Now there's a page turn.

I pass a newly built special needs school on the way to various hobbies and its a particularly uninspiring if  nice and modern building, but that's beside the point. They have mounted eight giant B&W photographs of real students printed onto mental to the front of the building. The place isn't even open yet and they have already succumbed to the British climate, I think they are actually printed on metal mesh sheets, which when it rains gives a lovely mottled flesh effect to the kids faces making them look like zombies.
Great idea that was. 


On another note I geeked out to the max and bought the first issue of that Star Trek miniatures collection magazine (£1,99 from all good newsagents) and it contained the Enterprise D from Star Trek TNG, for something designed in the late 80's the design of that ship is standing the test of time and fashion incredibly well and given the chance to look closely at it the ellipses and curves are rather beautiful.

Printed the photo onto the metal. Then enamelled it I guess.

Diluted Dante wrote:

Horrible building that everyone inexplicibly wants to save: Preston Bus Station Somehow it looks less awful in this picture. A trick of the angle perhaps. Christ alive though it needs to be bulldozed.

I thought the Dread Pirate Roberts was a fictional character?

Whenever a petition pops up to save Preston Bus Station, I sign it.
Last I heard attempts had become futile and it seemed certain it was to go.

I bloody love it.

Loving the Brutalism in here, Habitat '67 and the Buffalo City Court building are magnificent.  One of the pieces I'm most familiar with is the old Birmingham Central Library, unfortunately it closed its doors a couple of months back and is due to be demolished next year.

Birmingham Central Library is ace, sadly, it too is coming down, to be replaced by offices. It's one of the busiest libraries in the whole of Europe apparently, takes 5000 visitors a day. 


 

It also managed to sit quite quietly amongst the skyline. I grew up near Brum and even though I walked through I walked through Chamberlain Square probably hundreds of times, I never even took any notice of it.

It's been replaced with this afaik



Which looks like a cross between a doily and an iron gate.

When I said 'swanky' that was in no way meant to be an aesthetic critique of the architecture, as this is the first time I've actually seen it. It's certainly interesting though.

I quite like that actually. The Selfridges building on the other hand was horrific when it was put up and still is.

I like all the brutalist stuff, mostly because they remind me of the various bases of assorted Gerry Anderson productions.

stormyskiesahead wrote:

Aye that's the one.  The metal doily work is nasty, I'll take Brutalism anyday.

Yeesh.

I dunno, any attempt to liven it up might help. I've also just been reminded of the 'upturned chinese takeaway pot' that is 53 Degrees.

I find that kind of beautiful despite the idea behind the design.

So here's a couple more adventurous builds in Birmingham (I swear the council is obsessed with unique buildings, give it a few years and there won't be any sort of architectural coherence, not that there was much before but y'know).  First off, The Cube, a monster of a building close to the city centre. The exterior design is supposedly influenced by Brum's jewellery making and industrial heritage, I'd never call it beautiful but I don't dislike it at all. It also has the UK's largest automated car park.  Woohoo!







Then there's the new Bournville College campus which opened in 2011 iirc.  Again it's not exactly pretty but at least it's another attempt at doing something different rather than the typical steel and glass nothings that seem to be everywhere.

An 'enchanting temple of calm' is the new Library of Birmingham.

Always had a soft spot for the hugging buildings in Prague: