I had delayed going to see the place while it was under construction. I wanted to wait until its final form was becoming apparent, when perhaps I could peer through the fog of politics and see it for itself. When the moment came, I approached it with some trepidation.

I had championed Miralles in print at the time of the competition, was delighted when he won, and was fully prepared for the job to become nightmarish - because great public projects of this kind in Britain always do. It's almost a law of nature. Even the death of the architect did not necessarily mean the death of the dream. Firstly his widow and partner Benedetta Tagliabue remained on board, and anyway, remember Sydney: the opera house's architect Jorn Utzon was sacked from the job in 1966, took no further part in its design and building, and had to watch it being adapted and finished by others. The concept there was strong enough to survive.

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