Before walking The Line again yesterday, I thought I should explore North Greenwich a bit, not least because last time I had failed to identify the location of the so-called Design District, even though it is signalled in large graphics, close to the tube stop:-

In theory, the area ought to be interesting – a showcase for new architecture and ideas after the whole area was decontaminated at public expense as part of the preparations for the Dome. It has the new building for Ravensbourne University, done by Foreign Office Architects in 2009:-

But, in practice, the area still seems a bit of a mess – lots of gigantic car parks, an ambitious walkway, some good buildings, a hideous Damien Hirst statue, and absolutely no sense of a masterplan, no sense of density or complexity or street life. It is as if architects and developers pay no attention to urban theory and just go on designing over-elaborate sheds with no understanding as to how these buildings might be integrated into a proper and successful overall urban environment:-