Things That Should Not Have Been Built in Britain

[LeMartinPecheur]

The Whitgift Centre, Croydon.

This is what it looks like now:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Whitgift_Centre,_Wellesley_Road_entrance_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1629630.jpg

Well worthy of being a New County Hall (see earlier post) 'cept you don't have them in Croydon

[Lateralthinking1]

Electric fences.

Spaghetti Junction.

The roof over Centre Court.

A miserable oval lake supposedly in the memory of Diana.

The Oval.

Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round.

[David-G]

Poundbury

I haven't been there - but from what I have seen of it, I absolutely disagree.

[gradus]

The deficit.

[Serial_Apologist]

Crawley - where, rather like St Mary Cray, add-ons were made in the 50s and 60s to once picturesque village in the name of London overspill, but more in the, er, roundabout way of Bracknell, and eventually crowned with a magnificent airport.

Poor, unironically mismatched old Crawley - I found it quite a friendly place whenever I visited in the '90s.

[Sir Velo]

I haven't been there - but from what I have seen of it, I absolutely disagree.

I have and it's an affront to civilised values. Shoddy buildings without a scrap of architectural merit. A soulless place, with no sense of community. A jumped up housing estate without the good manners to be hidden out of sight of passers by or residents.

[ahinton]

The deficit.

But at least that's now being demolished; it must be so because Gideon says that it - er - well, the demolition crew does seem to be sleeping on the job rather like those alleged "benefit scroungers" but at least it's supposed to be getting demolished; the method of demolition is, however, somewhat unusual, since instead of explosives and bulldozers they're using knives, in the hope that, if they keep on cutting, it will eventually disappear - a somewhat forlorn hope, it would seem, on the basis of evidence so far...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round.

Oi!

[Lateralthinking1]

Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round - Oi!

I wasn't being serious on that one.

Agree though with salymap on Bluewater etc.

Hornspieler's journey reminded me of a drive I did in thick snow from Exeter to Surrey mainly on the A303. It took me nine and a half hours. I couldn't tell whether I was on a single or dual carriageway for much of the time. Most experienced lorry drivers had abandoned their vehicles on the road. I slept for almost a day on getting home, such had been the concentration.

Telegraph poles and pylons - yes they are almost invisible aren't they, so accustomed are we to them. I can't make up my mind on wind turbines. Will subsequent generations feel similarly? I think much depends on whether they are in nice or ordinary locations.

[Hornspieler]

I haven't been there - but from what I have seen of it, I absolutely disagree.

I'm with Flosshilde. I was staggered when I saw this so-called Dorset Village

Poundbury is an eyesore in the middle of a beautiful stretch of Dorset landscape.

Just goes to show how little Prince Charles cares about architechture if there is a financial reward involved.

HS

[rauschwerk]

Interesting to read about St Mary Cray. I lived in Orpington for some 13 years when I was a lad, and began my working life at TMC St Mary Cray (just by the railway viaduct). According to Wikipedia, "Until the railway came, the local commercial centre was nearby St Mary Cray, rather than Orpington. St Mary Cray had a regular market, and industry (paper mills and bell foundry), whereas Orpington was just a small country village surrounded by soft fruit farms, hopfields and orchards." which I certainly did not know.

My nomination is the main building at Adastral Park (formerly BT Laboratories) where I worked for nearly 20 years.

[salymap]

Interesting to read about St Mary Cray. I lived in Orpington for some 13 years when I was a lad, and began my working life at TMC St Mary Cray (just by the railway viaduct). According to Wikipedia, "Until the railway came, the local commercial centre was nearby St Mary Cray, rather than Orpington. St Mary Cray had a regular market, and industry (paper mills and bell foundry), whereas Orpington was just a small country village surrounded by soft fruit farms, hopfields and orchards." which I certainly did not know.

My nomination is the main building at Adastral Park (formerly BT Laboratories) where I worked for nearly 20 years.

No new residents believe that St Mary Cray, Foots Cray, Sidcup, Orpington,Chislehurst, etc were little villages in my early childhood in the 1930s. I must look for that Wiki article when I have time. Thanks.

[Richard Tarleton]

I'm with Flosshilde. I was staggered when I saw this so-called Dorset Village

Poundbury is an eyesore in the middle of a beautiful stretch of Dorset landscape.

Just goes to show how little Prince Charles cares about architechture if there is a financial reward involved.

HS

Thirded. I've had to drive past it many times, and watched it develop over the years. The effect from the bypass is awful, especially as it's developed grassy bunds to try to screen the view of the road (I assume it's that way round, though it could be to protect motorists from the view of Poundbury )- rather than sitting happily in the landscape like proper villages. It's a monstrosity, and a vanity project by someone with form when it comes to inflicting his egregious architectural views on the lower orders. Mind you, that's probably just what they said about the iron age hill fort opposite, 3000 years ago

[MrGongGong]

Electric fences.

Spaghetti Junction.

The roof over Centre Court.

A miserable oval lake supposedly in the memory of Diana.

The Oval.

Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round.

Eggs ?

[Ferretfancy]

I particularly hate the Henry Moore sculpture at Kenwood on Hampstead Heath, which completely blocks what should be a surprise view of the lake. Bang this bronze and it sounds as hollow as the talent that invented it. To me, most of Moore's work would be better as a maquette to put on the window sill. The stone arch on the Serpentine is just as bad, authorities all over the country have been bamboozled into accepting these lumps.

There! That's better !