Ole Bouman

Pitted against the British Library, the American Air Museum won Norman Foster the Stirling Prize.

BABEL INDEX BRITISH LIBRARY LONDON

The search is on for the winner of the James Stirling prize and a new award in memory of Stephen Lawrence is announced. By Nonie Niesewand

John Burke, 39, is captain of the OU's current University Challenge team which achieved a runaway victory in the first round of the competition with 350 points. A part-time postman, John was invited to join Mensa at the age of six (but never did) and was a semi-finalist on TV's Mastermind six years ago. He' has recently completed a Diploma in European Humanities with the Open University and is now studying for a BA.

The new Royal Opera House opens in 1999. Over budget and overly- criticised, it is a state-of-the- art lyric theatre. But will it have a company to perform in it?

THE SUBURBAN planners of Hampstead are to curb the extravagances of the super-rich by strictly controlling the design of new multi-million- pound homes built on one of Britain's most famous streets.

The Architectural Foundation is using installation art to kick- start a debate in Britain's poorest borough.

When a new exhibition at the Hayward on the relationship between art and fashion needed a designer, an architect who wears Manolo stilettos and Miyake pleats was the obvious choice.

Nonie Niesewand steals a few trade secrets from leading-edge designers and architects

Charles Darwent seizes a rare chance to step inside the London Ark

Minimalist architects love the smooth, sculpted effect of reinforced concrete. But only until it starts to crumble and decay.

In the National Maritime Museum, a boat is becoming part of the building.

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