Looks like things are getting stirred up this week of David Chipperfield winning the Stirling Prize. The Times has a feature whose title gets right to the point: "The Shame of British Architecture." In it, it asks the thought that we had the day we learned of the finalists: weird that none of these buildings are in the UK. The author of the piece Tom Dyckhoff takes on the current state of affairs in the country, where its super famous architects aren't building anything in any way locally, and even Chipperfield comes in with some damning commentary as well:

"Britain gets the architecture it deserves. We don't value architecture, we don't take it seriously, we don't want to pay for it and the architect isn't trusted." Not an ambience conducive to architectural excellence, nor one easily changed. It is rooted, Chipperfield thinks, as deep as British political-economic culture. "We are a country that values money and individualism. Architecture becomes glorified property development, not valued culture. Ten storeys? Try for 20. Squeeze in more bedrooms. That's British architecture" -- especially since the Scottish Parliament and Wembley Stadium debacles.

Yowch. But later, it gets worse, as Dyckhoff turns the tables and goes directly after Chipperfield. It's a fun read. Lots of viciousness.