Buildings like 'Disneyland'

Buildings like 'Disneyland'

The Waterfront is criticised

A leading British architect has described many of Jersey's town buildings as like something from Disneyland.

John Rouse, chief executive of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, also thinks the design of the Waterfront cinema is boring and the whole development shows a lack of co-ordination.

He said: "The cinema on the Waterfront development could be anywhere - it has no bearing on the character of Jersey, and as a flagship development for the waterfront it really should be of the highest standard."

Mr Rouse was in the Island to talk to the Association of Jersey Architects.

Bad pastiche

He said St Helier had a good selection of buildings.

He said: "It's a bit of a chocolate box - there's some of the chocolates I like and some there's some that I would spit out.

"I don't like the horrible bits of bad pastiche that have been done in parts of the town centre.

"Buildings that are meant to be granite but are actually cheap render, that are trying to pretend they're part of the past but everyone can see they're like something from Disneyland.

"That's not the way to build good buildings."