Experts and stakeholders

George Ferguson, Architect and ex-President of the RIBA

“Smithfield is a wonderful, vibrant area with a lot of independent businesses and that great tradition of markets which still imbues the area with so much activity. London is full of villages and this is one of the grittiest and best.”

“The whole scale of the place gives the story of the market and if you start eating away at it you lose that story.”

“Where we make big mistakes is when we fight against the prevailing culture - the march of the City office blocks over Farringdon Road is a very dangerous march.”

“There is a crucial debate around complexity and simplicity. I think we all enjoy the sort of complexity we see here; the decoration, the variety of units and openings – all those things which make a good place, an interesting place. When we simplify we make places bland and dull and public life and street activity reduces in the process.”

“This place is all about people – it’s not about architecture per se but the architecture contributes to the people activity, the activity we all enjoy.”