The colour and the shapes

The death of Will Alsop after a short illness robs the world of architecture of one of its most dynamic characters: an idealistic dreamer who thought big and bold, loved colour and form and resolutely opposed dreary functionalism. Working on a book about him a few years ago was an absolute pleasure, instrumental in inspiring my burgeoning interest in architecture.

Sure, most of Alsop's visions were faintly outlandish, many were unbuilt and some of those that were proved to be expensive follies. But, as this feature by the Guardian's Oliver Wainwright suggests, his positive philosophy - grounded in a mischievous spirit of fun and an unshakeable conviction that architects should dedicate themselves to making cities happier places for people to live and work - is one for which he should be celebrated.