Forget Sydney, it’s the construction Olympics

Battersea changeovers power into record books

Ready … set … GO!

“And John Broome is off to a flying start … John Broome of Alton Towers, Thatcher’s favourite, well on his way to turning Battersea Power Station into a theme park. And he’s dropped it! He’s run out of money!

“But here comes Parkview of Hong Kong. Parkview picks up the baton, with Fitzroy Robinson in support. No, correction, it’s Portman & Partners of the USA in support, or is it Arup Associates? Yes, it’s Parkview with Arup Associates, tearing along the back straight, looking unstoppable.

“But what’s this? Dear dear, Arup has dropped out, and Parkview is looking around for alternative support … it’s John Outram! Here comes Outram! He doesn’t look happy, though, not his usual self. He’s muttering something about having to ‘recreate Las Vegas’ … and he’s walked off! Amazing!

“But a fresh bunch of consultants is now in the running and Parkview still looks unstoppable. It’s hard to tell from here but it looks as if MacCormac Jamieson Prichard … yes, it’s MJP, and they’ve put that Vegas nonsense behind them … or have they? Isn’t that US theme-meister Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo tagging along with them? But what’s the matter with Parkview? Parkview has stopped, it’s talking to Berkeley Group, and MJP doesn’t look happy … no, MJP has been ordered off the track.

“It doesn’t make any sense … but now Parkview is up and running again, and … Grimshaw! It’s Grimshaw! And not just Grimshaw … Arup Associates is back in there as well, and that looks like Benoy of the USA, and Geoffrey Reid Associates, and Scotland’s Benson & Forsyth … it’s a multinational team, and they’re crossing the line together! They’ve done it! That must be a record …”