re soon swept along as part of the wellbeing revolution.

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

RE PUBL IC, E A ST I N D I A, E14 Trilog y P roperty ’s 600,000 sq ft Republic i s aiming to b e th e h ealthiest w orkplace de velopm ent in th e capital . Employees will b e able to enjoy a stat e-of-th e-art g ym with an int ernal climbing wall , a double-h eight ‘ welln ess stair’ to encourage walking instead of getting th e lift, and a fully f ledged triathlon training facility. Opening in autumn 2017, th e training facility will use an electronic tag to simulate an entire triathlon , m easuring th e di stance you’ve swum , cycled and staggered to of ficial lengths, and supplying analysis of your performance. Its location – next to East India DLR station – will no doubt appeal to the area’s creative and digital sectors. trilog y property.com

Images © StudioRH

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20 FARRI N GD O N, EC1 They should nickname this place ‘ The Stairwell’. Developer HB Reavis in collaboration with architects Denton Corker Marshall has gone the extra mile at 20 Farrindgon to encourage future occupiers to ‘ditch the lift’. The stairs are double width for ease of access, and are visible from reception to draw people towards them . There’s also a lighting display by London-based Acr ylicize to attract attention and guide you from the outside pavement through reception and up the stairs. Plus, those who aren’t taken in by this will have trouble finding the lifts – they ’re tucked away at the back, probably guarded by personal trainers who shout at you as you tr y to get in (information not verified). hbreavis.com

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AMPE R S AN D, S O H O, W1 Staircases are a bit of a theme, i t s e e m s . R e s o l u t i o n P r o p e r t y ’s A m p e r s a n d (c o m p l e t e d i n 2 0 1 5 ) in Soho incorporates a ‘Living S t a i r c a s e’ b y r e n o w n e d d e s i g n e r Pa u l C o c k s e d g e . T h e p r e m i s e i s t h a t a s t a i r c a s e n e e d n’ t j u s t b e f o r g e tt i n g f r o m A t o s l i g h t l y higher B. The traditional loadbearing pillar in the centre of the spiral has been replaced by small spaces to be used by employees for anything they want, be it a more informal meeting, a bit of alone creative-thinking time, o r j u s t a m i n i b r e a k i n b e tw e e n emails. The planting decoration along the entire balustrade gives the staircase a fresh , tree-house sort of appeal . ampersandbuilding.com

28 S AVI L E ROW, W1 Release your inner Don Draper in this Mad Men-inspired work space from award-winning property developer Allied London. Set in the heart of Mayfair, the offices on the immediately recognisable sartorial street certainly take a stylish slant, with the interiors finished to an exemplary standard, and the six floors decked out with floor-to-ceiling glazing, artwork and timber flooring. All this is before you mention the flagship Richard James store downstairs and the hotly anticipated StreetXO restaurant. You can already picture the scene – a morning of highpressure work in the spacious offices, then downstairs for a spot of exquisite lunch and a suit fitting with your favourite tailor. Sign us up. 28savilerow.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

BRIDGING THE Bridges provide more than a means of getting from A to B â&#x20AC;&#x201C; their construction can have profound effects on the communities that live on either side. Bethan Rees explores the social, economic and cultural benefits of these symbolic structures

Manhattan Bridge

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

Brooklyn Bridge

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GAP

Hassan II Bridge, Courtesy of Marc Mimram

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

rowing up (and still residing) in south London, I’m familiar with the philosophy of bridges connecting different demographics and cultures. The capital’s north-south divide still exists, and I often dust off mordant comments about the smell, state and lack of tubes from my north-London-dwelling counterparts. My mother still reminisces about when black cab drivers would refuse to go ‘saaaf ’ of the river. I realised, recently, that humans are obsessed with bridges. They are symbolised as places of romance – the Pont des Arts in Paris was, until recently, known for being covered in ‘love locks’ (with names and messages written on, until they were removed in 2015). Bridges are a common spot for proposals too, and in most major cities constitute top tourist attractions. I can’t count the number of times that I’ve been asked to take a photo or manoeuvre around a selfie-stick while on, or near, London’s most iconic bridges.

for various bridges, and winner of the 2013 Aga Khan Award for Architecture, spoke at a lecture entitled Beyond the Bridge. The speakers explored case studies of projects from around the world, debating the role of infrastructure as a catalyst for urban regeneration. Bridges transform more than a landscape, Mimram told me, postlecture. They can also radically change relationships between cultures. Mimram’s Strasbourg-Kehl Pedestrian Bridge, for example, created a connection between two historically opposed nations – France and Germany. “It was exactly on the border where people used to make war and fight… Suddenly, when you’re in the middle of them both, it feels that each side is closer together. It changes the relationship because you’ve altered the fact that the bridge is not a means to an end, but a place to be, a place to share.” Mimram provides another example of where one of his structures aided

These projects are palpable examples of how structures can physically connect and change the lives of people in need Last month, the appeal of these structures was highlighted when the recently opened Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon footbridge in China – the tallest and longest glass bridge in the world – was forced to close. A fortnight after opening, the attraction had to shut due to the sheer number of visitors it was attracting. Its owners had anticipated around 8,000 crossings a day. Actual numbers exceeded ten times that amount. Bridges have become national emblems. But what makes them so appealing as icons? In July, as part of the Victoria & Albert Museum’s engineering season (which runs until 6 November), Marc Mimram, a Parisian engineer and architect responsible

Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge, China

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

a different type of border crossing. The bridge leading to France’s main football stadium, Stade de France, connects with “a very poor area” on the other side of the canal. “A small child came up to me and said, ‘mister, I’m not living here anymore, I live in the Stade de France.’ It changed his address,” he says. “You have to understand that a bridge always crosses a border. It can be geographical or historical, but it’s usually a social border.” International NGO, Bridges to Prosperity (B2P), strives to provide isolated communities with access to essential health care, education and economic opportunities by building footbridges over impassable rivers. These projects are palpable examples of how structures can physically connect and change the lives of people in need. The Muregeya Bridge, Rwanda, was designed with global engineering consultancy Arup and B2P in 2013, and now allows 10,000 people from the Karongi and Rutsiro communities to cross the river safely. Before its completion, many locals were unable to make it to critical resources such as schools and hospitals during wet season. When it opened in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge made New York City the most important commercial metropolis in the United States. Connecting the independent cities of New York with Brooklyn, it solved

The Seven Mile Bridge, Florida Keys

Millau Viaduct, France © Foster and Partners

Linz Bridge © Marc Mimram

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the housing crisis in Manhattan almost immediately – Brooklyn’s population rose from 580,000 to more than one million within just 15 years. Joining two massive population centres, the bridge changed the course of New York City forever, opening up economic opportunities, changing social demographics and igniting cultural exchanges that continue to define New York and Brooklyn today. On a more simple level, Mimram says, bridges create a space to be enjoyed collectively. “Public space is what we share… it’s a representation of art and common space, so when you build a bridge, you meet that space and make a new link. You create somewhere people love spending time.” To quote Sir Isaac Newton: “We build too many walls, and not enough bridges.”

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Millau Viaduct, France © Foster and Partners

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

M ANUFACTUR E DE H AU TE H OR LOGER IE

TONDA CHRONOR ANNIVERSAIRE

Rose gold case Rose gold openworked movement Integrated split second chronograph Big date at 12 h HermÃ¨s alligator strap Made in Switzerland parmigiani.ch

ATELIER PARMIGIANI 97 MOUNT STREET, MAYFAIR, LONDON W1K 2TD, TEL. 020 7495 5172 LONDON SELFRIDGES, THE WONDER ROOM | WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND | FROST OF LONDON | BEAU GEMS HARROGATE & YORK ODGEN | LEICESTER LUMBERS | SCOTLAND AND NEWCASTLE ROX DIAMONDS AND THRILLS

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WATCHES & JEWELLERY Celebrating the delightful and the divine from the world of fine jewellery and haute horology

BLURRED LINES The worlds of jewellery and architecture regularly collide, as jewellers are inspired to emulate the dramatic, sculptural lines of buildings on a miniature, wearable scale. A case in point is Georg Jensen. Before she passed away, the Danish jeweller called upon architect Zaha Hadid to create a unique collection that drew on her artistic eye. Unveiled at this year’s Baselworld, the A/W16 range comprises five rings and three cuff bangles, all of which reference the undulating silhouettes of Hadid’s famed structures in their design. Georg Jensen X Zaha Hadid The Lamellae Collection, Sterling silver: £670-£3,350; Rhodium with black diamonds, £5,650-£33,600, Georg Jensen georgjensen.com Image courtesy of: Georg Jensen

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

Urban Jurgensen Advert - RWMG 333x235mm.indd 2

22/04/2016 14:07

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WATCHES

WORDS: RICHARD BROWN

SPACE AGE Launched in 2004, Harry Winston’s Project Z aimed to elevate the humble sports watch into the realms of haute horology. Its mission, the brand said, would be achieved by matching groundbreaking mechanics with next-generation materials. To that end, the project’s 10th iteration, the Z10, sports a double retrograde display in an ultra-lightweight case composed entirely of Zalium – an extremely corrosion-resistant alloy of aluminium and zirconium trademarked by Harry Winston. The Z10’s openwork dial is inspired by the Manhattan Bridge. Days of the week are displayed at 4 o’clock and seconds, on a scale of 0 to 30, are shown at 8 o’clock. Hands travel 120 degrees before automatically jumping back to resume their operation. Only 300 examples will be produced. Z10, £16,800, harrywinston.com

MASS MARKET APPEAL It’s been a busy year for TAG Heuer’s marketing team. First, it masterminded

sponsorship of the Virgin Money London Marathon; then, it partnered the world’s most followed football league by becoming the official timing partner for the Premier League; then came the news that Manchester United would also be running on TAG Heuer time as of this season. This summer, the brand sidestepped from football into Formula One to launch a limited-edition timepiece with Red Bull wunderkind Max Verstappen. From motorsport to music, the brand recently went partying with DJ deities David Guetta and Martin Garrix when it launched a watch in The White Isle. What next for TAG Heuer’s ever industrious marketing department? Perhaps a much-needed break. tagheuer.co.uk

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SCENE STEALER IWC has launched a limited-edition timepiece in celebration of its partnership with the British Film Institute. As the BFI London Film Festival celebrates its 60th anniversary – IWC has served as the event’s official time partner since 2014 – the watchmaker presents a customised version of its Spitfire Chronograph. Engraved with ‘BFI Film Forever’ on its caseback, the stainless steel chronograph features an inhouse movement alongside a flyback function and is available in the brand’s London boutique. This year, the IWCBFI partnership extends to a £50,000 bursary, which will be awarded to a UK-based writer/director who has a feature-length fiction film premiering in the Official Selection of the festival. £7,950, IWC, 138 New Bond Street, W1S, iwc.com

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT To coincide with its 20th anniversary, Mayfair’s The Watch Club has launched a brand new website, which showcases more than 250 of the company’s rarest and most desirable watches, many presented to the public for the first time in 20 years. Highlights include an extremely sought-after 16520 Zenith-powered Rolex Daytona, bearing one of the finest Patrizzi dials ever to come to market. The brown colour on the subdials (seen here) has developed over time, the result of a chemical reaction in the Zapon varnish then used by Rolex. Find your latest investment online now. Royal Arcade, 28 Old Bond Street, W1S watchclub.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

RETURN OF THE KINGS As the mastermind behind Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak and Patek Philippe’s Nautilus, watch designer Gérald Genta practically invented the luxury sports watch industry. Five years after his death, his creations continue to inspire a raft of sporty reinventions WORDS: chris hall

sk a watch designer which watch they admire more than any other, and there is an overwhelming chance you will get only one answer: Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak. I have lost track of the number of times this has happened to me – in fact, I’ve stopped asking. Of all the watches made in the last half-century, it occupies a mythic status unmatched by anything else. The reasons why are not complicated. The Royal Oak laid down a template for a whole new style of watch, singlehandedly changing perceptions of what a luxury watch could be. It was, and is, the original luxury sports watch. It spawned a legion of successors (some would say imitators), creating a niche that no self-respecting manufacturer could afford to ignore. Its defining features were its angular, multi-faceted steel case and integrated bracelet (the links appear to flow directly from the case without the need for a pair of lugs). Like the Rolex Submariner, its status is such that it’s almost a brand in itself – you rarely, if ever, hear it described as ‘the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak’. Created for the Italian market in particular, the Royal Oak was the creation of Gérald Genta, a designer who – in large part thanks to this very story – became the most famous and successful watch designer of the 20th century. The myth is so well-known among watch circles that it’s almost folklore. Tasked with producing something dynamic, luxurious yet sufficiently durable for young, affluent signores to wear

on the beach, he defied the accepted wisdom that only precious metals were good enough. It was so difficult to make, ironically, that the prototype shown at Baselworld in 1972 was actually white gold. But, soon enough, the real (steel) deal was proving immensely popular. While it is true to say that the Royal Oak began an entire category of watches, it’s more true to say that it was Genta himself who made ‘sports luxe’ a thing. Having lit the spark with the Royal Oak, he continued by reinventing IWC’s Ingenieur (the Ingenieur SL) and – probably his second most famous work – created the Patek Philippe Nautilus, both released in 1976. He continued in the same vein, producing integrated bracelet designs for the likes of Omega (which failed to capture the imagination in the same way), and when he established his own brand, his flagship watch was a piece called the Octo, which had a steel case and bracelet, and an

It was Genta himself who made ‘sports luxe’ a thing

above: Royal Oak Chronograph, £45,500, Audemars Piguet

octagonal bezel with a round dial. Even the landmark pieces of this genre that Genta didn’t design are often attributed to him. The third most significant sports luxe watch, Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas, was long thought to have originated from a Genta design; however, it was Jorg Hysek who created

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the 222, the Overseas’ forefather. Likewise, for all its similarity to the Royal Oak and Ingenieur, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato was not Genta’s work either. Casual observers of the watch industry will know that the past five or six years have been characterised by a tendency to look back, to revive, to pay homage. Our

Above, From L-r: Ingenieur Automatic, £4,650, IWC; Overseas Small Model, £43,800, Vacheron Constantin; 5980/1Ar-001, £45,270, Patek Phillipe; Polo S, £8,650, Paiget; Laureato, £8,750, Girard Perregaux

The past five or six years have been characterised by a tendency to look back, to revive, to pay homage collective appetite for ‘heritage pieces’ has known no limit, and watches from the 1970s have been hit hardest of all. In 2013, IWC brought out a range of Ingenieurs bearing close resemblance to Genta’s SL. Bulgari has made hay with the Octo, proving its versatility with ‘finissimo’ ultra-thin versions and most recently a minute repeater. Other brands have cashed in on the Genta-revivalism without the need to have been there in the first place – check out the Glashütte Original Seventies, launched in 2011, for a quirky alternative. This year, the trickle became a stream. Vacheron Constantin went first, debuting an overhauled Overseas in January ( followed by world timer versions over the summer). It’s the most emphatic revamp the Overseas has had for more than a decade, with platinum-cased perpetual calendars, ultra-slim pieces and Vacheron Constantin’s first in-house automatic chronograph to boot. March saw Girard-Perregaux bring back the Laureato as part of the brand’s 225th anniversary celebrations. The watch may not be getting the attention of its more storied colleagues, but it’s compelling enough that, as it is limited to just 225 pieces, many will be left wanting. In July, Piaget re-launched its lynchpin of the 1980s, the Polo, as the Polo S. Neither a 1970s watch nor one of Genta’s design,

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it nevertheless qualifies – just look at it – though Piaget could have been braver with the new design. So, 2016 has already been defined as the year of sports luxe revival – and the best is yet to come. This year represents the 40th anniversary of Patek’s Nautilus, and it’s understood that a new version will land just in time for Christmas. What’s interesting, of course, is that the Royal Oak has never needed reviving. It may have seen mutations over the years – right now, AP is glorying in a full-fat range of yellow gold Royal Oaks – but the basic shape is unchanged and, crucially, if you pick one up tomorrow, it remains as impactful and captivating as it was 44 years ago. Genta may have sown the same seeds at other brands, but the original – as is so often the case – remains the best. No wonder so many designers love it.

