Grand Design’s 100th episode
Clare Bakewell talks about the 100 Masterclasses in how to wear a jumper by Kevin McCloud
One hundred episodes in and Kevin appears to be going soft. The once heavily-critical McCloud whole-heartedly embraces the irrefutably crazy Lee and Graham who are embarking on the restoration and redesign of a central London water tower. With a build period of eight months, the construction site resembles a busy commuter tube. With sewage workers, plasterers and conservationists all working at the same time it’s a delicate jigsaw to bring the building together on time.
The six storey home-to-be incorporates a seventy foot lift shaft and promises to give the sort of panoramas of the London skyline one could only manage to equal should s/he live in the penthouse of the Shard. The insanely beautiful and dreamy vistas have the potential to make you dizzy with a sense of awe (not to mention vertigo). The finished article does not fail to leave a normally shock-proof Kevin nothing short of gasping.
A good reference to alpacas, a dodgy lift journey and a sumptuous six man bath plus his-and-his showers add slightly more light hearted touches to an otherwise whirlwind episode. Ambitious designs, limited money and finances quickly spiralling out of control, this landmark episode does not fail to disappoint and is indeed a very grand design.
