Open letter signed by 400 architects warns of 鈥榙evastating鈥� consequences of leaving EU
Norman Foster and Richard Rogers have written to the prime minister warning that Brexit could be 鈥渄evastating鈥� for British architecture.
Along with 400 other leading names from the profession, they have signed an open letter arguing that Britain鈥檚 negotiations with the EU are ignoring the will of 48% of the people who voted to remain.
鈥淲e do not see within any of your negotiation with the EU any consideration whatsoever of the circumstances that we need for our industry and associated institutions to continue to thrive,鈥� it says.
It points out that the 鈥渟killed worker鈥� definition would exclude almost everyone who comes to the UK to work in architecture 鈥� but that the profession depends on overseas labour.
Other signatories include all 12 senior partners at RSHP, Alison Brooks, David Chipperfield, Patrick Lynch and former RIBA president Stephen Hodder, as well as Niall McLaughlin, and the founders of practices including Haworth Tompkins, AHMM, Walters & Cohen and Sergison Bates.
Several Stirling Prize winners and nominees are among the supporters of the letter which was initiated by Piers Taylor of Invisible Studio.
Earlier this month Mace chief executive Mark Reynolds said the government has completely ignored industry worries over access to labour once the UK leaves the EU next March.
And Gleeds chairman Richard Steer told business secretary Greg Clarke he and his Cabinet colleagues鈥� mismanagement of the negotiations was making the country a laughing stock. 鈥淚t is fair to say that for those outside of our country, looking in at the UK, in image management terms alone Brexit has not been our finest hour.鈥�
鈥楾here is no good Brexit鈥�
Dear Prime Minister
Architecture is an international industry where cooperation across borders is critical to the success of our practices. Much of our work is pan-European, and many of our staff are from the EU. Figures suggest that 1 in 5 architects in the UK are from the EU, and 1 in 3 in London. We thrive on this sense of being part of an international community and have 鈥� as a culture 鈥� benefitted immeasurably from the freedom of movement that has enabled many European architects to contribute to the enormous success that is British Architecture. We believe that without being members of the EU this success would not have been possible. We are concerned that unless we are members of the EU with the free movement of ideas and people that this brings, the culture within which we practise architecture in Britain will be immeasurably diminished. At present, under proposed immigration rules, your definition of a skilled worker excludes almost all of those who come here to work in our industry. For us, instead of being an opportunity, this is devastating.
We believe that there is no good Brexit. We also believe that the 48% of the votes cast in the last referendum have been ignored. When you talk of the 鈥渨ill of the people鈥� you are not taking into account that almost half of all votes cast were to remain, and polls show that in the period since the referendum many of those who voted leave have changed their minds. With this, we do not see within any of your negotiation with the EU any consideration whatsoever of the circumstances that we need for our industry and associated institutions to continue to thrive.
Yours faithfully
Richard Rogers 鈥� Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners
David Chipperfield 鈥� David Chipperfield Architects
Steve Tompkins - Haworth Tompkins
Niall McLaughlin - Niall McLaughlin Architects
Cindy Walters - Walters & Cohen
Peter St John - Caruso St John
Gianni Botsford - Gianni Botsford Architects
Koen Steemers - University of Cambridge
Stephen Bates - Sergison Bates
Paul Monaghan - Allford Hall Monaghan & Morris
Harriet Harriss - RCA
Sophy Twohig - Hopkins Architects
Robin Nicholson - Cullinan Studio
Graham Haworth - Haworth Tompkins
Bob Allies - Allies & Morrison
Gerard Maccreanor - Maccreanor Lavington
David Lloyd Jones - Herbert & Partners
Jeremy Till - Central St Martins - University of the Arts London
Jo Wright - Arup Associates
Simon Usher - MUMA
Dean Hawkes - University of Cambridge
Toby Johnson - Haworth Tompkins
Peter Oborn - Peter Oborn Associates
Robert Mull - Professor of Architecture, University of Brighton
Martin Gledhill - University of Bath
Glenn Howells - Glenn Howells
Roger Watts 鈥� Haworth Tompkins
Chris Fellner 鈥� Haworth Tompkins
Joe Kerr - Syracuse University
Hannah Durham - Cullinan Studio
Stephen Taylor - Stephen Taylor Architects
Dr Tom Holbrook 鈥� 5th Studio
Fionn Stevenson - University of Sheffield
Roddy Langmuir - Cullinan Studio
Russell Curtis - RCKa Architects
Simon Henley - Henley Halebrown
Piers Taylor - Invisible Studio
Alan Stanton - Stanton Williams
Andrew Grant - Grant Associates
Meredith Bowles - Mole Architects
Joe Morris - Morris & Co
Peter Clegg 鈥� Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios
David Howarth 鈥� DRDH Architects
Paul King 鈥� Sheffield Hallam University
Damian Field 鈥� Damian Field Architects
Joe Giddings 鈥� Architect
Nicola Du Pisanie - Stonewood Design
Jeremy Poulter 鈥� Jeremy Poulter Architects
Christopher Daniel 鈥� Polysemic
Anna Gibb 鈥� Anna Gibb Architects
Chris Boyce 鈥� Assorted Skills & Talents
Victoria Simpson 鈥� DLG Architects
Paul Testa 鈥� Paul Testa Architects
Barbara Kaucky 鈥� Erect Architecture
Susanne Tutsch 鈥� Erect Architecture
Fergus Feilden 鈥� Feilden Fowles
Stephen Hodder 鈥� Hodder Associates
Niall Maxwell 鈥� Rural Office for Architecture
Keith Williams 鈥� Keith Williams Architects
Tom McGlynn 鈥� Niall McLaughlin Architects
Marcus Adams 鈥� JTP Architects
Angus Morrogh-Ryan 鈥� De Matos Ryan Architects
William Haggard 鈥� Carver Haggard Architects
Rob Wells 鈥� BD Landscape Architects
Thomas Bryans 鈥� IF_DO Architects
David Ayre 鈥� Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt
Pete Swift 鈥� Planit-IE
Sasha Edmonds 鈥� LIV Architects
Magnus Strom 鈥� Strom Architects
Bob Ghosh 鈥� K4
Pierre Wassenaar 鈥� Architect
Madeleine Kessler 鈥� Haptic Architects
Gayle Appleyard 鈥� Gagarin Studio
Anna Gibb 鈥� Allies and Morrison
Tom Goldthorpe 鈥� Hodder & Partners
Nick Riley 鈥� Whittam & Cox Architects
Marc Dix 鈥� LT Studio
Nicky Robinson 鈥� LT Studio
Dinah Bornat 鈥� ZCD Studios
Cordula Weisser 鈥� ZCD Studios
Alison Brooks 鈥� Alison Brooks Architects
Anthony Thistleton-Smith 鈥� Waugh Thistleton
Andrew Waugh 鈥� Waugh Thistleton
Patrick Lynch 鈥� Lynch Architects
Claudia Lynch 鈥� Lynch Architects
Zara Bloomfield 鈥� Studio Bloom
Maria Prieto Moreno 鈥� PDP London
Harriet Bourne 鈥� BBUK
Roland Karthaus 鈥� Matter Architecture
Jay Morton 鈥� Bell Phillips
Robin Webster 鈥� Cameron Webster
Tim Bell 鈥� Bell Phillips
Barbara Weiss 鈥� Barbara Weiss Architects
Alex Wilford 鈥� Bell Phillips
Tom Ebdon 鈥� Head of School, Falmouth University
- This is just a selection of signatories - names are being added all the time via brexit@invisiblestudio.org
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