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

JEWELLERY

WORDS: OLIVIA SHARPE

MAGIC TOUCH Cartier conveys the magic of transforming a precious stone into an exquisite piece of jewellery in its latest collection, Magicien. Conjured up in the French maison’s workshops by master craftsmen, the collection’s pièce de résistance, the Incantation necklace, comprises meticulously small geometric designs paved with interlacing precious diamonds. The platinum necklace can also be inverted so that the embedded 22.84-carat cushion-shaped Ceylon sapphire can double up as a ring. The real trick, however, may well lie in overlooking the six-figure price tags. Magicien collection, POA, 143-144 Sloane Street, SW1X, cartier.co.uk

L-R Magie Blanche necklace (photography: Ben Hasset @Cartier) ; Incantation ring (Photography: Ben Hasset @Cartier); Quetzal bracelet (Photography: Vincent Wulveryck @Cartier)

LET THERE BE LIGHT

PEARLS OF WISDOM

It’s hard to believe that this year marks the first time that William & Son has launched a bridal jewellery collection. But then again, it is also amazing to think that the company is only 17 years old, considering its parent brand Asprey was founded in 1781. Under the direction of head jewellery designer Clémence Devaux, the range has taken four years to create, but after seeing it unveiled at the launch at Claridge’s, it was certainly worth the wait. The simple and elegant line comprises three classic diamond shapes – a three-carat cushion-cut, two carat pear-cut and a one-carat brilliant-cut – along with a pendant and stud earrings. From £3,000 to £90,000, williamandson.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

The pearl necklace has evolved throughout the centuries, but its relevance in the world of fine jewellery has never waned as women continue to covet this rare and precious item. Jewellery historian Vivienne Becker explores its ongoing legacy in jewellery, fashion and art in her latest book and explains why the pearl necklace has always been an essential part of a woman’s wardrobe, whether she be a Hollywood starlet or a Renaissance queen. The Pearl Necklace, £55, Assouline, assouline.com

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The High Seas

HEART AND SOLE

Salvatore Ferragamo may be more famous for its shoes, but the Italian brand has, in recent years, been leaving its recognisable footprint on the jewellery industry. This year sees Ferragamo present its new fine jewellery collection, which is available in the Sloane Street boutique for the first time. Staying true to its heritage, each handcrafted design was forged by Florentine jewellers in workshops on the Ponte Vecchio – just steps away from the brand’s historic headquarters. Each piece reinterprets timeless Ferragamo symbols, including its most iconic footwear designs. Rendered in miniature form in 18 different pendants, the legendary red shoes created for Marilyn Monroe by the founder arrive in three versions: white diamonds, rubies and sapphires. 207 Sloane Street, SW1X, ferragamo.com

TAKE A STAND Since debuting prêt-à-porter in 2015, Kova is reaching new heights with its first Haute Couture jewellery collection. The range, by Russian-born designer Katie Kova, considers the concept of Russian Suprematism in six handmade cocktail rings. Rare gemstones – including quartz, aquamarine, nephrite, blue spinel and pearls – have been sculpted in ivory and rose, while the 18-karat gold setting comes in white, pink or black. Kova worked with artist Naomi Filmer on the campaign, which sees the graphic jewellery pieces elevated to objet d’art status, having been displayed on a tripartite cluster of metal structures custom-made by artisans. From £11,200, kovajewels.com

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Jeweller Tessa Packard is never content with sitting still. Her ambitious plans to expand her fine jewellery range are evident in her collections, which constantly seek to push the boundaries and offer clients something different. The latest, For King and Country, quite literally covers the globe as Packard was inspired by the Age of Discovery when the likes of Christopher Columbus took to the high seas. From South Sea pearls to semi-precious stones, the collection highlights the many treasures they unearthed. Star pieces include the Explorer necklace, featuring a spinning globe, and the one-of-akind Opera length pearl necklace. This is the first time the designer has worked with pearls – demonstrating how she, too, is never afraid to take on a new challenge. For King and Country, from £50£25,000, tessapackard.com

Home Stretch Regarded by his peers as a ‘jewellery engineer’, British designer James Ganh ( formerly at Fabergé) is fast making waves in the industry with his shape-shifting designs, including the 3 Way Tiara Bangle, part of the Princess collection. The transformable, fine jewellery piece (designed in either 18-karat white gold with white diamonds and pearls or 18-karat yellow gold with white diamonds, amethysts, tourmalines, peridots, topaz, yellow and blue sapphires) can be stretched out into a tiara or kept in its original form as a bangle, and was inspired by a plant climber Ganh came across while in Kensington Gardens. POA, jamesganh.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

JOIE DE VIVRE Sleepwear is rapidly overtaking activewear as the covetable outfit du jour and no one does highquality, wearable pieces quite like Olivia von Halle. The Londonbased designer established her eponymous brand in 2011, drawing on inspiration from the lounging pyjamas worn by Coco Chanel and her contemporaries in the 1920s. Her launch for A/W16 – The Paris Collection – embodies the spirit of romantic drama, and features the designer’s perennial staple pieces reworked into a range that is at once both sophisticated and playful. The pyjamas, nightshirts, chemises and camisole sets have been given a refresh with the use of bold geometric prints and abstract florals in monochrome hues. We particularly love the revamped edition of the classic Coco style, with two vivid jewel tones. Loungewear has never looked so seductive. oliviavonhalle.com

FROM PARIS, WITH LOVE this month, We’re looking to the french capital for our style inspiration, While exploring the best of Winter coats

WORDS: KATY PARKER

Remarkable for its prevalence of studs and metal chains, Johnny Coca’s A/W16 collection for Mulberry showcases the designer’s willingness to make his mark on the brand, while still incorporating the fashionable yet functional aesthetic that we all look for in a Mulberry bag. mulberry.com

Chri stian Louboutin has chosen to celebrat e th e creative leaders of Pari s with hi s lat est collaboration with renown ed departm ent store Le B on March é Rive Gauch e. A nod to th e city ’s craftsm en , arti sts, design ers and ch efs, th e capsule collection features e vening shoes adorn ed with hand-wrapp ed bows of gold , veau velours and satin bags with beading detail . If you happ en to be in Pari s, pop into th e departm ent store, w h ere you will find an exclusive exhibition dedicat ed to th e w orld of Louboutin . christianlouboutin .com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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THE COAT EDIT Avoid the incoming autumnal chill with our pick of fashion’s finest cover-ups

£1,640, Mulberry, mulberry.com

£1,565, Max Mara, maxmara.com

Dior A/W16

UNDER WRAPS Here’s the bad news: winter is coming, bringing with it dark evenings and rapidly declining temperatures. The good news: this is the perfect time to shop for a new coat. The A/W16 runways were dominated by long, flowing wraparound styles à la Dior, while the cape is definitely making a comeback. And, if the new collections are anything to go by, camel shades and leopard prints are never going out of style.

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£2,700, The Row, net-a-porter.com

£1,800, Sandro, uk.sandro-paris.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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LICENCE TO FRILL creeping back into fashion, ruffles could be seen in all different shapes and sizes on the a/W16 catWalks. in light, sheer fabrics and ethereal colours, embrace the bohemian look

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Giambattista Valli Haute Couture A/W16; Valentino A/W16; Alberta Ferretti A/W16; Erdem A/W16; ChloÃ© AW16; Balmain A/W16

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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| BEAUTY |

FACING FORWARD the beauty industry has come on leaps and bounds in recent years With the advent of neW technologies. here are the best buys for the tech-savvy beauty lover

PEARLY WHITES

S AY G O O D BY E T O B AD H AI R D AY S P robably th e most hyp ed-up b eauty release of thi s year, th e n ew hairdr yer by t ech giant D yson i s quiet er, light er and quicker than traditional model s. Its four t emperature and three air f low settings allow you to tailor your blow-dr y sp ecifically to y our hair – reducing th e ri sk of h eat damage and th e app earance of unsightly split end s. £299.99, dyson .co.uk

More and more of us are on the hunt for that perfect Hollywood smile. Luckily, GLO has got the answer to getting porcelain-white teeth without having to endure hours at the dentist. GLO Brilliant Personal Teeth Whitening Device promises professional results in just five eight-minute sessions. $220 (approx. £167), gloscience.com

Gone are the days of having to rely on Instagram filters to achieve that picture-perfect look, thanks to the Makeup Airbrush Device by Temptu. The cordless gadget delivers an airbushed finish by spraying foundation onto your skin in ultra-light layers. Ideal for those occasions when you really want to make an impression. $195 (approx. £147), temptu.com

ON-SCREEN SUNCARE SQUEEKY CLEAN Cut the time it takes to carry out your night-time regime in half with the dualpurpose Luna cleansing gadget from Foreo. While providing your face with the deep clean it needs after a day exposed to the elements, it also stimulates lymphatic drainage to reduce puffiness. With a long battery life and a lightweight casing, it also makes the perfect travel companion. £115, foreo.com

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A landmark de velopm ent in beauty innovation , L a Roch e-Posay ’s My UV Patch gen erat ed h eadlin es aft er its debut at th e Consum er Electronics S how in L as Vegas in Januar y. Transparent and adh esive to th e skin , th e f lexible patch – w hich i s half th e thickn ess of an average strand of hair – i s photosensitive and m easures your exposure to UV rays, reducing your ri sk of skin damage and more long-t erm h ealth ef fects caused by th e sun . By scanning th e patch using th e My UV Patch smartphon e app, you can monitor your exposure to harmful UV rays throughout th e course of your day in th e sun , so that you know w h en to reapply suncream and w h en it ’s a good idea to take som e tim e out and rest in th e shade. Already a hit in th e US, th e patch i s set to hit UK stores n ext spring. Join the waiting list at laroche-posay.co.uk

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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THE Art OF FASHION

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the surreal beach life of la, 1960s counter culture, and pop songs form the basis of mary heilmann’s dazzling artwork, as witnessed this summer at the Whitechapel gallery PHOTOGRAPHER: ALEXANDER BEER STYLIST: GRAHAM CRUZ

LEFT: Gordy’s Square, acrylic on canvas, Mary Heilmann Navy double-breasted wool overcoat with placement stripe, £1,305, Paul Smith, paulsmith.co.uk; Submarine puffer jacket with navy and white striped sleeves, £525, Bally, bally.com; Black cashmere roll neck jumper, £295, New & Lingwood, newandlingwood.com; Black denim jeans, £275, Dunhill, dunhill.com; Navy and black calf, felt and suede shoes, £675, Christian Louboutin, christianlouboutin.com ABOVE: El Nino (right), oil on canvas, Mary Heilmann Mauve calf suede jacket with detachable shearling collar, £3,195 Bally, as before; Grey paint splatter shirt, £150, Simon Carter, simoncarter.net; Navy wool crew neck knit, £115, Hardy Amies, hardyamies.com; Burgundy corduroy trousers, £295, Turnbull and Asser, turnbullandasser.co.uk; Uniform blue patent leather shoes, £495, Jimmy Choo, jimmychoo.com; Multi coloured stripped cotton socks, £30, Vivienne Westwood, viviennewestwood.com

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

Johngiorno, oil on canvas, Mary Heilmann Navy painted jumper, £295, white cotton shirt, £115, DAKS, 10 Old Bond Street, W1S; Rust trousers, £100, Hackett, hackett.com; Camel double-breasted wool coat, £800, Tommy Hilfiger Tailored, tommy.com; Blue calf leather shoes, £695, Christian Louboutin, as before; Wine cotton socks, £12, Pantherella, pantherella.com

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The big black mirror, oil and enamel on canvas, Mary Heilmann Stone grey overcheck wool jacket with reflective tape details, £1,100, Slate grey lightweight slub fabric trousers with reflective tape detail, £450, Emporio Armani, Armani.com; Navy roll neck jumper, £145, dark blue ottoman jacket, £750, Chester Barrie, chesterbarrie.co.uk

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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The Passenger, oil on canvas, Mary Heilmann Black heavy twill wool coat, £675, 2-ply wool roll neck, £595, Richard James richardjames.co.uk Magenta velvet trousers, £275, New & Lingwood, as before; Black shiny calf boots, £595, Jimmy Choo, as before

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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Bush of ghosts, acrylic on canvas, Mary Heilmann Navy wool/Cashmere peak lapel tuxedo, £650, crimson wool crew neck knit, £150, Hardy Amies, as before; Black cotton shirt, £115, DAKS, as before; Red calf leather shoes, £545, Christian Louboutin, as before; Red merino wool socks, £13.50, Pantherella, as before

