A Chinese heritage group has accused the architect Zaha Hadid of “destroying” Beijing’s old town after a futuristic new development created by her practice was honoured with a top award by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

The shortlist for the Stirling Prize is admirable, says Jay Merrick – it’s just a shame that designers of excellent but ordinary buildings are ignored

Managing director quits amid investigation into alleged failure to pay staff and creditors

These letters appear in the Monday 1st April edition of The Independent

Britain's airport heritage has been sadly neglected, says Chris Beanland, but in New York mid-century gems have been rescued for future generations

Government stands firm on prison votes

300,000 extra homes could be built in the UK every year without an extra penny of Government spending or debt, claims new report

The UK needs a threefold increase in the number of new homes to help end the “blight” of poor housing, a report has concluded.

Excellence is now the exception, say experts on jury panel for top architectural award

The Venice Biennale is the Olympics of architecture. But it's not just about the profession's heroes this year – those architects picked by the architectural grandee, Sir David Chipperfield, to exhibit in the vast Arsenale at the end of August. At the British Pavilion's concurrent Venice Takeaway exhibition, the great game of architecture will be about intelligent anarchy.

Today, Kevin McCloud and Alain de Botton are positively pink-cheeked with pride. Buildings commissioned by the prickle-quiffed Grand Designer and Britain's favourite philosopher have just won national awards from the Royal Institute of British Architects - and their projects could be shortlisted for the profession's Oscar, the Stirling Prize.

Iraqi-born architect Zaha Hadid, who recently complained about not being given a single ticket to watch the Olympic swimming in the Aquatics Centre she designed, will be able to content herself with a day out at the Palace.

We can be forgiven for feeling confused. One minute we're being encouraged by various television programmes that, among the old rubbish we keep in the attic, we may have items we can turn into cash. And the next minute, we are being advised to de-clutter our lives, or more specifically our houses.