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Episode details

Radio 4,18 Aug 2025,28 mins

SeriesSeries 2

Rational People Making Irrational Buildings

Building Soul: with Thomas Heatherwick

Available for over a year

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 Is it architects clinging to outdated dogmas, developers chasing profit, or politicians with no vision?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 BBC Radio 4

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