Crashing wave, oil on canvas, Mary Heilmann

Racing green lamb skin blouson, £1,490, Pale blue cotton casual shirt, £220, teal cashmere cable crew neck, £650, teal cashmere scarf, £265, Dunhill, as before; White cotton corduroy slim fit trousers, £175, Gieves & Hawkes, gievesandhawkes.com; Grained calfskin and suede calfskin leather loafers, £485, J.M Weston, jmweston.com; Navy merino wool socks, £13.50, Pantherella, as before

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Matisse, oil on canvas, Mary Heilmann 100 per cent Lambskin jacket, £2,795, Belstaff, belstaff.co.uk; Oatmeal wool turtleneck, £250, Gieves & Hawkes, as before; Silver and black patterned silk trousers, £250, Turnbull and Asser, as before; Black and white calf leather tassel loafers, £595, Christian Louboutin, as before; Ultramarine cotton socks, £12, Pantherella, as before Shot on Location at The Whitechappel Gallery whitechappelgallery.org. Artwork © Mary Heilmann MODEL: Harry Goodwins @Next GROOMING: Jonas Oliver PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT: Ben Duah STYLIST’S ASSISTANT: Sophie Whitmore

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

CROMBIE A/W16 Elegance is the name of the game for Crombie this season, taking inspiration from the Regency era and original style icon Beau Brummell. Pieces such as the soldier’s Greatcoat, pilot’s Aviator coat and gentleman’s Crombie overcoat lend a strong masculine element to the collection, but fabrics such as cashmere, shearling and lamb’s leather mean that there’s no shirking on luxury underneath the austere frame. crombie.co.uk

AUTUMN ARRIVALS the colder months are on the horizon. look sharp by layering up

BOSS MENSWEAR A/W16

GIEVES & HAWKES A/W16 The latest campaign shots from British style stalwart Gieves & Hawkes utilises the defined-cheekbone talents of father-and-son models Andre and Parker van Noord. While the collection is a mix of formal and informal, Gieves’s military heritage (the brand’s beginnings are linked to the British Army) ensures pieces are made to the sort of exacting standards you’d expect. gievesandhawkes.com

The new full canvas suit from BOSS Menswear uses fabrics exclusive to the house to combine the best in tailoring and technology. Available in regular or slim fits and a range of fabrics and colours, the suits, limited to just 1,500 each season, are made in Germany in dedication to a heritage of precision design and craftsmanship. hugoboss.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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THOM SWEENEY

After the success of its summer seersucker suits, Thom Sweeney has continued in the same vein, releasing a three-piece for the colder months. The heavier wool blend looks sharp and will keep you warm long into November. Available in navy or deep green, £1,975, thomsweeney.co.uk

BLUE JEANS Go light for the weekend, or darker for more smartcasual evenings. L-R: Stonewash, £350, Dark wash, £220, and Indigo premium, £370, all Canali, canali.com

CHECKLIST as the leaves begin to fall, it’s time to embrace your inner urban lumberjack Shearling aviator jacket, £1,905, Marc Jacobs, farfetch.com

BOOTS Thick, sturdy and stylish, even when in a puddle and covered in mud. Newton boots in cherry red, £105, Dr. Martens, drmartens.com

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THICK JUMPER

PLAIN T SHIRT

OFF THE CUFF

No brainer – a base layer under a jumper and jacket. It just works. Slim-fit printed jersey T-shirt, £35, Mollusk, mrporter.com

PLAID SHIRT Look like a lumberjack, minus the tryhard beard. Plaid Oxford sport shirt, £85, Polo Ralph Lauren, ralphlauren.co.uk

Time to up your cufflink game. Offer a subtle nod to the city you love with the London Cufflinks from accesories company City Cufflinks (£289). Following the success of the Amsterdam Canal and New York City cufflinks, this new sterling silver pair celebrates a number of icons of the capital, from St. Paul’s and the Gherkin, to a black cab and red phone box. Elsewhere, the new Midas collection ( from £140) from Alice Made This includes simple and refined cufflinks, lapel pins, shirt studs and key rings. The collection plays on the concept of the Golden Ratio by adding a 22 carat yellow gold and rose gold finish to a selection of its signature Aerospace pieces. londoncitycufflinks.co.uk, alicemadethis.com

An ever-present for about five months of the year. Put it on and leave it on. Chain stitch merino wool sweater, £355, Lanvin, mrporter.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

EYE FOR AN EYE

If you wear glasses every day it pays to personalise them. Designer Tom Davies – the man who made Clark Kent’s specs in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – has opened his latest branch of TD Tom Davies in Canary Wharf, and the Bespoke service is a game-changer, writes Gabrielle Lane

f you’re aware of the ‘wand chooses the wizard’ motto of Mr Ollivander’s wand shop, along with all its weird and wonderful materials (unicorn hair, dragon heartstring…) then Harry Potter functions as a great metaphor for my experience at TD Tom Davies. Just weeks after the optician opened its latest store in Canary Wharf, I was invited to try its bespoke service, for which a pair of glasses is custom-designed and made in between four and 12 weeks. Prior to my appointment the idea of non-conventional glasses were the black rectangular pairs sported by design agency hipsters – an unforgiving choice that I bought regardless and that jars with my small, heart-shaped face – rendering me a seven-days-a-week contact lens wearer. However, on the day of the appointment, within minutes of meeting Davies it becomes clear that what’s on offer is far more than a store tour. He tells me that the ‘right’ pair of glasses should match every one of your features, as well as your personality. And it is this commitment that sees him measuring my eyelashes ten minutes later, to ensure they won’t sweep against the angle of the lenses. For the clients that fly Davies to destinations such as Geneva to customise an entire glasses wardrobe, there are

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

huge benefits in having a one-of-a-kind pair of glasses: you look more attractive, and are taken more seriously when every millimetre and colour wrap is chosen especially for you. And, as Davies busies himself assessing the symmetry of my ears, one such customer walks into store and promptly requests one of his showpieces: it’s a gold-plated pair of specs, studded with diamonds. The cost is around £125,000. While my pair isn’t going to be studded with diamonds, a forensic amount of care goes into customising them. During the appointment, around 50 frames are laid out on the tabletop in front of me and Davies works methodically, assessing the colour contrast of one style, the shape of the bridge-piece of the other. A lot of his work is intuitive, but he is armed both with measuring tools and a digital camera to tailor the design. It should be said that there are a huge range of off-the-peg styles available in store that Davies has spent years working on, should you not want to invest in a bespoke pair.

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“I’ve always focused on the customer,” says Davies. “Too much existing design is based on the designer’s wish to create a masterpiece, and then hope that everyone wants it. I feel it’s important to invest at least an hour in consultation to ensure your glasses are the best they can be.” Nearly 90 minutes later I have sampled glossy acetate glasses, round-owl like lenses not dissimilar to Harry Potter’s own spectacles, and even thrown on some heart-shaped sunglasses on a whim. It becomes obvious that Davies is assessing not only my face, but my personality. “These could be your editor-in-chief glasses,” he says, scribbling on a notepad. “But I think you’re more fun than that.” “A bespoke design consultation starts with getting to know the customer. What is their attitude like? What do they do for a living? Do they have any issues with their current frames? Perhaps the glasses slip down their nose, or maybe the customer finds they are too tight. It could be that the bridge fit is not quite right, or that their frames fail to enhance their natural features,” he explains, sketching all the while. Davies’ parents were both art teachers, and when he graduated he knew he wanted to focus on making glasses more

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special. “I chose eyewear because of how important it is to the individual – through eyewear you see the world and the world sees you. It’s challenging to design something that fits a person’s face, corrects their vision and reflects their style.” Davies’ own glasses are squared catseye shape in black with two tiny crystals at the temples. They are at once studious and irreverent. “I have perfected a shape for myself, which I’ve used over the years. However, I have several versions of it. One is for jet lag – very common! – One is for events, one for daily ‘being me’ and a relaxed version of me. The subtleties of colour, finish and tone have a dramatic effect on how you are perceived.” One of Davies’ key considerations is material. He can work with feather-light buffalo horn frames that have a discreet and well-dressed, but unflashy appeal; sporty titanium frames and glossier, and the more pronounced acetate styles (that I opt for). Given the huge number of frames in store, if you require only a small tweak and are busy, Davies is confident his team can master a design in ten minutes. But the promise of monogrammed arms, graded colours and lenses that mirror the arch of the eyebrow, is enough to make anyone take the time over the process. One of Davies more intense projects

was the creation of a pair of frames worn by actor Henry Cavill in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and designed by Michael Wilkinson. “When [director] Michael Walker and I started speaking about the project, it was initially only to help with fitting. However, it was clear we both had the same passion for this iconic frame. With Clark Kent/ Superman, I was trying to play with the lines of the frame to alter our perception of the character,” he says. The danger in that particular case was that Davies work was so effective that too many people focused on the frames. “The glasses had to look good, but I didn’t want to make it look like Superman was wearing cool glasses,” he quips. As I write I’m waiting for the finishing touches to be applied to my own oval, cat’seye, tortoise shell, black-armed, monogrammed glasses with a snug fit. I’ve seen them, tried them on, planned them into forthcoming outfits and insured them. And now I’m daydreaming of my next pair… Bespoke service, available from £495, consultations with Tom Davies on request, TD Tom Davies, Cabot Place, Canary Wharf, tdtomdavies.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

AUTUMN AROMAS The colder weaTher means a richer scenT – here are The ones To cosy up To

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

1. Beat Café eau de parfum, £130/78ml, Jusbox Perfumes, selfridges.com 2. Mankind Hero, £39/50ml, Kenneth Cole, houseoffraser.co.uk 3. No. 3, £75/100ml, Alford & Hoff, harrods.com 4. Oud eau de toilette, £70/100ml, Vince Camuto, houseoffraser.co.uk 5. Tarbouch Afandi, £140/50ml, Ideo Parfumeurs, liberty.co.uk 6. Radio Bombay, £139/50ml, D.S & Durga, liberty.co.uk

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HOLD ALL THE CARDS a stylish wallet or cardholder is the sign of a stylish man. make sure you invest in a good one

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1. Pebble-grain leather cardholder, £240, Thom Browne, mrporter.com 2. Hatton cognac cardholder, £55, Oppermann, oppermann-london.com 3. Multi-colour slim card holder, £90, Launer, launer.com 4. Shadow billfold wallet, £90, Aspinal of London, aspinaloflondon.com 5. Bee embroidered bifold wallet, £260, Gucci, gucci.com 6. Nelson Portofino wallet, £90, Greenwich Design, greenwich.design 7. Damson heavy grained slim billfold wallet, £140, Paul Smith, paulsmith.co.uk 8. Paris leather cardholder, £65, Kenzo, selfridges.com 9. Billfold wallet in brown Bifold 6CC wallet, £295, Valextra, valextra.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE CITY MAGAZINE DELIVERED TO YOUR DESK FOR FREE EMAIL YOUR NAME, ADDRESS & THE COMPANY YOU WORK FOR TO CITYDESK@RWMG.CO.UK

OUT of OFFICE october 2016

VERTICAL LIMIT with more skyscrapers than any other city, hong kong’s inhabitants have had to acquire a head for heights Hong Kong is the world’s tallest vertical city. According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, the Chinese Special Administrative Region, or SAR, has 315 skyscrapers over 150 metres high, and 63 towers of more than 200 metres tall. Secondplaced NYC, comparatively, has 243 and 59 respectively. London, 16 and five. With a population of 7.2 million, Hong Kong is almost three times more densely populated than its American counterpart, with 6,544 residents for every square kilometre. Thanks to mountainous terrain and a lack of flat land, developers have been forced to build skyward, meaning that Hong Kong is also ranked number one in the world for having the highest number of people living on the 15th floor of an apartment or above. Page 110: Discover how a food revolution transformed Hong Kong Island’s once-sleepy Kennedy Town into New York’s Meatpacking District

FUTURE PROOF Mercedes presents its Vision of tomorrow, the Mercedes-Maybach 6 EV coupé WORDS: JENNIFER MASON

arlier this year, Mercedes unveiled its new concept car, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 in California at the famous Pebble Beach festival. The electric vehicle (EV) concept is a luxury-class coupé, boasting 550kw of power and a range of more than 200 miles, which could make it an interesting competitor for Tesla in the EV market should Mercedes ever launch the car into production. Good news for EV fans – Mercedes claims the car will add 100 km of charge in just five minutes (though the industry remains sceptical). There’s a lot of nonsense in the official press release describing the car as ‘sensual’ and ‘emotional’ – but we’ll let this slide because this is, in fact, a great-looking car. Keeping to the classic aesthetic principles of the aero coupés, the Vision is almost six metres in length and incredibly striking, though its bodywork offers more than just good looks. Even without a rear spoiler, airflow hugs the car’s contours and only breaks away very late at the rear end. Also hidden beneath the sleek lines are gullwing doors – a design element made famous by Mercedes and updated for this futuristic concept. Inside, fancy materials like rose-gold and high-quality leather are supported by a soft colour scheme that places the digital innovations centre stage. Something called ‘hyperanalogue’ instruments with needles and circular displays make up the dashboard. Embedded in the seats are body sensors, which scan passengers for their vital functions and adjust climate conditions and massage functions to suit the driver’s needs. They can also be used to trigger lighting effects. Every new EV is a step in the right direction. Let’s hope Mercedes’ Vision becomes a reality. mercedes-benz.co.uk

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

THE BODY It’s been designed around classic aesthetics – think an extremely long bonnet, low roof line and rearward positioning of the greenhouse. The Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 is a reinterpretation of the traditional principles of car design

THE WHEELS The distinctive 24-inch wheels are a development of the aero rims from Mercedes’s 2015 Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile (IAA) concept. A transparent shield in the same colour as the car offers a view of the aluminium spokes behind it

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THE POWER The Vision MercedesMaybach 6 has been designed as an electric car (EV) with a drive system output of 550kw (that’s 750bhp, for petrolheads). Thanks to the shallow underfloor battery, Mercedes predicts a potential range of more than 200 miles

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THE PRACTICALITY In the front space of the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6, you’ll find a bespoke set of two suitcases that have been designed exclusively for this concept car

