Pushing the boat out

摘要

Is it a historic ship desecrated by a bustle of glass or reconditioned heritage brought to life as a visitor attraction that can pay its own way? There is something disconcerting about the heavily framed glass that encases the base of the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, London, and access requirements trump historic fabric so a hole is cut into the hull and the hatches filled with lifts and clunky stairs. And forget the timbers and sense of space inside: the hold deck is now an exhibition space.