Bumblebee City Nesters by Fisher Tomlin
While London is happy to cram the tourist classes into teeming, derisory hotels, when it comes to the animal kingdom, we prefer to offer them a little luxury: this summer will see a number of five-star hotels for insects constructed around the City.
The quintet of arthropod accommodations are part of a competition called Beyond The Hive, organised by British Land and the City of London Corporation, aimed at "encouraging biodiversity" in the capital, which asked designers to conjure the ideal insect hotel. The five shortlisted entrants will be built in the coming weeks, and will be located at Bunhill Fields, West Smithfield, Postman’s Park, St Dunstan’s in the East and Cleary Garden. A winner will be chosen during the London Festival of Architecture.
London has a good track record in providing decent housing for its friends in the animal world: earlier this year we saw a Trellick Tower for the bees, while in 2007 the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square was occupied by an avian hotel. Pity we don't always treat the accommodation needs of our bipedal denizens with such care and attention.
See pictures of the full shortlist at Building Design (registration required)