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

Can the world’s most advanced electric car handle a long weekend in the British countryside? Chris Halls finds out…

ormally, this kind of review consists of a simple process: take one overpowered car; point it at suitably squiggly roads; grin, broadly, and repeat. Sometimes, however, something a tiny bit more journalistic must be carried out, and so I was set a challenge. Could I load up a family-sized saloon and head off for a bank holiday weekend on the East Anglian Riviera? What makes it interesting is my ride: the all-electric Tesla Model S. On paper, it’s not even a challenge. In its 90D guise (90 for kilowatt-hours, the battery capacity; D for all-wheel drive), the Model S has a theoretical maximum range of 346 miles. My route from London to Norfolk measured 165 miles – so, even allowing for real-world figures, what did I have to worry about? Here’s the rub: I was set to spend three nights in north Norfolk, and I needed to be able to ferry four pals around, and have enough juice left for the return journey. Now, charging up an electric car has come a long way in a reasonably short while. Tesla has been investing in ‘Supercharger’ points at motorway service stations up and down the country, single-handedly pushing forward with building a viable infrastructure. All very well if you’re bound for the midlands, or even Exeter. But there is a notable absence of three-lane roads east of Cambridge. My gateway into the unknown would be Bishop’s Stortford services on the M11, where I would charge up before carrying on to Cromer. Having picked up the car at Tesla’s West Drayton showroom, my journey began with a solid chunk of the M25. It was tedious, speed-up-slow-down traffic and I steeled myself for a stressful couple of hours. But the Tesla had a secret weapon up its

TESLA MODEL S THE VITALS Range 346 miles Battery 60-100 kWh lithium-ion Horsepower 245 to 515 kW Top speed 154 mph Price From £57,900

sleeve. With a small stalk on the left of the wheel, I could engage Autopilot Mode. It deserves the capital letters; hell, it deserves a medal. You’ll be familiar with cruise control, and perhaps with lane assist, too. But this is more: the car will not only steer, accelerate and brake for you – if you flick on an indicator, it will look for a suitable gap and smoothly steer you across into it. It does this with 12 sensors around the car, and is wholly uncanny the first few times you try it. For legal reasons, you must keep your hands on the wheel – it bongs sternly if you don’t. Autopilot made mincemeat of the M25. My biggest worry was what to do with my right foot. It’s not perfect, yet – you can see further ahead than the sensors, so you end up braking heavily if traffic builds up abruptly. And it’s more cautious changing lanes ( fair enough, really) so I confused a few folks with my endless indicating. But until Google gets its self-driving cars past the regulators, this is as close to the future as it gets. I charged up, as planned, on the M11. It took 35 minutes once I’d found the darned chargers – investing in infrastructure is brilliant, Tesla, but please stump up the extra few quid for some signs that say “they’re away from the main car park, behind this hedge”. There were now 100 miles of A-roads to cover, so it was time to find out how the Model S drives with a human making the decisions. Quickly, it turns out: for a car that, from some angles, looks like a futuristic Mondeo, it really moves. You can waffle about ‘instant torque’ if you like, but the point is, I’ve never driven such a potent overtaking weapon. Some will like the fact that it dispatches obstacles in near-silence; others will lament the lack of theatre.

CHARGE IT UP AND 96

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

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For me, the acceleration was immense, but cold and clinical. Still, it got the job done. And all the while I could listen to music at a normal volume (Spotify Premium comes with the car, nice). Entertainment – in fact, everything except the hazard lights – is controlled on a 14-inch touchscreen system that is aeons better than anything else around. I spent the next three days exploring the beautiful Norfolk coast, during which time I learnt many more things about the car. It takes five adults plus bags, no stress. People like it – it drew attention, but not in a showy way. It has the coolest door handles (they extend from the car as you approach). It downloads updates, like your phone. It can park itself – bay, or parallel.

Until Google gets its self-driving cars past the regulators, this is as close to the future as it gets

some of them you need mobile signal to access an app to activate the charger. Mobile signal. In Norfolk. And you won’t always be happy – or able – to leave a window open to trickle-charge it overnight off the mains (six miles per hour). Tesla rightly points out that this is the exception, not the norm. Owners have chargers installed at home, and rarely do hundreds of miles in a day. But we all deserve a weekend in rural isolation once in a while, and that was my challenge. I’m happy to report it can be done; I found myself full of respect for the Tesla – its modern interface, clever design, vast brain and concealed pace all absolutely command it. It’s luxurious and spacious, practical and pretty, and I wish it every success in the world. But when I came to part with it, I felt no tug at my heartstrings – no little voice saying “just one more blast”. It had failed to electrify my senses, ironically. teslamotors.com

It creeps up silently on people walking or cycling in country lanes, which can be embarrassing and funny. I also learnt that it is not really a driver’s car. It has a raw power that could humble a supercar, but the ride is too soft and the steering too slow to have fun on twisty coastal roads. It feels every inch of its size here, but on the plus side, my passengers remained in perfect comfort for the duration. Besides, if you drive with a heavy right foot, you run down the power. You don’t want to do that when the only available chargers take an hour to add 20 miles of range (and that’s sensible range; addictive overtaking not included). Indeed, on our long weekend away, we found ourselves planning our days around where the car needed to be. You have to hope that the solitary parking spot within reach of the charger isn’t taken, and for

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QUESTIONS OF PERCEPTION Mark and Hannah Hayes-Westall have been working in, and writing about, contemporary art for twenty years. each month, they introduce an artist who should be on your agenda

THIS MONTH: SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY

hat’s so interesting? As those who have studied fractal geometry may recall, mathematician Benoît Mandelbrot famously observed that mountains are not cones, clouds are not spheres and all coastlines are infinitely long. His point, now known as the Coastline Paradox, was that as coastlines are not smooth, the more closely the coastline is observed, the more detail there is to measure and therefore the smaller the unit of measurement is, the longer the coastline becomes. With infinitely small units, the theory runs, the coastline is infinitely long. The geometry that described the Coastline Paradox went on to change everything from file compression software to architecture to financial market prediction, but, at heart, it’s a philosophical paradox rooted in the decisions we make about how much to see and how to interpret it. These questions of perception, and of the concomitant uncertainty of our knowledge and beliefs have been at the heart of Shirazeh Houshiary’s work throughout her career, and the paintings, sculptures and animations that she creates establish a contemplative intellectual space with connections to both science and spirituality. The artist has said, “I set out to capture my own breath, to find the essence of my own experience transcending name, nationality, cultures”. A recent painted work, A Deluge (2015) appears from a distance to be a swirling mist of violet and blue pigment, and it is only when it is examined at close quarters that the intricate tracery of thousands of tiny, pencilled words is visible. The structures formed by these chains of words – which generate a host of non-verbal associations – is revealed, and the order underlying the seemingly random marks becomes clear. Like many of Houshiary’s works, A Deluge (2015) is a piece that moves beyond the simplicity of describing an event in either a natural or an artificial

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way. Seen up close, the chains of pencilled words form shapes that summon to mind microscope photography of the organic cellular structures of the natural world, but the construct of language mean that it cannot truly be natural, and yet it is a seamless, natural whole. This non-binary approach is typical of Houshiary’s work, which brings together elements of Sufi thinking with both science and an understanding of the ideas that underline the art of revelation as employed by history’s most celebrated painters of religious art. In her animated work Breath (2013), Houshiary choreographed four vocalists from different religious traditions to simultaneously chant Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, and Islamic prayers while their breath is visualised on four video screens. Houshiary has said, “The act of praying is the beginning of expressing oneself through

Houshiary choreographed four vocalists from different religions to chant Jewish, Christian, Buddhist and Islamic prayers while their breath is visualised on four video screens BELOW (Left) A Deluge, 2015, pencil and pigment on white aquacryl on canvas and aluminium, 190 x 540 cm (190 x 270 cm each); (Right) Dying Light, 2014, pencil and pigment on black aquacryl on canvas and aluminium, 190 x 190 cm

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words and music, so it is the genesis of of being, and the fundamental nature of consciousness in many cultures”, and this perception has been a part of her practice concept is encapsulated in an accompanying for many years. Now based in London, she image that expands and contracts on the was born in Shiraz, Iran in 1955, and after screens like breath on glass with the ebb and university moved to the UK to attend the flow of the voices. Breath (2013) was shown Chelsea School of Art, she has had solo at the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013 exhibitions in some of the world’s installed within a tall rectangular most respected contemporary art enclosure clad in black felt, museums, including Camden set in a large gallery space in Arts Centre and, in 1994, the Arsenale, creating an was nominated for the intimate, almost sacred Turner Prize. A selection of work by Shirazeh space of united voices Houshiray will be shown by Lisson within, and an echoing Gallery at Frieze Art Fair 6-9 multiplicity of October 2016, Regent’s voices without. Park, London, Perhaps in recognition Lisson Gallery of the numinous lissongallery.com quality of her art, in 2013 Houshiary (working with her architect husband Pip Horne) was commissioned to create the East Window of the famous St Martin-in-the-Fields church on Trafalgar Square. Inspired by the story of Jacob’s Ladder, the window appears to offer a direct connection with the heavens, and has since been joined by a later commission, the gently glowing travertine marble altarpiece. Her work, however, is by no means attached to a specific religion, and seminal works like Veil (1999) refer to her sense of the veil of skin separating the human interior and exterior, though it is also a metaphor for perception, representing a barrier that needs to be broken through for us to achieve awareness of our being. In her most recent work such as Pierce (2016), the sense of piercing and rupture is evident, which the artist has described as being “...like a quest to go beyond the veil that stops us seeing through”. Houshiary’s exploration into the essence

ABOVE (L-R) Colligate, 2014, pigment and pencil on white aquacryl on canvas and aluminium 120 x 120 cm; Seed, 2014, pencil and pigment on white aquacryl on canvas and aluminium, 190 x 190 cm; Zero, 2014, pencil and pigment on white aquacryl on canvas and aluminum, 190 x 190 cm

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FIND THE WORK

BELOW, LEFT Reverie, 2015, pencil and pigment on black aquacryl on canvas and aluminium, 120 x 120 cm BELOW Sylph, 2014, Alessandrite lead glass, mirror polished stainless steel, approx. 138 x 88.5 cm All images © Shirazeh Houshiary, courtesy of Lisson Gallery

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W H E R E ? Clue: It’s the second largest conurbation and the capital city of the ninth largest country on the planet. It’s called Astana. It’s hosting the 2017 World Expo. And no one knows absolutely anything about it WORDS: ANNA SELBY

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t’s more than likely you don’t know much about Kazakhstan – few Europeans do. And what you do know is probably based on a fallacy. So let’s get Borat out of the way first. Funny, it might have been, but accurate it certainly wasn’t – it featured the wrong region, the wrong climate, the wrong geography, the wrong ethnic group and, as for that grinding poverty, it couldn’t have been more wrong. So, let’s start over. Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world. Its vast territory of 2,724,900 sq km (the same area as western Europe) has a population of just 17 million. Its GDP has increased 16-fold in the past 20 years, the economy growing at 7 per cent in the past 15. GDP per capita has grown from US$700 in 1993 to US$12,000 today. Much of this is based on vast reserves of oil and gas. That industry has attracted over US$170bn

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It’s a city that’s not quite like anywhere else. It

looks like the Middle East but is set in the middle of endless windswept grassland and, while the slump in oil prices has had an effect here as it has everywhere, this is a supply unlikely to run out any time soon. The Kashagan field alone, discovered in 2000, was the largest find anywhere in the world in the last 30 years. It’s not just oil and gas. They have uranium, copper, zinc and gold. Basically, and with very few exceptions, if it’s on the periodic table, Kazakhstan has it. So this is not a poor country and it’s certainly a huge one. And yet we know pretty much nothing about it. That, though, could be changing very soon. Next year, its capital, Astana, hosts EXPO 2017 and some three million people are expected to

attend. So, what will they find? Kazakhstan is a very old country with a history of nomads who hunted with eagles (a few still do) and the birthplace of the yurt. Tulips and apples both originated in Kazakhstan and the ‘Golden Man’ (who might actually have been a woman) had a costume made of 4,000 gold pieces and lived around 3,000 years ago. It is also a very new country, currently celebrating its 25th year of independence. President Nazarbayev has been president from day one – actually even before that, he being the communist party leader in Soviet times. So a president for

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life then, but, to be fair, no one could argue its Soviet history, lots and lots of that he’s a man without vision. symbolism. There are plenty of Who would think of founding a new eggs, suns, eagles, trees, all with a capital in the middle of nowhere, beset tag line of hope and confidence by a terrible climate and built on land in the future. Take the iconic surrounded by water? Well, Peter the Great Baiterek Tower – topped with a for a start. But 300 years after the founding golden globe that symbolises the of St Petersburg, Nursultan Nazarbaev has tree of life, the golden egg of a followed in his footsteps. Almaty was the sacred bird repeatedly consumed original capital way down in the southby a dragon, the never-ending eastern corner of the country, very close circle of life and death, good and to the border with China. In 1997, though, evil, summer and winter. Astana became the capital and it has grown since at an astonishing rate. This, much like Washington, is a planned city designed by the renowned Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa. It’s a very green city, too. The Hmmm, summer and winter. When it central pedestrianized avenue is all gardens, comes to seasons, Astana is pretty extreme. fountains, trees and sculptures. It’s flanked In summer, it’s humid and gets to 40C. by wide boulevards with yet more trees. In winter – and this is a six-month long Set within this is a futuristic fantasy of winter – it can nudge -45C. At this point, skyscrapers with news and sport projected the green city turns into a white one, the on to their steel and glass surfaces. river freezes and horse-drawn troikas take At one end stands the biggest yurt in the locals for rides, people build whole the world, Khan Shatyr, built by Foster + towns of ice sculptures and the very, very Partners and inside, like a Tardis, it opens foolhardy make a cross-shaped hole in the up into shops, restaurants, theme parks ice and take a dip in the water on Orthodox and even a beach. At the other end, behind Christmas Day in January. the presidential palace, Ak Orda, that bears Visitors to the EXPO from June to a remarkable resemblance to the one in September next year will miss out on the Washington DC (but bigger and with an ice city, but a whole new EXPO city is extra dome and spire), is the Palace of Peace currently underway that will feature the and Reconciliation, another Foster +Partners biggest sphere in the world – already half creation. This is a pyramid with lifts that built and hovering over the centre of the rise diagonally, a concert hall that opens its 144 hectare site. ceiling to be flooded with natural light, a The theme is, perhaps ironically for a glass apex decorated with fluttering doves and a meeting place for world and traditional country that’s built its wealth on oil and gas, ‘future energy.’ This was, in fact, the religious leaders every three years – this year president’s idea and that’s not his only bit of the theme was religions against terrorism. forward thinking. All schoolchildren And this is before we get to the wavy are now taught three languages skyscrapers known as the Northern – Kazakh, Russian and English. Lights, the Emerald Towers, the He was also pretty keen on Cigarette Lighter, the Greek the idea of a national carrier temple-inspired opera house, and the resulting Air Astana Abu Dhabi Plaza (soon to have Air Astana flies from Heathrow to Astana four times a week, was founded 14 years ago the tallest building in central daily to Frankfurt, and three and has not only become Asia) and, perhaps, thanks to

At one end stands the biggest yurt in the world, Khan Shatyr, built by Norman Foster

GETTING THERE

times weekly to Paris. airastana.com

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the main airline between Kazakhstan and London, it’s also becoming the area hub flying to places like Urumqi in western China (18 million people just an hour and a half away). It’s even won the Air Transport World’s global market leader award (though it’s a tad smaller than Etihad and Turkish Airlines). They’re not short of ideas at the airline, and have come up with the ‘Economy Sleeper’, an idea that surely deserves to be picked up by other carriers. It’s simple – you curtain off the first rows of economy behind business class, put mattresses, pillows and blankets over each row of three seats and throw in a few little extras like a tablet to watch your films on. Six hours’ flying time suddenly becomes more than bearable. When you wake up, you’re in a city that’s not quite like anywhere else. It looks like the Middle East but is set in the middle of endless windswept grassland; it’s one of the hottest and coldest of world capitals; set on the old Silk Route, it’s also one of the newest and fastest growing cities in the world; it’s a place where sushi restaurants rub shoulders with traditional eateries selling horse meat steaks and mare’s milk – the favourite Kazakh drink if you exclude vodka. Perplexing? Certainly. The ultimate vanity project. Possibly. Worth a visit? You bet. Just don’t mention Borat.

