Communication and consultation play an important role in Will Alsop's design practice, from discussions with students and collaborations with artists to lectures and brain-storming sessions with city planners and developers. What results is a concern to improve the social infrastructure of the world's cities, and a continuing exploration of formal, functional, social and behavioural issues. In keeping with these concerns and his desire to create buildings 'that offer a richer experience to both the user and the visitor', Alsop focuses his talk on the role of the public in the creation of architecture. On graduating from the AA, Will Alsop spent several formative years in the office of Cedric Price before setting up his own practice in 1979. He formed partnerships with John Lyall in 1981 and with the German architect Jan Stormer in 1989 - a move which strengthened the close links with Europe that Alsop had forged through collaborative work with Jean Nouvel and others. His work has been the subject of numerous publications.