Coffee in the Square

ESADE CREAPOLIS The New Generation Shared Workspace

I received an email from a friend of mine who is a whizz economist called Elizabet Juan Tressera. She says;

"Let me drop a line to communicate that I have recently joined the ESADECREAPOLIS team in Barcelona as Innovation Lead. ESADECREAPOLIS is a pioneer business park with spaces for firms that want to work under an open & cross innovation philosophy. My mission is to facilitate fruitful interactions amongst companies by developing services, activities and events as well as liaising with them to external networks & partners. 

It is a big challenge that I face with great energy. And I have the great pleasure of being back in my hometown after many years working abroad. [Elizabet is an alumni of the ESADA business school.]

I hope that we'll keep in touch personally and professionally. Do not hesitate to contact me if you feel there are synergies or potential collaborations and you are very welcome if you want to pay a visit."

So of course I immediately paid a web visit to www.esadecreapolis.com which I can report looks very interesting.

It is not built yet so the images are a bit fuzzy still, but the idea of linking a business centre with a business school is brilliant and the ethos of sharing innovation is I'm sure the way to go.  However its a very easy idea to copy (I'm already working out how we can have one in WHitehill Bordon!) so the secret of success will be in the execution.

Good luck Elizabet!

This makes me mad!

I have decided to include a selection of outrages, rather like Architectural review used to do.  And for my first victim I have chosen HSBC bank for their cranky new interiors.
Why does a bank need to look like a disco?  Spangly lights and low levels, a dance floor and carpeted areas.  When you enter all you see is an array of machines that remind me of the soulless slot machines of Vegas. The human tellers are tucked inconspicuously around the corner. I know what they were thinking. Get rid of expensive staff and get the feel of the street - a most overused world in interior design.  The only place for a streetscene is in Disney Land or in a REAL STREET!  Interestingly when I went in and sneaked this photo all the people at the machines were bank staff, trying to make the machines work. Please send me your outrages and I will give them blogspace.

This is what HSBC's 2006 annual report says "HSBC Bank plc aligns its strategy closely to the HSBC Group’s strategic vision to be the world’s
leading financial services company, where leading means the HSBC brand is preferred to others. In working towards delivery of the vision, the bank has developed strategic initiatives for each of its customer groups. The bank’s priorities are to improve the customer experience, (continuing to develop the FSA principles of ‘Treating Customers Fairly’), to invest in developing HSBC’s brand and
encourage all staff to live HSBC’s brand values in their day-to-day activities, and to improve staff
engagement. The bank also focuses on investing in delivery platforms and technology, improving the customer experience, enhancing work practices and taking advantage of HSBC’s global reach."

Lets hear it for the Beeb!

Last night we wandered into the lobby of Broadcasting House on the way from the pub to Pizza Express.  Paul - down from Warrington - wanted to see inside.  Now I don't know how many national broadcasting stations you can actually get into - but at 9.30 on a wet evening the staff were really welcoming and didn't try to shoo us out. 
Broadcasting House is an excellent building and the lobby, which has been recently done up is a tribute to 30's architecture. There is an Eric Gill sculpture above the desk entitled Sower, a man broadcasting seed. There is an inscription below - "Deus incrementum dat" (God giveth the increase, Corinthians, Chapter 3, verse 7).  That's a great motto for broadcasting - remembering that we are not masters of the success of our broadcasting outputs.  The idea that the BBC might become a focus for activity was part of the original re-design.  A new "square" is being constructed which is supposed to have cafes and an exhibition, as well as the BBC bookshops, but I wonder whether it will happen. (Security is paramount in London these days) There is also the minor point that the "Square" on the right in the photo, will be overshadowed by the original building putting it in shade most of the day.

© Janet Hall/RIBA Library Photographs Collection

Chelmsford - Is this all there is?

Chelmsford - Essex

-

UK

A lovely sunny day and we just need to stop somewhere on the A12 for a late breakfast coffee.  So we stop at the Wild Bean Cafe at the BP petrol station there.  As petrol stations go this one is not the worst.  In an effort to increase the all important market share petrol stations have been vying with one another to increase the quantity of goods on sale. This one sells food, papers and mags, flowers, coal, car accessories and has a little café – where the coffee is OK. And my husband

Mike

would also like to vouch for the general yumminess of the biscuits.

However I would like to ask the question; “Why can’t these service stations be better designed?”  And who decides on the use of space?  There was a lot of unexciting grass verge. But would it be so expensive to create a small eating out area?  Could there not be some better landscaping?  In the end we had to drink our coffee sitting in the front seat of the car?  Couldn’t the loos be nicer – just a bit brighter and a bit cleaner?  I’m sure they would sell more if the place was more attractive to linger in.  And lastly why is the station not linked by cycle and pedestrian routes back into the town? Don’t locals need car accessories too?

When we were in

Finland

we noticed that in the lonely north, where settlements are very sparse and spread out that the gas station had become the centre of the community.  People would walk there to get their daily papers.  The café was full of happy locals and they sold souvenirs of the region as well.  (They do this in

France

too by the way)  But the main difference was that the place was clean and well landscaped and looked distinctive.

I suspect that it has something to do with our high wages.  If  someone from BP or the Wild Bean would like to comment that would be great…and if you have been to an exceptionally good petrol station recently do tell all.

http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=2012968&contentId=2001318