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’m biting into the most succulent burger I’ve eaten all year. It perplexes as it impresses: the Wagyu beef is seasoned with Japanese ginger and the soft bun is of the sweet Chinese variety. I’m not usually one for tampering with a successful formula – glance at the latest Pizza Hut ‘innovation’ slithered into your postbox to understand why – but what I’m tasting here is extremely successful. Shame it’s only a little larger than a slider… Hong Kong’s restaurants have always been an international affair, reflecting the city’s position as a global crossroads and trading hub. All varieties of cuisine are available; the Olivers, Ramsays, and Aikenses have their strongholds; and fads regularly sweep through – a couple of years back it was all about Spanish cuisine before burger joints began a successful city-wide insurgency. So far, so very much like home. It can be tempting, especially if you’re staying somewhere like the Ritz-Carlton, to dine exclusively on Chef Paul Lau’s signature siu mei pork at two Michelin-starred Tin Lung Heen operating on the logic that: if this is dim sum at its best in the city of dim sum, why go anywhere else? But take a trip to the west side of Hong Kong island and you might uncover something that your taste buds will appreciate. For those familiar with Kennedy Town before last year, the idea that this sleepy, student-ridden ’hood is being compared to Shoreditch or New York’s Meatpacking District might encourage a snort of derision. And indeed, stepping out of the Kennedy Town metro station at the end of the West Island Line, the initial

HONG KONG UNCOVERED

The ’hood is being compared to Shoreditch or New York’s Meatpacking District thicket of golden arches and crummy pastel skyscrapers are unlikely to assuage those reservations. Wander a little further down the hill and the mood becomes more relaxed and local: K-pop rings out from the back of grocery stores, caramelcoloured geese carcasses loll in restaurant windows, and a shop sells every conceivable convolution of white plastic tube joint. And then, like a deer appearing wide-eyed in in a city street, you happen across a brand new boutique design store that suggests its owners didn’t do their research. With the extension of the metro at the start of 2015, this sleepy end of Hong Kong island found itself suddenly of interest to curious city natives,

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An exciting fusion food scene is gathering impetus in a previously sleepy end of Hong Kong Island, and changing the rest of the city as it does so

30 September 2014: A crowd occupies the main road in Admiralty, Hong Kong, protesting for democracy ahead of the chief executive elections

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Image Â© Colours In My Life

WORDS: CHRIS ALLSOP

GETTING THERE Cathay Pacific flies from international travellers, Joshua Ng of Stack thinks that the local London Heathrow to Hong property developers, and food scene is like “downtown LA five years Kong five times daily and from savvy restaurateurs (not to ago”. It’s the better of the comparisons I’ve Manchester to Hong Kong four times mention the odd pioneering heard, and one that he’s likely to know about per week, to over 190 destinations globally, including 22 in China. Visit design boutique). But it’s having studied at UCLA before returning cathaypacific.co.uk or call the restaurateurs that have to Hong Kong to open first a successful 0208 834 8888 been the driving force behind café, Common Ground, and then Stack. the recent comparisons with On the corner of Third Street, opposite a trendy Shoreditch, developing niche park undergoing a facelift, Stack’s narrow dining concepts that reflect their own dimensions are dominated by a steel-topped international DNA. bar that hooks around an island of liquors Erik Idos is a good example. Born in LA employed to mix the restaurant’s superb and previously the executive chef at Nobu cocktails. By 8.30pm the place is full of stylish Intercontinental Hong Kong, Idos opened twenty-somethings and one gregarious midhis restaurant Chino towards the tail end of forties businessman clearly enjoying himself. 2014. Chino’s Mexican cuisine is influenced Perhaps he’s on the Ng-kai-pei or ‘Chinese by the Japanese ingredients and techniques whisky’, a 45 per cent liquor made from Idos imported from his time at Nobu – ox the infusion of five fruit peels (and usually tongue tacos are on offer alongside kanpachi necked at Chinese weddings) that the freshtostadas with furikake seasoning. As Chino’s faced Ng has begun mixing with Cointreau scarce tables remain in high demand since and grapefruit juice for his thirsty customers. opening, it seems his Mexican-Japanese Stack opened in mid-2014. Its concept is fusion is hitting the spot. Another draw is perhaps the most whimsical and ambitious its extensive mescal selection behind the of the area: offering French bistro-style bar (curated by nearby hipster liquor store cuisine that either involves pancakes or Sunday’s Grocery). Chino’s emphasis on takes on a pancake-style form. The idea offering quality cocktails at the counter and was born out of Ng’s inability to find a nuanced drinks pairing for its sit-down food decent pancake in the city, and the trained from top is one shared by cosy Shiba. Also located chef (he’s previously worked at London’s Chino; The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong in Kennedy Town and opened at roughly St John) has now devised, alongside his the same time, Shiba offers an impressive chefs Michael and Cho, a seasonal menu right The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong ‘sake wall’ as well as unusual tipples such as that includes treats like (at the time of mango beer to pair with its yakitori skewers. writing) Hokkaido sea scallop in Walk east from Chino, with the neoncauliflower purée (on a pancake) sketched towers of a Central evening and confit beef short rib (on crowding the horizon, and you’ll soon a pancake). “For me it’s like Rooms at The Ritz-Carlton reach the epicentre of this new gastro sushi – you have the carb, Hong Kong (see opposite) are from £375 per night with club lounge access scene where the borders of Kennedy the rice, on the bottom including six complimentary culinary Town blur with adjacent Sai Ying Pun and with the protein on top,” and beverage presentations daily, a Sheung Wan. On High Street (literally high, he explains. The conceit dedicated concierge, complimentary so find the escalators) Daimlers, Jags, and is quirky, occasionally limousine transfers and many other exclusive benefits. It is also home to BMWs line the streets waiting for their frivolous (on one dish, the two-Michelin starred dim sum tune-ups. Expats spill out of Craft Brew & pancake feels a little like restaurant Tin Lung Heen. Co. with its laudable motto of ‘Absolutely an afterthought beside the RitzCarlton.com no Carlsberg. Not ever.’ otherwise excellent crispy fish

STAYING THERE

THE RESTAURANTS

CHINO

Exquisite Mexican cuisine with Japanese influences and a mescal selection to savour. 1B-1C New Praya, Kennedy Town chinohk.com

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SHIBA

A 30-seat eatery on a quiet street, Shiba serves 30 sakes by the glass. But don’t worry, there’s yakatori to soak it all up. 11 Smithfield, Kennedy Town keyakihk.com/shiba

STACK

Hip cocktail bar and impressive French bistro cuisine serving sweet and savoury pancake ‘tapas’. 1 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun facebook.com/stackhk

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fin that it accompanies), but overall it’s a definite hit, especially the better balanced tasting plates and the honeycomb and mascarpone sweet pancakes to conclude. Ng offers a theory as to the proliferation of experimental dining concepts in this neck of the woods. “People are looking for their identities. We were a colony of the UK for a long time, and I’ve got that British touch in my blood – my generation still remembers how the UK ran the city. And now it’s changed, and with mainland China you’ve got the common ground mixed with the culture shock. It’s a question of who are we? What shall we represent?” If the answer is eccentrically delicious fare, then it seems post-colonial Hong Kong is well rid of those staid Brits. And as for that burger? Well, that was the Hansburger (a play on the Han Dynasty) devoured beneath the bare industrial lightbulbs of Chico/Chica on High Street, an Asianinfluenced Spanish tapas restaurant opened at the end of last year. Sometimes it’s worth turning your eyes from the Michelin-starred firmament to find a new perspective.

THE HOTEL: THE RITZCARLTON HONG KONG

CHICO/CHICA

Tasty Spanish-Asian tapas. Hansburger (a cross between a bao and a burger) to die for. Plus, there’s churros. 70 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun facebook.com/chicochicahk

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n a city of gleaming skyscrapers – skyscrapers that perform an illuminations show at 8pm each night – size matters. And, occupying floors 102-118 of International Commerce Centre in Hong Kong, RitzCarlton Hong Kong is currently the tallest hotel in the world (488m). The hotel has put its key assets on its highest floors. Ozone, a stylish bar with a mirrored ceiling, white leather seating and a fragrant cocktail menu, is ripe for peacocking and has a dedicated lift service whizzing the affluent up to the dance floor. The Ritz-Carlton’s swimming pool is three floors lower, conversely blissfully quiet and deserted, flanked with white loungers and Jacuzzis, and sharing a space with its spa and gym. It’s the highest swimming pool in the world – there’s a theme here. The two Michelin-star Tin Lung Heen (which translates as Dragon in the Sky) on the 102nd floor, offers one of those rare culinary experiences where everything really does just fall into place, an experience you return to when you try to recollect your best meals. Acquiring its second star in 2013, the kitchen of 27 talented chefs is led by the surprisingly fresh-faced Paul Lau, his experience worn lightly and only indicated by a few filigrees of iron-grey poking out from beneath his chef ’s hat. At Tin Lung Heen, Lau’s team put together authentic, refined Cantonese food that’s married to a modern sensibility. Lau tells me, laughing, that he often loses sleep while turning over in his mind how to push the blend of traditional and modern. No doubt many other top chefs in Hong Kong do the same, but it’s recognised that the menu at Tin Lung Heen represents the zenith. So it’s suitable that the restaurant is located on the 102nd floor of the Ritz-Carlton. On the night I’m there, fog smothers the sweeping nightscape of the city’s innumerable high rises. But that seems to only amplify the dining room’s opulence, the glamourous modern/traditional décor is an echo of the culinary philosophy about to appear on the plate before me. Of the six delectable courses, the Iberico Pork BBQ Char Siu was the star, the plumas cut meltingly tender and shrouded in the caramel sweetness of the honey glaze. The matched wines began with 2008 Taittinger Brut Reserve and ended with Château d’Yquem 1996. The fog may have killed the views, but the true vistas were on the palate. ritzcarlton.com/hongkong

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PROPERTY NEWS

Keep tabs on the marKet, whether you are living or investing in the capital

SALES Andrew Groocock, head of sales at Knight Frank canary wharf, comments on the trends in the residential sales market As the dust begins to settle following the EU referendum, it is now time to take stock and see how things look in the Docklands property market. The biggest thing that I have noticed in my office is that we have actually had the busiest August for more than six years. By busy I mean we have agreed more deals, registered more applicants and conducted more viewings – all of which is extremely positive and has continued into the early September market. There is no doubt that a large portion of this activity is from pent-up interest from those who had stepped back from the market pre-referendum, who now feel comfortable that the Docklands property market still represents good value for money. But, also, we have seen a dramatic increase in overseas buyers and have dealt with applicants being referred to us by a whole host of our international offices. So far, post-referendum, we have dealt with buyers from America, Australia, Russia, Hong Kong, Singapore and China to name just a few. It really highlights how important tapping into an agent’s global network can be. The other noticeable trait post-referendum is that the dramatic price drops predicted by some have failed to materialise. The market is always price sensitive in the Docklands and making sure an agent has comparable evidence when valuing your property is more important than ever. Yes, we are having to work harder to sell properties, the average selling time has been slightly extended and more viewings are required to sell the property, but, in general, prices have remained steady. The biggest problem we are now experiencing is a shortage of stock to show our growing number of applicants in what is historically a very busy autumn market. Knight Frank Canary Wharf 020 7512 9955 knightfrank.co.uk

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At the national level, both prices and sales are expected to rise over both the three- and 12-month horizons as activity in the market stabilises – Simon Rubinsohn, chief economist of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

Photography by Dominic Blackmore

PARTY ANIMAL Transform your home into an animal sanctuary, without any of the mess, with this new collection from interior design brand Andrew Martin International. In collaboration with London-based artist Holly Frean, this range brings a playful yet elegant touch to a property. Using a selection of Frean’s drawings and paintings, the collection includes penguin and monkey wallpapers, printed elephant fabrics, velvet lions and woollen bears. Frean started her career as an architect but soon painting took over and she has since exhibited internationally, accruing fine art prizes. We love the Two by Two wallpaper, which is a postcard-type layout featuring 55 pairs of different animals – great for grown-ups and children alike. It comes in two colourways. From £29.90, andrewmartin.co.uk

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LETTINGS Christopher paxton, head of lettings at Knight Frank Canary Wharf, comments on the trends in the residential lettings market

ITALIAN ELEGANCE Representing the pinnacle of Italian design, Smeg has launched its Dolce Stil Novo collection, which comprises technically advanced and elegant appliances. Conceived and manufactured in Italy, the range includes innovative built-in ovens and game-changing hobs. Created in collaboration with award-winning architect Guido Canali, the collection features cuttingedge technology, such as touchscreen controls. As always, Smeg unites practicality and functionality with aesthetically pleasing design. smeguk.com

Normally as the summer nights begin to darken, we have periodically found that the market did the same, but as things stand, the market is going from strength to strength. Stock levels remain at an all-time high and although applicants levels are slightly down from this time last year, we have agreed more lets over the summer than ever seen in the past. I do believe that the Canary Wharf area had a shock to its system. For many years we have seen price increases year-on-year which, in my eyes, began to make the area less attractive to newcomers to London; we started to see pricing on a par with Central London and we simply aren’t – the Canary Wharf area has its own market and pricing.

