Camden Town Hall Annex

The former Camden Town Hall Annex opposite St Pancras and Kings Cross stations on the Euston road looked was thought to have been lost after Camden council moved out of their old premises and put the site up for sale. It was anticipated that the buyers would apply for demolition given the sites prominence and potential, with the enviable 'eyesore' arguments used as justification. However perhaps surprisingly the scheme put forward for the building has chosen to keep the building, however with one large addition. A rooftop extension (the plans can be viewed HERE along with a good analysis and critique of the scheme!). Although it is interesting that they have chosen to retain the building (possibly solely on cost) the rooftop extension is not a welcome addition, far too big for the building which already dominants the area around it and would not respect the buildings original form.

What do you think? Is the rooftop welcome given that it will entail the future of the building (albeit with a large modern extension tacked on the top)? Is the building worth preserving at all?

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Birmingham city council - Postcard protest

Send a Postcard (or a letter or email contact@birmingham.gov.uk) to Birmingham city council regarding their scandalous decision to demolish Birmingham's central library (design by John Madin)! Or to English heritage for allowing them to do it and not listing the building!

A local organisation Blue Phoenix has produced a series of postcards of the library (shown below) which you can buy at a very reasonable price HERE in order to support the campaign

Contact details:
Birmingham City Council
Feedback
Freepost*
Birmingham
B1 1BR


























* - it won't cost you anything! so why not?

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2015 and Birmingham's central library

2015 will mark a sad year for all those who campaign to make sure the best examples of brutalist architecture are preserved for future generations and not carelessly lost. Despite an increasing awareness of the architectural importance of these buildings it appears that planners, councils and most importantly those who we entrust to guard our heritage  have not learn from the mistakes of the past and will continue in the name of modernity and progress to eradicate the best work of previous generations. I am of course talking specifically about the decision not to preserve Birmingham's iconic central library designed by John Madin which is imminently facing demolition. And yet there has been some genuine success over the last few years with the notable example of Preston bus station which was ear marked for demolition but saved thanks to the tireless efforts of a dedicated local campaign leading to national interventions (and listed status). 

Perhaps Birmingham's central library is an equivalent Euston arch or coal exchange (Victorian buildings demolished in the 1960's) by which I mean a necessary loss in our own time in order to galvanise campaigners, the general public and government action as these loses did in the 1960's (led by the Victorian society). After these losses many people woke up to reality which was a concerted effort to destroy the Victorian past in which as a consequence public taste and perceptions did change to embrace the conservation of Victorian buildings. Whether this is an accurate comparison only time will tell! 

Goodbye central library! Pictures of Birmingham central library in the Birmingham post

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