Hungary
New data from Hungary’s Central Statistics Office has revealed positive results from the country’s housing market with the number of building permits being exceptionally high in the fourth quarter. This suggests that local companies had not been affected by the global downturn. Other researchers found that developers that sell more than 10 homes a year had seen a drop in sales of nearly 40 per cent. But a Hungarian online financial site said figures showed the number of building permits had not ebbed in the last quarter of 2008, despite finance woes.
Mongolia
The first phase of a multimillion-pound wind project in Inner Mongolia by UK consultant Mott MacDonald has been finalized. The firm was working with Honiton Energy farms in Chinese territory. The first farm in the town of Bai Ling Maio has finished, with the second phase under construction. Mott MacDonald is providing construction supervision, civil engineering design and environmental guidance on the project as well as monitoring safety.
United Kingdom
Rafael Viñoly’s much-debated plans for a 250-metre high tower for Battersea Power Station have crumbled under opposition from the London mayor, Boris Johnson, according to Building Design. Scaled down plans, without the signature “eco-chimney”, were presented by Viñoly in person to Cabe’s design review panel after Johnson and his senior planning officials warned the architect and the developer, Treasury Holdings, that he would oppose the scheme because of its impact on the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey world heritage site. The removal of the centerpiece of the $8.9-billion regeneration project will come as much embarrassment to the New York-based architect and his developer, who consistently argued that the tower was an essential part of their proposal.
United States
New York is set to get its first water filtration plant. The $146-million (AUD) design by Grimshaw for Bronx’s Croton plant will treat 290 million gallons of water a day — up to 30 per cent of the city’s water supply. Grimshaw said the concept designs were influenced by the water lily: “A water lily catches rainwater as it falls, filters it for its own use, and returns the excess to the pond below. [The plant] replicates this process as closely as possible.”
Portugal
Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza was presented with the RIBA Gold Medal, the UK architecture body’s highest honour by the Queen last week at Buckingham Palace. Siza was then reported to have travelled to the RIBA headquarters for a celebratory dinner in his honour. The Queen personally approves the Royal Gold Medal, awarded for an architect’s lifetime work, each year. Siza is being awarded his in person to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the institute.
