Rational People Making Irrational Buildings
Is bad design making our cities soulless? Thomas Heatherwick investigates the ‘blandemic’ – and how we might build beauty, craft and joy back into urban life.
Designer Thomas Heatherwick returns with a bold proposition - it's time to cure the ‘blandemic’.
This series isn't just about what's gone wrong - it's about how we fix the modern scourge of soulless urban landscapes.
Thomas explores how rethinking building design, reviving craftsmanship and reigniting public passion can transform our cities to bring us together and inject joy into our cities. It's not just an architectural challenge - Thomas argues it’s a cultural movement.
In this first episode, he asks why so much of our urban landscape feels like it was designed by a spreadsheet. Is it architects clinging to outdated dogmas, developers chasing profit, or politicians with no vision?
Producer: Anouk Millet
Series Producer: Nadia Mehdi
Mix Engineer: Will Fitzpatrick
A Tempo+Talker production for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4
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Broadcast
- Mon 18 Aug 2025 09:30ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4