Herne Hill Plans Unveiled

so is the proposal for HH a style exercise/vanity project for an architect?

would be interested in the building costs between the proposed Herne Hill and this:

It would certainly be more expensive. I have to say I like the idea of purely functional buildings, but there are so many outside influences here. I'm fairly sure HH is in a conservation area, HH has a history as an olympic velodrome the planners won't accept something purely functional. Southwark planning department are also much more difficult to deal with than Redbridge etc.

Overall though, this building is hardly architecturally whimsical. I think it looks a little old fashioned, something that would have been designed in 1997. I doubt Hopkins are using this as a vanity project.