In July, popular London Mayor Ken Livingston will unveil the most
significant revision of Trafalgar Square since the Lutyens fountains
were installed in 1939. Our Ken had the right idea, since the new
setting for the National Gallery transforms Wilkins masterpiece.
And one unexpected by-product has been the proper marginalisation
of Venturi and Scott Brown’s Extension, which now reverts to being
more ‘post office than post-modern’ as the critics originally claimed.
Norman Foster’s mastery of the brief has brought many benefits through
clear and properly applied rationale. Even he is guarded about ‘total
pedestrianisation’ which this isn’t. But no fear, there is enough
going on in terms of theatre, both historic and incidental, in the
Square, at last.
