in praise of ordinary things (a thread about streets and buildings)

[User10571]

Moving back in time a little but worthy I think, of a mention, as many will have passed over it without necessarily knowing it, and it does appear to fulfil the following criteria:

The idea is to bring stuff that wouldn't normally be noticed to people's attention.

And yes, I have posted it previously elsewhere...

The vaulted chamber is Byzantine in style and a magnificent example of the skill of the workmen who placed and cemented the red and cream bricks in their subtle arches. They were cathedral brick layers from Italy, specialists in building crypts of great beauty and strength.

And strength is where this structure really comes into it's own. For when Joseph Paxton commissioned the tunnel to safely carry passengers from Crystal Palace High Level station to visit the Palace itself, the road which runs above it would've carried only a fraction of the weight of traffic it carries today. Nearly 150 years on the structure of the tunnel remains unchanged.
The picture below shows the run of the tunnel between the dotted yellow lines.

 

[User10571]

Spire from Wren church in Forest Hill.

The church of St.Antholin stood on New Street in the City and was destroyed in The Great Fire.
Sir Christopher Wren built it's replacement on the same site between 1678 - 1684.
There are several versions as to what happened next, but regardless of whether the church was demolished or otherwise destroyed, the spire was purchased by one of the churchwardens, Robert Harrild who had made his fortune from manufacturing his revolutionary printing machinery. His wealth enabled him to buy the local manor house in Sydenham known as Round Hill House, where he had the spire installed in the garden.
It remains there to this day, in the incongruous surrounding of a modern housing estate which has replaced the original house.
You'd struggle to find it unless you knew exactly where to look on Round Hill.

 

[Hacienda71]

Not a good photo, but at 6' x 12' this was both the smallest and pro-rata the most expensive building I have ever sold or am ever likely to sell.

 

[Zoiders]

I will have to scare up a picture of the Reginald Mitchell Memorial Theatre.

The city while now a dump is still awash with architectural features on various buildings as most of it was made here, the Mitchell Theatre however now stands out though as some knobber granted planning permision for a hideous contemporary glass and steel cafe to be tacked onto the front of a building built in brick in the late 40's in a modernist style.

It's not like they could not source the same brick and make the new foyer in keeping with the rest of the building.

 

[dellzeqq]

I once went 200 miles to see a production at the Reginald Mitchell Theatre. A splendid building

 

[Zoiders]

It was.

Now it looks like an out of town Car Dealership was built in front of it, I would imagine they were somehow trying to evoke the wing of a spitfire.

Epic fail.

One of my favourite buildings isn't even noticed by most people, it's the Loyds Bank building near the park, a classic brick clad concrete cantilever design with steel frame windows.

It's a bit tatty these days though.

 

[MontyVeda]

I will have to scare up a picture of the Reginald Mitchell Memorial Theatre.

The city while now a dump is still awash with architectural features on various buildings as most of it was made here, the Mitchell Theatre however now stands out though as some knobber granted planning permision for a hideous contemporary glass and steel cafe to be tacked onto the front of a building built in brick in the late 40's in a modernist style.

It's not like they could not source the same brick and make the new foyer in keeping with the rest of the building.

i quite like the spitfire influence and the way it intrudes.

 

[dellzeqq]

oh. I'm not sure I want you to post a picture, then.

(later edit) aaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

MODS! GERRITTOFFFFF MY THREAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MontyVeda]

here you go then...

 

[Zoiders]

Now now, comparing a street view image in glorius HD with a dim pocket camera picture taken on a miserable wet day is slighty sneaky, the building has also been blasted since then and some of the brick work repaired with matching new brick as well.

I have no problem with the re-engineering of the pavement and the street furniture out side apart from the stupid round plynth style steps which never blend well with rectilinear buildings - but the new foyer is an eye sore. On it's own it may well look OK in some setting or other but grafted on to the theatre it completely destroys the the clean functional lines of the building.

Even more of a crime is the ABC cinema next to it which had the most fantastic retro interior complete with private phone booths and and 60's air line style detail. The main screen was huge, always a joy to watch a film in.

Knocked flat to make way for the great god of the Tesco's Cargo Cult.

 

[subaqua]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spa_Green_Estate a lubetkin /tecton monstrosity was one thing that should have been pulled down rather than grade 2* listed. it was a money pit on the refurb works.