Foster\'s Trafalgar

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.