A senior financier is suing for damages of £1 million in the high court for a floating home cinema project.
Philip Freeborn, head of banking at Tori Global, claims that the project in his £7 million home went badly wrong, leaving an “expensive white elephant” that only demolition and a complete rebuild can fix.
Mr Freeborn was supposedly “Inspired” by the architect’s vision and authorised a “sleek modernist cube” to house a home cinema, built in the roof space of his pool room.
The “architectural jewel” was designed and built by architect Daniel Marcal, who argues that every stage of the project was approved by the couple from design to creation, arguing that he followed the brief while working on an “ad-hoc” basis.
Thomas Odgen, who represents Mr Marcal said “The design evolved for various reasons and those changes were explained and approved.”
Robert Clay, Mr Freeborn’s barrister, told the high court that extra steel columns gave the project an “industrial feel”. He said that “The cinema is built out of alignment and does not fit in the space.”
“The architectural jewel which they thought they would obtain has turned out to be very different from their expectations.”
Judge Martin Bowdery QC will rule on the case at a later date.