If a landlord doesn’t price and present their property correctly, they will be gathering dust over the next few months

S C AN D I SLEEPING A g o o d b e d s e t e q u a l s a g o o d n i g h t ’s s l e e p , a n d l u c k i l y f o r u s , l u x u r y b e d l i n e n b r a n d C l o t h & C l a y, l a u n c h e d i n t h e U K i n S e p t e m b e r, c r e a t e s j u s t t h a t . T h e b r a n d h a s tw o r a n g e s , H u e and Nordic Nights and both are made from the finest materials i n c l u d i n g 3 0 0 - t h r e a d - c o u n t p u r e c o tt o n . T h e N o r d i c N i g h t s range is inspired by serene landscapes including mountain r a n g e s , a n d t h i s Fr e y s e t l o o k s l i k e t h e p e r f e c t p l a c e t o r e s t y o u r h e a d a f t e r a l o n g d a y. Us i n g n e g a t i v e e x p o s u r e , t h e p r i n t depicts a white winter forest and instantly brings a sense of c a l m t o a n y b e d r o o m . W h o s a i d s l e e p c a n’ t b e s t y l i s h ? Fro m £ 1 2 0 f o r a d o u b l e b e d d i n g s e t , c l o t h n c l a y. c o m

s LUXURYLO ND O N.C O.UK s

When I have written this column in the past, I have always emphasised the importance of agent choice and pricing. I strongly stand by this even more so at present as we are in the toughest market we have seen in 10 years. If a landlord doesn’t price and present their property correctly, they will be gathering dust over the next few months. If there are any landlords reading this and their property has been empty for four weeks, there is a reason for this and it’s not due to lack of applicants. Although the market is tough, now is a great time to let for both landlords and tenants. Pricing is a little more realistic for them both and we are seeing a lot more Grade-A corporate tenants showing strong interest in the area again. In fact, our corporate lets through our Knight Frank Corporate Services team have doubled in the past 12 months. Knight Frank Canary Wharf 020 7512 9955 knightfrank.co.uk

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

113

The Tower, St George Wharf SW8 Excellent flat in The Tower on the River Thames A superb 2 bedroom flat on the 38th floor with a neutral and tasteful palette, presented in excellent condition. Sensational views of the River Thames and Nine Elms. Master bedroom with en suite, Second bedroom, Bathroom, Kitchen/reception room, Winter garden, Porter/concierge, Leisure facilities. EPC: B. Approximately 110 sq m (1,184 sq ft) Leasehold: Approximately 982 years

Guide price: £2,250,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/riverside riverside@knightfrank.com 020 3641 5932

@Riverside_KF KnightFrank.co.uk

KnightFrank.co.uk/rvr160212

The City Mag October 2016

20/09/2016 13:27:01

Cit

MOVE Faster. Sell with Knight Frank

Our understanding of the everchanging market enables us to price your property accurately, so you can rely on Knight Frank to get you moving. Call us today on +44 20 8166 5375 to arrange your free market appraisal. KnightFrank.co.uk/wapping wapping@knightfrank.com

Guide price: £835,000

Molines Wharf, Limehouse E14 A good sized apartment with balcony overlooking the River Thames. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, reception room, kitchen, en suite bathroom, guest shower room. EPC: C Approximatley 103 sq m (1,109 sq ft). Leasehold: Approxiamtely 978 years remaining. Office: 020 8166 5375

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

Guide price: £1,660,000

Great Jubilee Wharf, Wapping E1W A wonderful arranged over two floors in this glorious river fronted, listed warehouse conversion. 2 bedrooms (1 en suite), guest shower room, reception/dining room, balcony, porter, parking. Approximately 190 sq m (2,045 sq ft). Share of freehold. Office: 020 7480 6848

City Mag October 2016

14/09/2016 11:46:17

FOUND Your perfect tenant. Let with Knight Frank. Our local expertise and global network mean that we can find a reliable tenant for your property; and with an average tenancy of nearly two years, Knight Frank not only helps you find them – but keep them as well. Call us today on 020 8166 5366 to arrange your free market valuation. Guide price: £750 per week

Merchant Court, Wapping E1W

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A stunning apartment with impressive views of the river and Canary Wharf skyline. 2 bedrooms (1 en suite), 2 modern bathrooms, large reception room with fully fitted kitchen, private terrace, exposed brickwork, wooden floors. EPC: B. Approximately 120 sq m (1,292 sq ft). Available furnished. wappinglettings@knightfrank.com Office: 020 8166 5366

All potential tenants should be advised that, as well as rent, an administration fee of £276 will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

Guide price: £750 per week

Marc Brunel House, Wapping E1W Exclusive apartment with panoramic views of the Thames. 2 double bedrooms, 2 luxury en suite bathroom, open plan reception/dining room and kitchen area with access on to a private balcony. EPC: B. Approximately 82 sq m (883 sq ft). Available furnished. wappinglettings@knightfrank.com Office: 020 8166 5366

297h 210w Mayfair Mag

21/09/2016 16:02:41

Sandpiper Court, Wapping E1W

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A large and spacious apartment located on the third floor of this 24 hour portered block with great dock views. Bedroom, bathroom with shower, reception room, separate fitted kitchen, balcony, concierge. EPC: B. Approximately 72 sq m (769 sq ft). Available furnished. wappinglettings@knightfrank.com Office: 020 8166 5366

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

Guide price: £475 per week

Trafalgar Court, Wapping E1W A newly redecorated apartment offering excellent river views. 2 double bedrooms, bathroom, reception room, kitchen, secure parking, 24 hour porter, new wooden floors and carpets throughout. EPC: C. Approximately 79 sq m (856 sq ft). Available furnished. wappinglettings@knightfrank.com Office: 020 8166 5366

297h 210w Mayfair Mag

21/09/2016 16:02:41

LOOKING TO LET? To find out how we can help, please get in touch KnightFrank.co.uk/aldgate aldgatelettings@knightfrank.com 020 3823 9930

Guide price: £795 per week

Cashmere House, Aldgate E1

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A stylish two bedroom apartment available to rent in the highly desirable Goodman’s Fields. It is complimented by a 24-hour concierge service along with an onsite gym, private cinema room, pool and spa. The apartment comes with a high specification fully fitted kitchen with dishwasher, induction cooker and wine cooler. It also leads to your very own private terrace. EPC: B

All potential tenants should be advised that as well as rent, an administration fee of £276 and referencing fees of £48 per person will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

Guide price: £495

Stepney City, The City E1 Large, modern two bedroom apartment to rent in this portered development. This immaculate property comprises a large open plan living space, two substantial bedrooms, fully fitted kitchen and modern bathroom. The property has numerous character features, plus lots of storage and is available immediately. EPC: B

city mag chris 2 sep

22/09/2016 15:54:53

All apartments benefit from the use of the residents’ private dining room overlooking the Dan Pearson designed courtyard garden

A LIFESTYLE TO SHARE When it comes to an address, King’s Cross has it all – right at the heart of London. Unbeatable connections, the historic Regent’s Canal, beautiful parks, gardens and squares, education, shopping, eating, culture, its very own Everyman Cinema and Paris in just over two hours. Two and three bedroom apartments in the Plimsoll Building from £995,000* Visit the show apartment and marketing suite Monday to Friday by appointment, contact us on 020 7205 4246

14-15 Stable Street London N1C 4AB plimsollkingscross.co.uk

*Price correct at time of going to press.

International Property Awards – 2016 National Award Winner

1 2

savills.co.uk

MILLER WHARF HOUSE, e1w

RUFUS STREET, n1

Reception room ø kitchen ø bedroom ø bathroom ø guest w.c. ø concierge ø parking ø communal river terrace ø 68.8 sq m (740 sq ft) ø EPC=D

Reception room ø open plan kitchen ø bedroom ø bathroom ø balcony ø air conditioning ø lift ø 64.5 sq m (694 sq ft) ø EPC=B

Guide £675,000 Leasehold

Guide £700,000 Leasehold

Savills Wapping rcashley@savills.com 0207 456 6800

Savills Shoreditch efensom@savills.com 020 7578 6200

FOURNIER STREET, e1

NEW BRITISH WHARF, se1

3 reception rooms ø 4 bedrooms ø 2 bathrooms ø georgian townhouse ø south-facing garden ø no onward chain ø 232 sq m (2,497 sq ft) ø EPC=D

Reception room ø kitchen ø 2 bedrooms ø 2 bathrooms ø original features ø waterfront ø parking ø private entrance ø 286.5 sq m (3,084 sq ft) ø EPC=C

Offers in excess of £2.5 million Freehold

Guide £3.8 million Share of Freehold

Savills Shoreditch efensom@savills.com 020 7578 6200

Savills Wapping llaws@savills.com 020 7456 6800

3 4

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

City Road, EC1 £1,695,000 Leasehold Two bedroom apartment with City views. EPC: C

Trinity Square, EC3 £1,200,000 Leasehold Unique Views over Tower Bridge. EPC: C

Baltic East Street, EC1 £3,000,000 Freehold Unique Freehold House in Clerkenwell. EPC: D

Britton Street, EC1 £7,999,950 Freehold A unique period house with spa. EPC: Grade II Listed

Woodbridge Street, EC1 £1,500,000 Leasehold A modern terrace house in Clerkenwell. EPC: B

Pepys Street, EC3 £650,000 Leasehold Superb top floor apartment by Fenchurch Street. EPC: D

Hamptons HamptonsCity CityOffice Office Sales. Sales.020 0207717 77175435 5435||Lettings. Lettings.020 0207717 77175437 5437

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Devonia Road, N1 This truly outstanding period house is set on a prime road in the St Peter’s conservation area just moments from Upper Street and Angel. Offering four floors of accommodation the house has been architecturally re-designed to offer the perfect blend of contemporary and modern elegance whilst maintaining much of its original charm and character. Having undergone substantial re-modelling this is the perfect modern day family home. EPC: D

Hamptons Islington Office Sales. 020 7717 5453 | Lettings. 020 7717 5335

£3,250,000 • • • • • •

Period house Meticulously renovated Incredible standard of finish 3/4 Bedrooms 2 Reception rooms 4 Bathrooms

Colebrooke Row, N1 A truly unique Georgian house full of character located in the heart of Angel. The stunning walled courtyard garden is partially surrounded by the property, provides fantastic entertaining space, in addition to a spacious and very unique roof garden. The house itself has a wealth of period features and comprises three beautifully designed reception rooms that each have their own charm and attention to detail, a well appointed open plan hand built kitchen/ breakfast room and four spacious double bedrooms. EPC: Grade II Listed

£3,600,000 Freehold • • • • • •

Historic Islington house Excellent entertaining space Three grand reception rooms Open plan kitchen/breakfast room Four spacious bedrooms Walled courtyard garden

ROYAL TOWER LODGE, TOWER HILL E1 ● ● ● ●

2 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms Balcony 24 Hour concierge

● ●

Approx. 834 sq ft EPC: B

Price £625 per week Furnished For more information, call Neil Short 020 3183 5949 or email neil.short@eu.jll.com

Potential tenants are advised that administration fees may be payable when renting a property. Please ask for details of our charges.

16-17 Royal Exchange London EC3V 3LL

jll.co.uk/residential

THE VIBE, DALSTON E8 ● ● ● ●

3 Bedrooms 1 Bathroom Balcony 24 Hour concierge

● ●

Roof terrace Residents gym

Price £730,000 Leasehold For more information, call Bernard Cully 020 3183 5949 or email bernard.cully@eu.jll.com

16-17 Royal Exchange London EC3V 3LL

jll.co.uk/residential

| PROPERTY |

INSIDER KNOWLEDGE

BREXIT AND THE EFFECTS Diana alam, head of residential development sales, JLL

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

construction activity and more particularly the outlook for further development in London is of deep concern. We believe there are five key factors behind the slowdown in starts. The first is that the sales market was already beginning to ease during the latter half of 2015 while the second is that construction activity following the global credit crisis had to slow at some point after reaching record levels. The market was then stung by the three per cent additional home stamp duty tax announced in November 2015, which came on the back of the stamp duty reform in 2014. The market was then distracted by the EU referendum. “This combination is having a damaging impact for housing supply right

Images for illustrative purposes only, Courtesy of JLL

n latest research, JLL concludes that the Central London Development residential sales market has started to brighten during Q3 but the outlook for London’s housing supply is increasingly worrying. The number of new-build starts and the number of new planning applications have declined significantly during 2016. During Q4 2015 there were 5,260 unit starts across Central London but in Q1 and Q2 this year there have been 1,840 and 1,830 respectively – a startling 65 per cent slowdown. As a result of this staggering slowdown, the number of units under construction has now passed its peak and is beginning a downwards trajectory. There were 34,300 units under construction in Q1 2016 but this dropped to 33,920 units in Q2, the first quarterly fall for four years. Planning applications have also declined. The number of units sent for planning in Q2 2016 was 48 per cent lower than Q1 and was 54 per cent below the quarterly average from the previous three years. The slowdown is most notable in core areas of central London where just 680 units were applied for planning in Q2 2016, significantly shy of the 3,710 in Q3 2015. However, even in outer core locations the appetite of developers looks to be softening as 2,150 units were sent for planning in Q2 this year compared with over 5,000 in Q1. Diana Alam, Director in JLL Residential team at JLL, comments: “The slowdown in

across London, most notably in central London and comes at the point when construction volumes were reaching levels that may begin to arrest London’s escalating supply crisis.” In the Central London Development sales market, demand and interest have picked up during Q3 but the market remains challenging as launches and transactions have slowed following stamp duty changes and the Brexit vote. Unfortunately the Brexit vote coincided with the usual summer slowdown, but since late August the interest in launches has increased with enquiry levels also up on existing live developments. This is positive news for the remainder of 2016 although demand levels are still down y-o-y when investors were more active. The number of sales across Central London during H1 2016 was 4,650 units, down 12 per cent on the 5,270 sales in H2 2015. Alam concludes, saying: “It is encouraging that the sales market is improving but the supply situation is of deep concern. With both the economic and political landscapes uncertain, it is unlikely that developers and housebuilders will head to new development sites en masse any time soon. This should be of great concern to Sadiq Khan and his team and emphasises the need for sensible, workable and long-term supply solutions. This was needed in any case, but these latest statistics hammer home that action is needed.”

