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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EVENT: Brutalism: The Savage and The Sublime (the barbican)

On the 6th November the barbican arts centre (the only appropriate setting for such an event) will be holding a panel discussion on Brutalism in its event Brutalism: The Savage and The Sublime. The discussion will be based on the recent film by Jonathan Meades Bunkers Brutalism And Bloodly mindedness in which he explored in his usual idiosyncratic manner the controversies of the brutalist style which fascinates him. 

The panel is made of Sir Simon Jenkins, chairmen of the National trust, journalist and author, as well as the architectural critic Douglas Murphy (see his articles), the architect Piers Gough and of course Jonathan Meades himself will be debating brutalism and 'the aesthetics and morality of concrete'.

This promises to be a very interesting discussion and not an event to miss! tickets will be sold out quickly so book now!

More information can be found on the barbican website here
Tickets are £10

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EXHIBITION: Something Fierce University of Essex: Vision and Reality

Image of the Essex university Library

A new exhibition running from 7 October to 13 December 2014 at the Coldchester campus of Essex university will be celebrating 50 years of its bold and brutalist architecture. The new university designed by Kenneth Capon from its founding in 1964 to embrace the architectural style of the day and to encourage its scholars to emulate its boldness. 

"The exhibition details how our architecture has influenced the people who have lived and worked in the University. In particular it tells the story of how since the 1960's Essex has become home to the tenacious and the bold, home to those that don’t just talk about a better world, but work together to create one - and why challenging convention is in our DNA." 
The exhibition promises scale models and original drawings as well as a look at the many brutalist buildings on campus. The exhibition will be housed in the Hexagon, an iconic building built at the birth of the University.

7 October to 13 December 2014 - Tuesdays to Saturdays, 11am to 5pm
(Welcome Week: Monday 29 September to Saturday 4 October 2014 - 11am to 5pm)

For further details and information on opening times please see their website 

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EXHIBITION: The anatomy of a building: Denys Lasdun and the Royal College of Physicians

A unique exhibition opening on 8 September marks the centenary of the birth of one of Britain’s greatest architects, Sir Denys Lasdun, in the iconic setting of his masterpiece, the Royal College of Physicians (RCP).

The anatomy of a building: Denys Lasdun and the Royal College of Physicians runs from 8 September 2014 to 13 February 2015, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

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'Balfron season' Bow arts Sept-Oct 2014

The iconic Balfron tower designed by the eminent brutalist architect and designer Erno Goldfinger will be hosting a series of events running until the 12th October whilst the building is prepared for restoration. Artists supported by Bow arts will for a short period base themselves in the tower opening it up to the public in a season of exciting events in which the architecture and the social life of the area will be be explored in a series of guided walks, artistic installations and workshops.  


ARCHITECTURAL WALKING TOURS 
A series of architectural walks will be hosted by London’s city-in-waiting during September. The first 'Penetrate the Impenetrable: A walk via the Balfron Tower through East' will run on Sunday 7th September from Stratford City to Canary Wharf and will be hosted by regeneration experts Ralph Ward and Michael Owens. A second walk will take place on Saturday 20th September (on open house weekend), this will take visitors from Lansbury Estate through Poplar, reviewing post-war architecture up to the present day. 

BALFRON TOWER ART 
On the weekends of 6-7th September and 20th-21st September the Bow Artists resident in Balfron tower will be hosting an Open Studio in which they will be exhibiting a range of specially created shows. 

On the 13th September in Flat 131 a one-day Adult drawing Workshop (limited places available) in which participants will hope to be inspired by the brutalist building’s characteristics and surroundings. 
Many more events can be found on their website. 

OPEN HOUSE WEEKEND
On Open house weekend (20th-21st September) there will be full access and guided tours of Balfron tower 

For all enquirers and information visit their website and follow them @BalfronSeason
for other events follow me @BritBrutalism

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London Open House weekend (20-21 September 2014)

For one weekend every year many of London's most famous and iconic buildings normally closed to the general public are opened, this year is no exception with the Open house weekend taking place on the weekend of 20th-21st September. I have selected below the most interesting brutalist buildings and related events.  

* 8 Stoneleigh terrace (Camden) Sunday 10am-1pm 2pm-5pm tours on the hour
Designed by architect Peter Tabori who worked in the progressive Camden architects department in the 1970's, it shows the influence of other architects in the department (such as Neave Brown) and Denys Lasdun under who he worked for a time with the use of high density low rise social housing.

* Alexander Road (Camden) Saturday 10am-5pm regular tours (first come first served). 
One of the iconic brutalist estates of the capital built by Neave Brown from the late 1960's onwards. This open house event promises entry into a flat described as 'originally designed'. 

* Balfron tower (Tower hamlets) Saturday 1pm-5pm tours every 30 minutes 
Designed By Erno Goldfinger in the mid 1960's as social housing for London County Council. This open house event also promises access to one of the flats. See more in my post. 
- see Balfron season for more events and information 

Barbican centre (City) Saturday tours on the hour 12-3pm PRE BOOK ESSENTIAL 
(meeting at advance box office). A tour of the highwalks and the ideas behind the Chamberlain Powell & Bonn brutalist masterpiece. (could be an interesting tour but it doesn't look like there is anywhere included which you can't normally access included in the tour).

* Dunboyne Road Estate (a.k.a Fleet road estate) (Camden) meet Sunday 2pm 
PRE BOOK ESSENTIAL - Guided tour will be by the original architect Neave Brown (!!) and contemporary architect Takeshi Hayatsu. This tour also promises a look at a well kept original flat in the estate.  

* Royal college of Physicians (Camden) Sunday 10am-5pm (last entry 3.30) tours included as well as a lecture on Denys Lasden at 2.15pm. Designed by Denys Lasden overlooking regents park, one of the most significant brutalist buildings in London and a rare opportunity to see the interior.  

* - not to be missed

More information on all the open buildings can be found on the London Open House website. 

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