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

[rich p]

So rare in this day and age.

Quite so, unassuming, modest, quiet....

...indeed one might say, the Anish Kapoor of architecture?

 

[Globalti]

The council made him knock it doen 'cos he never got planning permission...

Looks like he went to Barcelona for his holidays. Not sure about the B&Q front door though.....

 

[rich p]

I think you might just have gone too far there.

OMG!

 

[dellzeqq]

OMG!

at least have the goodness to put in a decent pic....

 

[dellzeqq]

cinema in Stretford

I love this - is there no thought of restoring it?

 

[rich p]

at least have the goodness to put in a decent pic....

Sorry Dell, I couldn't work out it's best side

 

[dellzeqq]

A couple of weeks ago I was killing time in Blackburn when my eyes wandered upwards and came to rest on the most incredible friezes on the art gallery:

Here's a close-up; a marvellous celebration of the dignity of labour:

Another northern English civic building I love, Manchester Town Hall, an ostentatious monument to the massive wealth of Manchester at the height of the industrial revolution, bigger and better than the town halls of Oldham, Bury, Burnley, Rochdale or any of the satellite mill towns:

.

both coming to you on an FNRttC in June.........

 

[GM]

Our local Art Deco Station designed by Charles Holden. Simon you may be interested, on a job a few years ago I found by chance an original
Architech drawing for Arnos Grove Station, it's a similar style.

 

[vernon]

Isn't it amazing that a cycling club in Keighley used to be big enough to merit a club house like this!

I clipped the bottom of the picture off because the street level part is all garish shops now.

The cycling club still exists and the members own shares in the building and, I believe, surrounding shops. I'm not sure that it's an active cycling club anymore, it's more of an investment club.

 

[Mice]

This was pointed out to me earlier in the year. The main images didnt capture the features so I took extra pics. It may or may not meet the specification of this thread but I couldnt help but put it up.

M

 

[vernon]

Temple Mills Leeds.

When it was built as a flax mill, it was allegedly the largest single room in the world. It had a grass covered roof with sheep to graze it. The roof maintained humidity in the mill which prevented the flax fibres from breaking. It's in Holbeck and is a grade 1 listed building.The Egyptian influence is clear to see.

 

[TheDoctor]

Well, I'm not sure that this counts as an ordinary thing, but anyway...




These were taken at Kyoto station, which is one of the most astonishing buildings I've ever seen. It's about 12 stories high, houses no end of shops, restaurants, bars, a hotel or three and a theatre, and has a skywalk where you can get into the latticework that holds the roof up.
The pictures don't give a sense of scale, but it's abso-bleedin'-lutely massive.
It's well worth spending some time there. Quite a lot of time.

 

[Ajay]

 

[Glow worm]

The Custom House in King's Lynn is one of my favourites and brings back many happy chlidhood memories. On the more ordinary theme, Lynn also hosts the Campbells Soup Tower. Sadly it os to be demolished in the new year after 50 years or so to make way for a Tescos.

 

[TheDoctor]

Looks like you're having problems posting an image there, Colly!!