A fitting architectural failure
Another month, another architectural disaster. This time it’s not a building but the memorial fountain in Hyde Park for Diana, Princess of Wales. The Guardian reports that the Commons public accounts committee found a string of management failures on the part of the beauraucrats managing the process, right from inception, though construction and on to maintenance. They found budget overruns of millions, a lack of management oversight, a lack of accountability, and significant on-going costs. They questioned the benefit and noted that resources were subsequently diverted from other public works to pay for this one.
And yet according to the paper
The Department for Culture defended the fountain as a “fitting tribute” to Diana
No doubt because she was similarly high-maintenance with minimal public benefit.
