Wonders and blunders - International Space Station & MI6

Wonder: International Space Station
Blunder: MI6 building, London

The International Space Station is the epitome of form through function. It appeals to me because it is purely and simply utilitarian. I like the fact that it doesn't refer to any other kind of architecture, or any other period, and it reminds me of those futuristic buildings that people 30 years ago were predicting we would live in now.

Back then, you would have thought that in the future we would be living in houses built by factories. It seems odd that people still want to live in "traditional" houses with cladding stuck on them. A structure like this, that truly has no frills or excess baggage, has its own unique beauty - but it is not a mere style. I suppose I am getting rather anti-design in my old age. The reason the space station is a true wonder to me, absolutely inspirational, is that I can't imagine designing it myself. It is beyond my wildest capabilities.

I thoroughly object to the MI6 building designed by Terry Farrell, from the way it was commissioned in secret (idiotic), to the fact that the public can't visit it. And I do at least think they could have built something glamorous and Bond-like, or something extraordinary like the Eden project.

It is a horrendous postmodern design that was out of date even when it was built. There's something deeply unseemly about it: it dominates the surroundings without adding to them. I love that stretch of water. If you come from the east you see such beauties: Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, the millennium wheel, and then suddenly you land at the MI6 building. A string of pearls and then a poo.

· Tom Dixon is a designer. A selection of his work can be seen at Milan in a Van at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London SW7 (020-7942 2000), until June 9.