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B RO O K MA N S MA N O R HERTFORDSHIRE, AL9

COUNTRY STYLE URBAN CHIC An outstanding collection of one & two bedroom apartments

NOW LAUNCHED • Stylish, high-gloss kitchens with stone work surfaces & integrated Smeg/Siemens appliances • Underﬂoor heating • Timber ﬂooring to living areas & carpet to bedrooms • Villeroy & Boch bathrooms with bespoke cabinetry • Electric gated development and car park access • Two parking spaces per apartment • Large communal, landscaped rear garden

Prices from £490,000* T: 020 3489 0315 Joint Selling Agents:

E: jessica.munday@telfordhomes.london www.brookmansmanor.co.uk Photography of actual Show Apartment at Brookmans Manor. *Prices correct at time of going to press.

A development by:

LETTINGS

Fetter Lane, Holborn, EC4 £1,200 per week*

We are CBRE Residential, your sales and lettings team.

A beautifully presented two bedroom duplex penthouse boasting a sizeable private terrace moments from Chancery Lane tube station. -

Duplex penthouse Private terrace Open plan living room Prime London location EPC rating D

020 7205 4611 cbreresidential.com *Potential tenants should be advised that as well as rent, an administration fee of £270 including VAT and referencing fee of £50.40 including VAT per person will apply when renting a property. Please visit cbreresidential.com/uk/en-GB/rent/tenant-fees for more information about other fees that may apply. Prices correct at time of going to print.

SALES

Pinks Mews, Holborn, EC1 Prices from ÂŁ1,000,000*

We are CBRE Residential, your sales and lettings team.

020 7205 4553 cbreresidential.com *Prices correct at the time of going to print.

35 luxurious apartments and duplexes within a private gated mews. Offering a rare and unique opportunity to be a part of Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historical, central neighbourhoods. -

Six beautiful Victorian buildings 24 hour concierge services Mix of 1,2 and 3 bedrooms Duplex apartments with double height ceilings

Wellington Terrace, Wapping E1W

£695,000

2 double bedroom, 2 storey house set within this gated CCTV development. The property has been fully modernised to include double glazing, replacement ceilings, wood floors, , alarm, central heating system operated via remote control, smart phone or internet. Lounge. Fully fitted kitchen. Double bedrooms with fitted wardrobes. Garden. Secure Underground parking space. Potential to extend into the loft subject to planning permission. Close to Wapping station and local amenities.

Prospect Place, Wapping E1W

ea2 are pleased to offer for sale this stunning modern built 3 bedroom, 3 storey townhouse within this sought after secure development. The property benefits from private terrace, under floor heating, modern fitted kitchen, lounge, 2 modern bathrooms and laminate wood floors. The property has been granted planning consentHouse, to extendTower into the loft creating aSE1 further 2 bedrooms and a bathroom taking the gross square footage to circa 1500 sq ft. Close to Wapping station and Tudor Bridge, £1,595,000 routes. 6thlocal floorbus luxury 2 Double Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Open Plan Reception Room, large balcony. Master bedroom with en-suite

and walk in wardrobe. Modern Integrated Kitchen, Balcony, 24 Hour Porter by Harrods Estates, Residents Gymnasium, Swimming Pool, Lifts to all floors. Close to Local Shopping Facilities, Walking Distance to London Bridge.

£1,400,000

Newlands Quay, Wapping E1W

Waterman Way, Wapping E1W

Rental Price: £520 Per Week

Rental Price: £345 Per Week

Hermitage Court, West Wapping E1W

Hermitage Waterside, West Wapping E1W

ea2 are pleased to offer for rent this recently re-decorated modern built 1 bedroom ea2 are pleased to offer to let this modern built 2 bedroom 2nd floor apartment apartment within this quite ornamental canal side development.The apartment benefits within this secure dockside development. the apartment benefits from recently Roding Mews, Wapping E1W £1,300 per week from wood floors, separate modern fully fitted kitchen, shower room, communal re-fitted bathroom, lounge with separate kitchen and balcony with south facing ea2 are pleased to be able to show you this 6 bedroom 4 bathroom house for rental with a garden. This property is a front garden and views of the ornamental canal from the reception and bedroom.The views over Shadwell Basin. Parking space option. Close to Wapping and Shadwell very unique and has views over the canal. Would suit 6 professional people.has Close Towerre-decorated Hill and Wapping apartment beento tastefully by the landlords and located within a quiet stations. Closeproperty to local bus routes. cul-de-sac whilst still within easy reach of local amenities. Overground and close to Waitrose.

ea2 are pleased to offer to let this modern built 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom ea2 are pleased to offer to rent this modern built 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom 1st floor apartment within this secure development. The apartment benefits from separate apartment within this popular West Wapping development.The apartment benefits from fitted kitchen, balcony. Floor to ceiling windows. Secure underground parking fully fitted kitchen, lounge, private terrace, laminate wood floors and secure underground Cascades Tower, Docklands E14 £500 per week space. development. On-site caretaker. Close to Tower Hill stations and St Katharine’s Dock. parking. Residents communal courtyard and porterage. Close to Tower Hill stations and St modern 2 double bedroom, 2 bathroom 11th floor apartment within this secure Comprising a reception Katharine’ s Dock. Available room with water/ City26/09/2016 views, fitted kitchen, master bedroom with walk-in wardrobe & en suite bathroom, additional

shower room. Balcony. pool, Gymnasium & Tennis court. Concierge. Rental Price: £525 Per Week Rental Price: £440 Swimming Per Week

Mayfair Showroom 66 Grosvenor Street, London, W1K 3JL 28 offices in Central London and over 60 across London

Myddelton Square, EC1R £6,500,000

Completely renovated in January 2014, this Grade II Listed Georgian family home is arranged over five floors. The property offers six double bedrooms, spacious living areas and two private garages. From Myddleton Square the busy high street, shops and Angel station are just over a quarter of a mile away. Dexters Clerkenwell 020 7566 0052

Hyde Park Street, W2 £7,850,000

This exceptional freehold family home is for sale for the first time in 25 years. It’s been imaginatively created by an interior designer with three living rooms, spectacular double height conservatory, seven bedrooms and views of Hyde Park, energy rating d. Dexters Mayfair 020 7590 9590

dexters.co.uk

Northumberland Avenue, WC2N

New Inn Street, EC2A

Set within this period property is a luxury three bedroom apartment. With impressive living space, the property further benefits from three bathrooms, original features and is well suited for a family, energy rating c.

Offering approximately 3,000 sq. ft is this five bedroom warehouse conversion in central Shoreditch. Offering a private garden and a quiet location just off Curtain Road and Rivington Street, energy rating e.

Dexters Covent Garden 020 7067 2400

Dexters Shoreditch 020 7483 6372

Old Gloucester Street, WC1N

Middleton Place, W1W

This three double bedroom, split level apartment has two modern bathrooms (one en-suite) on the lower floor. On the upper floor it has an open plan kitchen/reception and a large roof terrace, energy rating d.

A stylish three bedroom period house with patio, private roof terrace and iconic views over Fitzrovia. This beautiful four storey townhouse is perfect for growing families who like to entertain, energy rating d.

Dexters Bloomsbury 020 7833 4488

Dexters Fitzrovia 020 7067 2402

£2,200 pw

£950 pw

£1,775 pw

£1,495 pw

Tenants fees apply: £180 per tenancy towards administration, £60 reference fee per tenant and £144 towards the end of tenancy check out report (all inc VAT).

| PROPERTY |

PROPERTY FOCUS

Paul Deveney

The Acorn Group is top of the PRS management tree The Acorn Group is named number one managing agent in the Private Rented Sector according to the Molior Residential Development Research Report

he release of the most recent Molior Residential Development Research Report sees The Acorn Group named the highest placed managing agent for Private Rented Sector (PRS) property – fifth in the league table behind only Get Living London, Fizzy Living and two housing associations who all manage their own units, making Acorn the go-to agency for PRS. With more than 30 years’ experience of the London lettings market, Acorn offers a one-stop shop for all its PRS clients, creating a seamless process from the initial consultation and development advice phase, through to finding tenants, site handover, move-ins and eventual block management. The group’s in-house creative and marketing team also lends support with brand development, advertising,

134

THE CITY MAGAZINE | October 2016

brochures and all levels of online and offline promotion. The company represents some of the biggest players in the sector and has established itself as the company to go to when it comes to launching medium to large-scale PRS blocks. Current clients include: London & Quadrant, Criterion Capital (Miflats), Realstar Group and Purelake, to name a few. Paul Deveney, main board director and head of PRS at The Acorn Group, commented: “As a group we have been operating in the Private Rented Sector since 1989, investing heavily in this side of our business, where today we manage a portfolio of more than 5,000 units for private and corporate entities. In 2012, we created a dedicated PRS (Build to Rent) Division, as we recognised the potential

as well as the investment that was coming into the sector. My team handles anything from 50-unit sites through to 500 units and works with clients from development stage through to lease up and eventual management of the asset, with particular focus on the ongoing performance of the block, ie tenant retention, void management, rent arrears and income growth. “While we are delighted with the Molior figures, this only shows half of the story, as we also manage a number of Build to Rent schemes outside of London and we also have over 1,500 units in our pipeline, nearing completion and ready to come to the market.” The Acorn Group operates across London, the South East and Kent, and incorporates Acorn, Langford Russell, John Payne, Start, Unique and MAP, acorngroup.co.uk

s LUXURYLO ND O N.C O.UK s

Chislehurst 020 8295 4900 Locksbottom 01689 882 988

Beckenham 020 8663 4433 Bromley 020 8315 5544

Bickley BR1

£1,825,000 F/H

Now available to view is this brand new five bedroom, five bathroom detached family home created by the award winning developer Mount Devlin Homes. Oak House has been positioned centrally on a generous plot in a desirable, no-through road close to two mainline stations.

Contact Chislehurst 020 8295 4900

Chelsfield Park BR6

£2,250,000 F/H

Newly built, contemporary six bedroom detached residence set on one of the most sought after roads within the ‘Chelsfield Park’ private estate. • •

Six Bedrooms Family/Cinema Room

• •

Contact Locksbottom 01689 882 988

Heated Outdoor Pool Energy Efficiency Rating B

Orpington 01689 661 400 West Wickham 020 8432 7373

• • • •

Five En-suite Bedrooms Over 4,300 Sqft Integral Garage Energy Efficiency Rating B

Bromley BR2

£1,840,000 F/H

Offered to the market for the first time in 29 years is this imposing seven bedroom, 1930s family home with swimming pool. • •

Seven Bedrooms Imposing 1930s Home

• •

Heated Swimming Pool Energy Efficiency Rating D

Contact Bromley 020 8315 5544 A member of

The Acorn Group, incorporating:

langfordrussell.co.uk

We have London covered!

HEATHROW HEATHROW AIRPORT AIRPORT

WEST WESTLONDON LONDON North NorthActon Acton W3 W3 020 0208896 88969990 9990

BIG BIG BEN BEN

WESTMINSTER WESTMINSTER Monck MonckStreet Street SW1P SW1P 020 0207222 72222005 2005

LONDON LONDON EYE EYE

COUNTY COUNTYHALL HALL Southbank Southbank SE1 SE1 020 0207620 76201600 1600

TATE TATE MODERN MODERN

WHITEHOUSE WHITEHOUSE Waterloo Waterloo SE1 SE1 020 0207928 79287007 7007

BATTERSEA BATTERSEA POWER POWERSTATION STATION

NINE NINEELMS ELMS––RIVERSIDE RIVERSIDE Vauxhall Vauxhall SW8 SW8 020 0207582 75827989 7989

WEMBLEY WEMBLEY STADIUM STADIUM

NORTH NORTHLONDON LONDON Drayton DraytonPark Park N5 N5 020 0207359 73594488 4488

TOWER TOWER BRIDGE BRIDGE

TOWER TOWERBRIDGE BRIDGE––CITY CITY Shad ShadThames Thames SE1 SE1 020 0207234 72340666 0666

ONE ONE CANADA CANADA SQUARE SQUARE

CANARY CANARYWHARF WHARF Millharbour Millharbour E14 E14 020 0203668 36681030 1030

BALTIMORE BALTIMORE TOWER TOWER

CROSSHARBOUR CROSSHARBOUR Baltimore BaltimoreTower Tower E14 E14 020 0203846 38463330 3330

EMIRATES EMIRATES AIRLINE AIRLINE

EAST EASTLONDON LONDON ExCeL ExCeLLondon London E16 E16 020 0207476 74760125 0125

THE THEO2O2 ARENA ARENA

GREENWICH GREENWICH New NewCapital CapitalQuay Quay SE10 SE10 020 0207476 74760125 0125

DEPTFORD DEPTFORD ANCHOR ANCHOR

DEPTFORD DEPTFORD Deals DealsGateway Gateway SE10 SE10 020 0208692 86922244 2244

liferesidential.co.uk liferesidential.co.uk 16/09/2016 16/09/201614:23:15 14:23:15

LETTINGS LETTINGS

Studio Studio

£400 £400pw pw| |£1,733 £1,733pcm pcm

Wiverton WivertonTower, Tower,44 New New Drum Drum Street, Street,E1 E1 • • 2424hour hourconcierge concierge • • Private Privatebalcony balcony

• • Landscaped Landscapedresidents’ residents’ garden garden

• • Close ClosetotoAldgate AldgateEast, East,Tower TowerHill Hillstations stations and andTower TowerHill HillGateway GatewayDLR DLRstation station

• • On Onsite sitecafes cafesand andshops shops

CityMagazine_October2016.indd CityMagazine_October2016.indd2 2

For Formore moreinformation informationcall call ourTower TowerBridge Bridgebranch branchon: on: our 020 0207234 72340666 0666

SALES SALES

£1,900,000 £1,900,000

Searle Searle House, House,St. St.Edmunds EdmundsTerrace, Terrace,St St Johns JohnsWood Wood NW8 NW8 • • 360 360sqsqftftterrace terrace

• • Secure Secureunderground undergroundparking parking

• • Comfort Comfortcooling coolingthroughout throughout

• • 0.7m 0.7mtotoStStJohns JohnsWood Wood underground undergroundstation station

• • Primrose PrimroseHill Hilland and Regents RegentsPark Parkwithin within aaminutes minuteswalk walk

For Formore moreinformation informationcall call our ourWestminster Westminsterbranch branchon: on: 020 0207222 72222005 2005

liferesidential.co.uk liferesidential.co.uk

16/09/2016 16/09/201614:23:32 14:23:32

“ The

sky’s the limit.

