‘Nobody believes them any more’… HOK’s Daniel Hajjar considers what is wrong with UK politics and planning

By Tom Lowe2023-12-11T07:00:00

After 20 years in the Middle East, Daniel Hajjar moved to the UK, where, eight years on, he finds the political ‘flakiness’ of the country has made it an infuriating place to build. Thomas Lowe reports

It’s 3pm on a Friday afternoon and HOK’s Fitzrovia office is nearly deserted. In the distance, a sole staff member taps away on a computer surrounded by empty chairs. Lights are already dimmed in many of the office rooms, a fairly typical scene in the capital these days. Building Design awkwardly surveys a model of HOK’s design for Barcelona FC’s new Palau Blaugrana Arena as a receptionist looks on.

…

Already registered? Login here

To continue enjoying Building.co.uk, sign up for free guest access

Existing subscriber? LOGIN

Stay at the forefront of thought leadership with news and analysis from award-winning journalists. Enjoy company features, CEO interviews, architectural reviews, technical project know-how and the latest innovations.

Limited access to building.co.uk
Breaking industry news as it happens
Breaking, daily and weekly e-newsletters

Get your free guest access SIGN UP TODAY

Subscribe now for unlimited access

Subscribe to Building today and you will benefit from:

Unlimited access to all stories including expert analysis and comment from industry leaders
Our league tables, cost models and economics data
Our online archive of over 10,000 articles
Building magazine digital editions
Building magazine print editions
Printed/digital supplements

Subscribe now for unlimited access.

View our subscription options and join our community