Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Haringey Hunts for £2bn Developer to Redevelop Main Council Buildings for Housing
According to architects' journal BD Online, Haringey Council is currently looking for a developer to jointly build 5,000 homes and redevelop more than 20 sites across the borough.
Among the sites up for grabs are the council’s main nine-storey office in Wood Green, where more than 300 people work, as well as Wood Green’s civic centre (pictured above) and library – which "will be moved elsewhere in the borough".
Other land included in the package is the Northumberland Park regeneration area in Tottenham, while it is also looking at bundling up other sites into the work including land behind Muswell Hill library and parts of Broadwater Farm in Tottenham.
It will be interesting to see how much affordable housing is included and what will happen to the facilities due to be "moved elsewhere".
Thanks to Robert Pike for the heads-up on this story.
Tags for Forum Posts: civic centre, haringey development vehicle, hdv
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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Walthamstow house prices (not the village which has always been very expensive) have caught up with Harringay's. The wave of house price inflation heading east has completely missed Tottenham. I wonder why?
I watched Alain de Botton's school of life episode about what makes cities great the other day and property developers came in for a fair bit of criticism. See it here.
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Permalink Reply by Richard Hulbert on
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Thanks for the steer John. The only thing it doesn't seem to address, at least not directly is traffic but it is noticeable that almost all the shots of 'beautiful' cities didn't have a singer car in them. So, point 7:
Beautiful cites need a transport infrastructure that actively encourages people to walk or cycle.
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Uber have a market cap of about $40 billion. Estimates vary a little but consensus seems to be that it would cost $5 billion to convert America's main cities to self driven uber taxis. If anything we need to prepare for a world with fewer vehicles clogging up the streets. Within ten years there will be self driving taxis all over London, and much less need for private vehicle ownership.
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Permalink Reply by StephenBln on
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The days of Civic Pride in the U.K. seem to be over.
I shall be sad to see the Wood Green Civic Center go. Yes, it needs some gentle renovation, but it's actually worth saving. No doubt some bog standard naff 2010s British box homes will replace it.
Spoilt my evening now.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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Undervalued in what way Hugh?
Certainly the land will have a high value, it being close to Wood Green shopping district, tube station and on a bus route. By contrast, the value of the neglected Hornsey Town Hall is recognised in its Grade II Star listing status.
Your photo of the Civic Centre front flatters it by the foreground and trees; your top photo of the back side shows it to be pretty grim. It's likely to be with us for a while yet.
In any event, should there continue to remain a large, exclusive car park at the rear: especially when there's good public transport handy?
(as a separate matter, the building is not everywhere in a good state of repair: the many cracked tiles in the middle of the main entrance foyer; the damaged seating. It's all had the identity-rebrand treatment of course).
BBC article: Your least favourite concrete buildings (and one you love)
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You're a politician, you wouldn't understand.
I notice your first thought here is the value of the land, none at all about the building's place in the local psyche, or in people's memories. Yet you stand for another building in the borough, which could be said to be extremly ugly seen close up and whose only saving grace is it's appearance on the skyline of North London.
The current tattiness of the Civic Centre can be repaired, the unloved vibes it radiates can be changed, but the tattiness of local politician's positions will have to wait until election day.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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I think it's an impressive and historically important building, a rare surviving example of 50s modernism/brutalism. Certainly it could do with repair, many important buildings do, but that doesn't make it worthless. It's locally listed which unfortunately doesn't give it protected status. Wonder if English Heritage would be interested in considering it?
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Wonder if English Heritage would be interested in considering it?
Michael, I think English Heritage were approached about this and have already considered listing. I seem to remember some conclusion about insufficient merit. Previous post here, refers.
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Perhaps it's time for another try. There has been a reassessment in the past few years of 50s architecture. I know buildings like these massively divide opinion but the fact they inspire debate and a bit of passion at least a means they are interesting.
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Is that the LBHgy nuclear bunker in the foreground? Nice shot BTW..
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