Worth Saving ?

[Bazile]

Do you know any of these buildings ?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34667034

Are any of them worth saving in your opinion ?


Look at the former Birmingham Central Library ( third picture down )

Now look what they have replaced it with

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=picture+of+the+new+birmingham+central+library&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=899&;tbm=isch&imgil=pkE1Qcd27Nu5rM%253A%253B4pjnAbcbEQqiiM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.birmingham.gov.uk%25252Fcs%25252FSatellite%25253Fc%2525253DPage%25252526childpagename%2525253DLib-Library-of-Birmingham%252525252FPageLayout%25252526cid%2525253D1223386784794%25252526pagename%2525253DBCC%252525252FCommon%252525252FWrapper%252525252FWrapper&source=iu&pf=m&fir=pkE1Qcd27Nu5rM%253A%252C4pjnAbcbEQqiiM%252C_&dpr=1&usg=__h_wyTudwxfsMDm7V0Vrx0Jsk2zw%3D&ved=0CDUQyjdqFQoTCOSizryA98gCFcyYGgodVKgIfA&ei=fxk6VqTnJcyxatTQouAH#imgrc=pkE1Qcd27Nu5rM%3A&usg=__h_wyTudwxfsMDm7V0Vrx0Jsk2zw%3D

[jackthehat]

Too late for Greyfriars Bus-Station......it has already been demolished.

[jno]

I rather like that particular one (though it would have to be kept clean, concrete looks nasty when you leave it to get stained, as so many owners do), and the replacement is too flashy.

But I wouldn't shed a tear if the rest of those buildings vanished.

[Mosaic]

It's a difficult call Bazile, and possibly evokes similar feelings as those expressed towards 'modern' and 'contemporary' art.
And were not in the richest of times...and we need to be practical....
My bottom line with buildings (and I love buildings) is, once the purpose for which it was created runs out of steam, emergency lights start flashing.
If a building wasn't fit for purpose in the first place, it's an easy decision to let it go.
Some (only some) post-1960 buildings are both well constructed and attractive, so then it comes down to the local context. Does it sit well, is it well used / well regarded, if conversion or upgrades are needed is it economically feasible?
I don't know the case with the old Birmingham central library, but usually that date of building needs vast amounts of additional insulation, re-wiring and re-plumbing to bring them in line, so demolition is cheaper.
I think the saddest thing about many public buildings done in the last decade or so is that they are intended not to last more than 25 years - it's an assumption that they'll be outmoded and demolished. That strikes me as wasteful.
Also, with libraries and many other buildings, the exterior is irrelevant - it's how they function to serve their audiences that is important. Glitzy architectural schemes strike me as losing sight of that important fact.

[mikey4444]

Bazile...from the outside, the new Brum library looks about as grim as they come !

[ummmm]

Greyfriars is already forgotten.

[viv41]

Very ugly buildings in my opinion.

[Retrochic]

This is difficult because I deal in things that have in the past gone out of fashion and now people can't get enough of what has been in the past classed as 'trash'. Every generation changes and I think the best examples of past architecture (even mistakes) should be kept , despite being 'ugly' -which is extremely subjective . Probably in 50 years time the 'replacements ' for these now deemed ugly buildings will be given the same treatment, and people will bemoan the fact 'heritage' buildings from the 50's and 60's were demolished in the 2015's by idiots who didn't realise how culturally valuable they were.

[hc4361]

I didn't like the 'old' Birmingham library and I don't like the new one.
I don't like the Selfridge building in Birmingham nor the new New St station.

I do like the Tecton buildings at Dudley Zoo and they are already listed, restored and saved, but they are not post WWII

[pastafreak]

The former Plymouth City Council buildings are hideous in my opinion....in fact the whole city centre is.

[Retrochic]

There were a lot of Victorians and Edwardians thought the Art Deco style of Architecture was hideous and ugly - Thankfully some people did not agree or we would not have the beautiful buildings from the 20's and 30's that we now can still enjoy.

[jno]

those brutalist buildings have been around for 50 years now, though. If the public still haven't taken to them then I'm not sure their opinion should be overridden by architecture critics.

[Retrochic]

Its not up to the public to destroy cultural buildings or Art -if that were the case than most of the modernist artists work such as Picasso would have been put on a bonfire years ago

[jno]

he played more than one instrument, but here he is with a banjolele

http://banjoinfo.weebly.com/banjolele.html

[jno]

sorry... wrong thread

[Buenchico]

I liked the old building (but then I love brutalist architecture - not everyone does!).

I've not quite made up my mind about the new one yet.

I much prefer Norwich's new(-ish) library though. (They didn't have any choice about pulling the old one down -it was gutted by fire!)
https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6139/5922212435_aca913ee15_b.jpg