Brasilia of the North
OK, so it's a long time since T Dan Smith had the above as his slogan - however, I and my photographer are descending from our lofty perch to come and have a cheap holiday in other people's architectural misery, before ascending back into our lair outside of The Real World, where we will cackle about it over canapes and obscure vintages. That is, I'm going to Newcastle and Gateshead (with possible excursions to Sunderland and Peterlee) for BD this weekend. Any tips, arguments, recommendations or particular horrors in the comments box will be greatly appreciated.
posted by owen hatherley at 12:24 pm
23 Comments:
Durham is about 15 minutes on the train from Newcastle - a quick visit to the modernist Students Union & University Bridge is recommended.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43494636@N00/3477165487/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iqbalaalam/2318324810/
This comment has been removed by the author.
This is a better photo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iqbalaalam/2318330354/in/set-72157602370012670/
Check out Newton Aycliffe for a planned and managed environment. Its in County Durham and was built following WWII. It was a great place to grow up!
I would be intrigued by your take on Ralph Erskine's Byker housing.
Although claimed by many for "post-modernism", I've long thought that the at the time ground-breaking participative design process with the community to be rehoused seeemed to be a continuation of the Social Democratic tradition of Modernism, rather than an abrupt break.
However I do see it as a determined reaction against the idées reçues of hack Corbusianism that were then prevalent in most local authority architects' teams.
Rabbie, that would definitely fit with what I know abt Erskine. There's an AD piece by Charles Jencks on Byker from way back where he's obviously disappointed by the fact it isn't pomo - suggests it would be better with a couple of porticos on it. Twit.
Teesside is only 10mins by train from Darlington (2 stops before Newcastle), where you can take a walk in Thatcher's 'Wilderness'. Marvel at the boundless blandness of call-centre after call-centre after retail park after retail park after call-centre after ... and wonder why the staff car parks are always full, even on weekends, even on Bank Holidays? You can wonder, too, why no-one has, yet, taken up the governement's offer of two grand on their old bangers?
Paul
"suggests it would be better with a couple of porticos on it. Twit."
A few weeks ago a came across a piece by Leon Krier saying the same thing about Glasgow School of Art.
KILLINGWORTH
http://www.c20society.org.uk/docs/building/killingworth.html
It's an odd place.
Teesside for the retail park wilderness, indeed...
Sunderland - the Basil Spence Civic Centre* (1970 or so) would be essential (and very near Park Lane metro station, on the Newcastle - South Hylton line). A building rather underrated, due partly the general nostalgia that many have for the old Town Hall, knocked down by the (last - to date) Tory council in the sixties. I've always loved it; a great example of civic modernism. Other than that, there are three fairly unremarkable residential tower blocks right in the centre. If you walk east of the city centre, you will see dilapidation, though more of the industrial kind. West of city centre towards the Wear, you'd see what remnants there are of the shipbuilding past - plenty of evocatively derilect factories. Wearmouth Hall - a sometime Univ. lecture theatre and music venue - would have been ideal, but was knocked down a few years ago. Likewise, a lot more 1960s/70s stuff around the centre, and towards Chester Road.
Newcastle - the Byker (East Newcastle) social housing definitely. The Ouseburn area (basically adjoining Byker but nearer the centre / quayside), to see a sensitive adaptation of industrial rev.-era mills etc., however typically surrounded by a phalanx of Blair blocks. Also: some of the high-level walkways to get from the centre to the east, and indeed many of the buildings in the centre itself. In contrast to Sunderland, it maintains a large amount of Georgian/Victorian and also 60s/70s, although the city library** and a few other modernist ones have gone quite recently.
* Or 'Customer Service Centre' as a few signs indicate, depressingly.
** There is apparently a new library that is about to open, on the same site.
The very glassy brand new Newcastle library (which replaces a Basil Spence which had only a very few dedicated fans
http://www.fotothing.com/albums.php?action=viewphotos&albumid=1702) is by Ryder architects, the successors to Ryder and Yates who heroic stuff such as the Killingworth buildings for Norgas in the 60s.
If you can't make the excursion to Killingworth, I think there are still a couple of Ryder and Yates' buildings standing in central Newcastle. However, from distant memory, the only way you could get a decent photo of their Salvation Army Palace would be from the Gateshead side of the Tyne.
Scope for fruitful comparison?
Presumably you are listening to this to get you in the mood for your journey north?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kMhcf8eyiA
Of course! In fact I'm going to watch it as 'research' presently.
LR, I will certainly try and make it to Killingworth, and cheers for the Ryder info - you know, if you ever need crediting of any sort or, as previously suggested, remuneration, for research like this, do let me know... Sunderland and Peterlee are going to miss out at this rate, alas - I had hoped to pay a visit to the Apollo Pavilion...
Northumbria University's Architecture degree show preview night is on Tuesday, 23 June, but if you would like a pre-preview this Saturday please feel free to email me. Further info on my blog: http://www.studiomwm.com/Northumbria_Degree_Show_Preview.html
Roy Budd is much too cool for a good-time toon. Try these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF5xVnTo8gs&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqNnUXkfC_g
For balance, I should point out we do also have a contemporary music scene.
Sesli sohbet Sesli chat
Seslisohbet Seslichat
Sesli sohbet siteleri Sesli chat siteleri
Sesli Chat
Sohbet Sesli siteler
Sohbet siteleri Chat siteleri
Sohbet merkezi chat merkezi
Sesli merkezi sesli Sohbet merkezi
Sesli chat merkezi Sohbetmerkezi
Sesli Sohbet Sesli Chat
SesliSohbet Sesli chat siteleri
Sesli sohbet siteleri SesliChat
Sesli Sesli siteler
Seslimuhabbet sesli muhabbet
sesli sohbet sesli chat siteleri
sesli sohbet siteleri sesli chat
seslisohbet seslichat
seslikent sesli kent
sesli sohbet sesli sohbet siteleri
sesli chat sesli chat siteleri
seslisohbet seslichat
коттедж
восстановление зрения
зеленый лазер
электрошокер
Really trustworthy blog. sesli Please keep updating with great posts like this one. sesli sohbet I have booked marked your site and am about to email it
to a few friends of mine that I know would enjoy reading.. sesli chat
Thank you for sharing a nice article.
seslisohbet
Take a loo at http://kentonbar.blogspot.com for some more Ryder and Yates stuff
It is a very nice town, I love to go, I have some friends living there form my childhood, very nice place to go partying.
Hello, i would like to read more about this interesting topic. I think that this post has very useful information.
Really trustworthy blog. sesli Please keep updating with great posts like this one. sesli sohbet I have booked marked your site and am about to email it
nice blog Thanks for sharing. voicesohbet was really very nice.
sesli chat siteleri sesli sohbet
sesli sohbet siteleri sesli chat
seslichat seslisohbet
sesli siteleri chat siteleri
sohbet siteleri sesli siteler
voice sohbet sesli sohbet siteleri
sesli sohbet seslisohbet
sohbet siteleri sesli chat siteleri
seslichat sesli chat
herkesburda herkes burda
sohbetmerkezi sohbetmerkezi
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home