I'm back in London after completing the European leg of judging the Stirling, and it is safe to say that the jury is confused. The eclectic list of buildings has started a conversation about the very foundations of what the prize is for, and what architecture is for.
How can we judge the success of a building, like David Chipperfield's Valencia building, that was built especially for a yacht race? The Americas Cup has come and gone, and the building we saw was almost deserted and in an encroaching state of disrepair. But it has fulfilled its function as a spectacular spot to drink, entertain and watch the boats going out and coming back in again.
Click here to view gallery.
Or how to judge the success of Porto's Casa da Musica concert hall by Rem Koolhaas, a building so clearly unconcerned with its context and yet thrillingly complex and inventive inside?
These conversations rumbled on as we wandered around the two Iberian buildings. We were all amazed at the 11 month period that Chipperfield had to design and build the Valencia project, and equally impressed with his pragmatism, especially after the retentive detailing of the Museum of Modern Literature in Marbach.
Ellen van Loon of OMA guided us around the Casa da Musica, which is a material riot - exquisite concrete, steel floors, Maarten van Severen-designed seating, wavy glass walls, even lift interiors made entirely from bronze. Many of the judges were seduced.
We dined in Porto in a pavement restaurant; fresh sardines and turbot on a sizzling barbecue with vinho verde to wash it down. It was a delightful evening, and the one moment when the intense discussions had a pause for bigger questions, Sunand told us the best London restaurants for Indian food, Alain asked questions about the movements of heavenly bodies, and the evening disappeared in a haze.
Kieran Long, September 11th, 2007
