Richard Hawley

Now, I'm not one for putting words or opinions in peoples' mouths, so I'll try and phrase this in as neutral a way as possible...

I'm a final year architecture student at the U. of S. We have many lively conversations about the quality of modern architecture in Sheffield, and especially about those buildings that university commissions. Since they never see fit to get us involved I only think it's fair that we sound off about them from time to time

The 'Information Commons' (the green one) on Brookhill Roundabout has been in operation for almost a year now, and it's about to be joined by the Jessops Hospital Redevelopment on the other side of the road. RMJM Architects knocked out..... sorry, 'designed' both, and I've had the pleasure of shouting at...... sorry, talking to the project architect of the IC over a few drinks.

In preparation for what might become a little podcast about the new buildings, perhaps I could ask what Mr. H and others think of these, er.... interesting new buildings? Especially as they tower over a certain little enterprise that produces a certain relish...

yours truly, etc

*j*

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http://jamesbrownontheroad.wordpress.com/

whoever "designed"those buildings has to be blind,thick as pig shit,greedy,grasping,moronic,ignorant to the point of being heartless to the needs and wishes of the PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY FUCKING LIVE IN THIS CITY,i cannot believe what is happening to this city and there's NOTHING i or any other people who live here can do about it you bastards have fucked an ancient city with a long long history,it has no meaning or soul...just like the c**ts who designed and built those heaps of dog shit that will be"redeveloped"in ten years time anyway once the materials they were built with look awful enough to depress everyone who has to look at them.

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now,then!

there you go again, sitting on the fence as usual.

i don't find the environment you live in day after day a subject for amusement when its being fucked up by unaware wankers in suits widnesboy

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now,then!

Was the strength of your reaction i was commenting on, not poking fun at whatever is happening architecturaly in sheffield.

is it being fucked up or is it just developing in a direction you don't like?*

* I have no idea of the area so i'm not defending it.

Slightly off topic, but it is relevant.

They ripped the shit out of my birth town -Clydebank in the late 60's.
Clydebank Centre was THE hub, especially on a Saturday.
Workers [and i mean proper workers] from John Browns, Singers etc used to shop/drink in this terrific little town.
And what did the planners do?
They ripped it's f*cking pumping heart out by opening one of these concrete 'shopping malls' 1 mile up the road, closing down the existing centre and bulldozing out a wider road.

Now - No John Browns, No Singers, No [proper] Town Centre, No community!!
The place is shit now!

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how do i know?

i'm not poking fun i am deadly serious all these buildings are about commerce and for the benfit of a few people who in my oppinion are also being exploited too,education isn't about education anymore its a business,i truly hate the horrific buildings that are being erected in this city,i love this city passionately and don't care for the way its being developed,for who's benifit are all these flats that are appearing everywhere?Not for poor families and the needy its for the mythical"single professional" built by bread heads who don't care fuck all about people they just care about profit.This city used to be the socialist capital of Britain now no one seems to care anymore,everyone knows the price of everything and the value of nothing, thats what i'm talking about and i meant no offence to you personally by the way,the thinking is all fucked up they knock down beautiful buildings and build a car park in its place...wrong

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now,then!

I went to the clyde museum in Glasgow it was by the river next to a shopping mall,i found it deeply sad to see the history just evaporate in front of your eyes the museum was brilliant the history deep and strong and you walked outside to that fucking mall and i wanted to scream

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now,then!

I hate that place. The shopping centre, not the museum. It's just tragic. It's pathetic, nobody wanted it as far as I know.

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The creation of expectation. Ultimate frustration.

They pulled down a lovely very old street in Chelmsford back in the 60's - and replaced it with a concrete shopping centre.......... and wonder why people don't like the town centre even now!

I have just received a leaflet through my door from BAA about the proposals for the new runway at Stansted Airport................. all spin telling how good it will be - don't we already have enough disruption and destruction? This will destroy a large amount of houses that have been there for a couple of hundred years, a very picturesque area of countryside, and nobody can convince me that further damage won't be done with the noise and vibration to the ancient churches in that area............

We're an island with a history - why destroy it all? People should learn to appreciate the history, culture and beauty of this country more and protect what we have - if tourists come here its the history they come for, not the modern concrete architecture...............

Exactly. I'm pretty sure more people have visited Glasgow to see an industrial city than "Ooh, brilliant, a boring, mediocre, traffic-jam-causing architectural nightmare of a shopping centre."

Gits.

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The creation of expectation. Ultimate frustration.

yep i agree the hundreds of beautiful ships that were clyde built just imagine how amazing it must have looked?i would have loved to have seen the ship yards

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now,then!

...


Doesn't really tug your heartstrings quite the same.

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The creation of expectation. Ultimate frustration.

There is a letter in tonight's Star about the proposed new John Lewis is Sheffield. The point of the letter is that it is an ugly building (which i personally disagree with, and much better than the fire station and current JL it is replacing). What is only briefly touched on in the letter is the proposed demolition of many of the victorian shops and Salvation Army building on Pinstone Street to make way for the massive new development of Sheffield City Centre. Why these fronts cannot be incorporated (as they have been on Fargate to great effect) is beyond me. I recognise that the centre does need a major revamp as people are preferring to shop in Manchester, Leeds and Meadowhell, but it needs to be done sympathetically. I spent 4 years at university studying town planning to a post grad level, and left dissalusioned and seeing a grim future for our cities. The planners have little control surprisingly. The towns are ruled by business and politics.

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STEEL CITY

www.myspace.com/john_c_kent

this list is amazing

http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/active.asp

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now,then!