Chair of the RIBA Board of Trustees Jack Pringle of Studio Pringle calls on MPs and Lords to save £25 billion of taxpayers’ money by vacating the Palace of Westminster while its being refurbished and upgraded, and finding alternative premises in Vauxhall, the City or Canary Wharf.
What brings you to MIPM? How long have you been coming? And how has it changed over the years?
I have been coming to MIPIM since the mid 90s, first for Pringle Brandon, then for Perkins and Will and latterly for RIBA. Initially it seemed quite pioneering and fairly rough. The London stand was in the basement bunker; there was no UK stand and only a few other towns were represented. It’s now quite sophisticated and it’s interesting to see how the fortunes of cities wax and wane. Before Brexit, London, with its huge seafront marquee, was the dominant stand but recently London has shrunk and Paris has tripled in size. Food for thought?
What does RIBA achieve by having a presence at MIPIM?
RIBA has two ‘missions’, first to represent our practices, and secondly for the Institute to participate in many of the conference’s fora. It seems to work pretty well, our practices get representation and we get a platform in key debates.
What does Can we talk about your response to the publication of the costed proposals for the Palace of Westminster restoration and renewal works? You’ve made the case that moving MPs to temporary premises for the duration of the project would save £25 billion and 40 years. So why do you think MPs are so keen to stay put? Is it just general inertia/laziness/fear of change or are there more significant issues at play?
I think that MPs and Lords may not have understood the sheer scale of what is needed, and understandably want to stay in the prestigious and historic Palace of Westminster. Staying in residence for an expensive refurbishment over sixty years would be risky, miserable and a huge waste of taxpayers’ money. Those that have builders in their homes for major works will understand. It would be purgatory – even if everything went right, which it won’t.
I don’t think they should camp in the North Estate, which is the proposal. It’s not ready, not suitable and not big enough. They should take a lease on a new tower. Vauxhall, City or Canary Wharf could supply a site. I imagine about 60k sq. m might do it with a couple of double height floors for chambers and state rooms. They would all be together in grade A space, not disaggregated in a rag bag of a campus. It will be cheaper, accessible, more efficient and more secure. I guarantee that after initial reluctance, following a decade of modern working, they will return to the Palace of Westminster with mixed feelings.
It’s gone well. We have taken newly renovated space on one floor at the BMA, near Euston. It’s easy to get to, we are all in it together, which is really good, and the facilities all work well. Within a few meters of my office, I have the President, the CEO and all the departments of RIBA, so it’s great for collaboration and getting things done. What we don’t have are the big committee rooms, the lecture theatre and the Florence hall, so we are having to hire those elsewhere. It’s also a good excuse to get out of London to the regions. Naturally, we are losing some income from Portland Place, so there is a bit of belt tightening for the duration. No bad thing.