”

THE METRO

The Hudson Collection

POPLAR

WEST INDIA QUAYS

The Madison, a breathtaking 53 storey residential landmark tower, is proud to announce the release of its new Hudson Collection from levels 30 to 51.

CANARY WHARF CANARY WHARF

CANARY WHARF

THE MADISON

HERON QUAYS

Reaching up to the 51st ﬂoor, the apartments of the Hudson Collection will offer breathtaking views across Canary Wharf, the River Thames and the O2.

PRICES FROM THE 33RD FLOOR START FROM £573,000 * MARKETING SUITE & SHOW APARTMENT NOW OPEN 223 MARSH WALL E14 9FJ CALL +44 (0)20 7205 4415 THEMADISON.CO.UK

Computer generated images are indicative only. *Correct at time of print.

Sent by Sectorlight:

Job Number: 1606399

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Experience the private residents’ Highline Club on the 16th ﬂoor, with its beautifully appointed lounge bar, ﬁrst-class gym, high-tech meeting area and screening room, complemented by an elegant spa and pool.

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Walking from Canary Wharf to The Madison and Marketing Suite (9mins)

ENTERPRISE PROPERTY GROUP

LUXURY VILLAGE LIVING WITHIN REACH OF THE CITY

ROSE LANE

An award-winning collection of spectacular homes in a delightful setting.

GREAT CHESTERFORD SAFFRON WALDEN CB10 1PN

HERITAGE EPGL.CO.UK

• • • • •

Excellent contemporary specification 10 minute walk to Great Chesterford station 1 hour, 10 minutes to London Liverpool Street 15 minutes to Cambridge Easy access to M11 and A11

Prices from £1,995,000

Get in touch to book a private viewing.

01279 213340 knightfrank.co.uk

01223 347000 savills.co.uk

INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO A TASTE OF THE GOOD LIFE This month’s investment opportunities present the ultimate in luxury living, from five-star services on the Strand to exquisite interior design in Hackney and spacious five-bedroom properties in Essex

CARPENTERS WHARF Easily the coolest part of London, Hackney Wick has been subject to major redevelopment in the past 10 years, allowing the area to emerge as one of the city’s most vibrant and artistic communities. Carpenters Wharf is the locale’s newest addition: a development by Anderson that comprises a distinctive collection of one-, twoand three-bedroom apartments designed by Studio Egret West. Located on the northern tip of Fish Island, the apartments have been fitted with the very finest materials, including quartz stone worktops and oak flooring. High specification fixtures include Smeg integrated kitchen appliances, chrome LED lighting and underfloor heating throughout. Residents can also benefit from

Located on the northern tip of Fish Island, the apartments have been fitted with the very finest materials the use of a communal rooftop garden, offering amazing views towards the canal and Queen Elizabeth Park. Carpenters Wharf is ideally positioned to benefit from a vast range of amenities; from the creative and cultural hub of Hackney Wick, to the sport and leisure facilities at the Olympic Park and the retail and technological epicentre of Stratford. Residents will also be able to benefit from access to Crossrail from 2018 at Stratford station. From £415,000 for a one-bedroom apartment Carpenters Wharf, E3 020 7519 5900 cbreresidential.com

ROSE LANE Looking for idyllic rural living but within an easy commutable distance to London? Look no further, as Enterprise Property Group Limited presents The Rose Lane quartet in Great Chesterford. These homes, which won the prestigious award for Best International Residential Development in the International Property Awards 2015-2016, benefit from a vibrant village location, with amenities including an excellent primary school and two pubs. The development is a 10-minute walk to the station that is on the main line between London, Cambridge and Norwich, putting Liverpool Street just over an hour away. The spacious detached five-bedroom homes (ranging from 4,880 to 6,255 sq ft) have landscaped gardens, energy-saving features, including solar panels and thermal insulation, along with modern features such as bifold doors and underfloor heating throughout the ground floors and balconies. The kitchens are equipped with high-quality appliances including wine coolers, Quooker taps and integrated coffee machines. From £1,995,000 Rose Lane, CB10 01223 835995 epgl.co.uk/development-rose-lane

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190 STRAND Most of us dream of living in a five-star hotel, complete with all of the luxury trappings that such a residence affords. Fortunately, 190 Strand is now offering such an opportunity to prospective buyers, with a design that has been influenced by the glamour and grandeur of nearby hotels such as The Savoy and Waldorf Astoria, complete with all the modern amenities an urban dweller requires. Comprising 206 new homes, the property offers residents the height of luxury living, with a dedicated concierge on hand to cater to their every whim – from organising theatre tickets to sourcing domestic staff – and a valet parking service for the basement car park. Elevating quality service to the next level, the property even offers residents access to a mobile app, where they can keep on top of their schedules, book spa treatments, track parcels or pay service charges.

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The leisure facilities rival those seen in London’s finest hotels, and include swimming and vitality pools, sauna and steam rooms, spa rooms and a relaxation suite all exclusively for residents’ use. Residents at 190 Strand will also have access to a fully equipped business suite, virtual golf and cinema all on site. This is luxury living as you’ve never seen it before. The development is very well connected, with the Bank of England just ten minutes away and Bond Street under 15 minutes by train, while Temple and Charing Cross Undergound stations are within a few minutes’ walk. From £2,440,000 190 Strand, WC2R 020 3051 1022 190strand.co.uk

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BRAND NEW RELEASE We have now released a fantastic range of 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments and a stylish collection of überhaus at London’s favourite village.

Prices from £399,995 With mortgage rates currently at an all time low, it makes perfect sense to buy your own home. AND with London Help to Buy* only a 5% deposit is required. *London Help to Buy is available on selected plots only and is subject to terms and conditions. Please ask a Sales Consultant for more details. Prices and information correct at time of going to print. October 2016.

020 8305 2712 www.gmv.london The Village Square, West Parkside, London SE10 0BD Marketing Suite and Show Apartments open daily 10am-5pm Greenwich Millennium Village is a joint venture between Countryside and Taylor Wimpey in association with the Mayor of London.

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22/09/2016 17:55

PICTURE YOUR HOME P I C T U R E

M A R Y L E B O N E

If you can picture living in a luxurious, beautifully appointed apartment at The Chilterns, on Chiltern Street in the heart of Marylebone Village, you’ll understand why there are only three apartments remaining. After all, you’re only moments from boutiques, galleries and world-class dining; in addition, you’re minutes from Mayfair and the Regent’s Park - and within The Chilterns itself, you have your own private art gallery, five-star concierge, spa, gym and cinema. So discover The Chilterns – and picture yourself living the perfect luxury life in Marylebone.

thechilternsw1.com

For more information about The Chilterns or to arrange a private appointment, please contact Oksana d’Offay on +44 (0)20 3409 6315 or email oksana@thechilternsw1.com

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External computer generated image depicts London Square Chigwell Village and is indicative only. Details are correct at time of going to press, September 2016.

Launching Saturday 1st October 11am - 4pm Stunning new Show Home opening on the day

Set around a landscaped central park, 4 & 5 bedroom family homes in a beautiful gated development

To arrange an appointment please call 0333 666 0103 The Sales Suite and Show Home, Chigwell Grange, High Road, Chigwell, Essex IG7 6BF

0333 666 0103

www.londonsquare.co.uk

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: LAUREN IRELAND, BERKELEY HOMES Whether they are to be found towering within the city skyline, or nestling among the wetlands of a nature reserve, Lauren Ireland at Berkeley Homes has a property to suit everyone

aving been at Savills for 11 years, Lauren Ireland has recently moved over to Berkeley Homes as its regional sales manager for northeast London. “I was approached by other companies,” says Lauren, “and I was intrigued about working on the client side, but to leave a company like Savills, I knew it would have to be to go somewhere really good. Then I was approached by the best. It was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.” We meet in Aldgate, at Goodmans Field, a Berkeley Homes development Lauren oversees. With beautiful luxury apartments, easy access to the City and the buzz of Shoreditch close by, it’s a property of which Lauren is proud. “Both Goodmans Field and Woodberry Down [another Berkeley site she oversees] achieved 99.5 per cent in the In House Awards for customer satisfaction,” she says. One thing Lauren was particularly attracted to at Berkeley was the company’s focus on improvement and regeneration. “We don’t just buy and sell. Rather, the company is truly a place maker, aiming to enhance local communities and improve existing areas, enhancing the quality of life for residents without disrupting the natural environment.” Take Woodberry Down: the Wetlands have been developed with such a focus on the local ecosystem that Sir David Attenborough has come out in support of the project. Within the development, there are plenty of extras for those opting for a Berkeley property. Residents enjoy luxury facilities such as a gym, pool and spa, as well as a 24-hour concierge. Berkeley Homes is doing brilliantly. “We’re looking at new sites – though I can’t say where yet.” Lauren is clear that the market is doing well, as people continue to want to invest in quality property. Lauren’s favourite part of the role? “I get to work across a project right from the beginning, at the land feasability stage, through to delivery. Opinions really matter.” For Lauren and the rest of the Berkeley team, the rest of 2016 and beyond certainly looks bright. Berkeley Homes 020 7977 9100 berkeleygroup.co.uk

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WOODBERRY DOWN, N4

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GOODMANS FIELDS, ALDGATE, E1

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DEVELOPMENT SHOWCASE Woodberry Down, Berkeley Homes, Finsbury Park Berkeley Homes has unveiled the final collection of three-bedroom apartments in the Skyline tower at Woodberry Down. Home to the Woodberry Wetlands Centre, Woodberry Down is also a stoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s throw from the rest of the capital, offering the best of city living and rural tranquility

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s one of London’s hidden gems, Woodberry Down is unrivalled when it comes to views, and there is no better vantage point than from the 30-storey Skyline tower, which occupies the heart of Berkeley’s landmark Finsbury Park development. Situated on the banks of the New River, overlooking the two Stoke Newington Reservoirs and the Woodberry Wetlands Centre – which was opened by Sir David Attenborough earlier this year – Skyline is immersed in a picturesque rural setting juxtaposed against London’s cityscape.

Chic interiors, designed by the esteemed Manser Practice, come in two premium styles – Solar and Lunar – for a sleek finish and an aspirational yet comfortable home. Award-winning architect practice, Rolfe Judd, set a new benchmark in style and architecture with Skyline, designing a residential hub that offers the best of London living for residents. In addition to the private luxury of their own apartment, Skyline’s residents will have direct access to a lounge area, stateof-the-art gym, swimming pool, Jacuzzi

villages of Finsbury Park, Stoke Newington and Islington, with their boutiques, independent coffee shops, pop-up restaurants and farmers’ markets, are a stone’s throw away. Three-bedroom apartments within Skyline at Woodberry Down start at £945,000. For more information and prices please contact the marketing suite on 020 8985 9918 or visit woodberry-down.co.uk

Skyline’s residents will have direct access to a lounge area, state-of-the-art gym, swimming pool, Jacuzzi and spa facilities As a new addition to Woodberry Down this autumn, Skyline will unveil an exclusive collection of three-bedroom apartments, each designed to offer intelligent, flexible living space that facilitates and enhances contemporary lifestyles. Generously proportioned master bedrooms and most second bedrooms benefit from an en suite bathroom, while kitchen and utility areas enjoy luxuries such as coffee machines and wine coolers.

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and spa facilities, which are located on the building’s ground floor. An onsite, 24-hour concierge is also present for convenience and peace of mind. As the optimum balance of city living and rural tranquillity, Woodberry Down boasts a Zone 2 location in a country setting, offering links into central London on the Piccadilly Line in under 20 minutes. For leisure and cultural opportunities closer to home, the sought-after urban

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Escape Escapefrom fromthe theCity City Reserve ReserveToday, Today,Move MoveInInThis ThisYear Year

* * Surrounded Surrounded byby anan exhilarating exhilarating natural natural waterside waterside environment environment and and just just 1515 minutes minutes from from thethe City, City, Woodberry Woodberry Down Down is the is the perfect perfect place place to to appreciate appreciate anan unrivalled unrivalled living living experience experience in in London. London. A thriving A thriving community community and and anan abundance abundance of of amenities amenities setset alongside alongside 4242 acres acres of of open open water water areare complimented complimented byby luxurious luxurious apartment apartment finishes finishes and and 5 star 5 star facilities. facilities.

3 bedroom 3 bedroom apartments apartments and and penthouses penthouses are are available available now now Prices Prices from from £945,000 £945,000 Call Call 020 020 3504 3504 4661 4661 toto book book anan appointment appointment oror email email woodberry.down@berkeleygroup.co.uk woodberry.down@berkeleygroup.co.uk Sales Sales & Marketing & Marketing Suite Suite open open daily daily 10.00am 10.00am – 6.00pm. – 6.00pm. Riverside Riverside Apartments, Apartments, Woodberry Woodberry Grove, Grove, London London N4 N4 2SB 2SB Prices Prices and and details details correct correct at time at time of going of going to press to press and and subject subject to availability. to availability. Computer Computer generated generated images images of Showhome of Showhome are indicative are indicative only.only. Photography Photography depicts depicts lifestyle lifestyle at Woodberry at Woodberry Down Down and and is indicative is indicative only.only. *www.tfl.gov.uk *www.tfl.gov.uk

www.woodberry-down.co.uk www.woodberry-down.co.uk Proud Proud to betoa be member a member of the ofBerkeley the Berkeley Group Group of companies of companies

Decadence Defined

Crafted to showcase complexity and depth, Rare Cask is drawn from the broadest spectrum of casks, 16 different types, ever identified by the Master Whisky Maker. Far less than 1% of those casks maturing at the distillery have been identified as fitting to bestow the Rare Cask name. With rarity at its core, this is a whisky crafted from casks so rare they will never again be used in any Macallan whisky. Combining Spanish and American sherry seasoned oak casks, a high proportion of them first fill, gives rise to an exquisite whisky with a splendidly rich hue, and an unmistakable woody whisky. This is a single malt which captures a true decadence; its creation goes beyond any other Macallan whisky and its rarity is absolute. It is a single malt of such diversity and intricacy it challenges the very conventions of whisky creation.

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N P LE A S E V I S I T T H EM ACA LLA N . CO M PLEASE SAVOUR RESPONSIBLY