It is good to see a debate about architecture and urbanism in these pages and Frank Gehry's new collection of buildings for the King Alfred site is bound to provoke a range of views.

Gehry is a world-class architect who has established a reputation for excellence during the past 20 years. At best, his buildings have the power to transform the fortunes of an entire city, such as Bilbao, as part of a wider regeneration effort.

I am excited by the proposals for King Alfred and convinced they will revive a dull seafront characterised by unremarkable Victorian terraced houses.

DA Coles writes at length about "style" and that the seafront is a collection of buildings from the past 200 years (Letters, March 22). If only we could move on from a discussion focused on style to one about design quality.

Architectural style has always provoked local controversy and the buildings of the previous generation are often disliked by the current one - hence a wide public dislike of Sixties architecture. But there are fine buildings from the Sixties and horrors from the 19th Century.

The Commission for the Built Environment (CABE) was established to comment on the design quality of new large buildings - they know what they are talking about and we should listen to them along with views of local residents and interested parties.

Our city is rapidly expanding and its density (and therefore the height of its buildings) is bound to increase given the boundaries of the English Channel to the south and the National Park to the north.

We need to ensure we make the most of this opportunity to add fine, well-designed, beautifully-made buildings to those we already have.

-Ben Adams, partner, Nissen Adams LLP, Great Guildford Street, London