Developer reported to be set to drop designs in wake of Prince Charles' criticism
Designs by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners for the redevelopment of Chelsea Barracks are set to be dropped by the developers, according to media reports.
The Sunday Times reported this weekend that the plans for the development by Qatari Diar are 鈥渄ead in the water鈥� and will be withdrawn next month.
A source close to Qatari Diar told the newspaper that the scheme was 鈥渘o longer on the table鈥� and could be replaced with a design that would reflect the traditional character of the area.
If true, the move would be seen as a victory for Prince Charles, who wrote to the developer criticising the Rogers scheme ahead of a speech at the RIBA earlier this month.
It would infuriate architects already highly critical of the Prince of Wales' intervention in the scheme. Architects such as Will Alsop, Zaha Hadid and Lord Foster urged the prince not to interfere with the workings of the UK's democratic planning system.
A spokesperson for Qatari Diar said that the current planning application had not been withdrawn, but that discussions over the scheme's designs were ongoing.
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