JERSEY has been praised by a top international architect for its mix of old and new buildings.

Sunand Prasad, president of the Royal Institute of British Architects, congratulated the Island’s architects for creating modern buildings with a link to the past.

He was speaking at the opening of Architecture Week in the Weighbridge Square yesterday to mark the start of a week-long programme of talks, seminars and debates on the theme of Keeping Jersey Special. The Bailiff, Sir Philip Bailhache, opened the exhibition. It is a large walkthrough timber structure housing a number of pro-jects designed by local architects.

Mr Prasad reminded the 200 people present how important it was to recall that architecture was ultimately about people and what they wanted. ‘I have the chance to go around the world and I notice very much that you either get a place where people are hanging on to heritage or abandoning it. I recently got back from the Beijing Olympics, and in China they are completely erasing years of history. Congratulations, Jersey, for mixing the two. There are many buildings of modern style but with layers of history.’