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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

The Daily Telegraph posted a collection of photos asking: Are these the ugliest buildings in the world?  From the twenty-one so far, the buildings seem to be love-em-or-hate-em examples. Including of course, the ArcelorMittal Orbit sculpture and observation tower at the London 2012 Olympic Park.

Anyone like to suggest local examples of detestable or I've-learned-to-love-it buildings with in-our-faces photographic evidence?

Tags for Forum Posts: architecture, building, civic centre, design, ugliness

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People have to live somewhere but that doesn't mean that housing development has to be unimaginative and incongruous. Developers should remember that no matter how pleasant they make the interiors, it is of little consequence if the exterior is an ugly squat blot on the high street. I have to look it, those in the interior look out of it. I clearly lose.

Sometimes it's the outside view which is more interesting or pleasant. I often try to imagine the insider view. Or - if I get the chance - ask people who live or work in a particular building.

Years ago Haringey got external funds to restore an attractive Georgian building in High Road Tottenham.The ground floor remained as shops. Storerooms above became new flats let by a Housing Association. But the tenants found their flats very noisy, poky, and easily broken into.

Do any HoL members use the Daniel Libeskind designed Orion Graduate Centre in Holloway Road Islington? Viewed from outside, It's a striking building - which probably inspires strong feelings for and against. I've long wondered what it's like as workplace and study space.

Libeskind - London Metropolitan University

McDonalds & LIDL all look the same .. so do Libeskind's http://www.flickr.com/photos/lolita8fotos/2173641968/

The ex-Coliseum always gets me too, because it doesn't seem to have a facade. So it always recalls and makes you regret the loss of the cinema facade (and cinema) that was there. 

I think this too often, almost every time I go past towards Tesco - what was so grating about a cinema that it had to be wiped out?  If you remove the possibility or even the ghost of a cinema, you remove a lot from a neighbourhood...

Linka .. you asked what was so grating about a cinema that it had to be wiped out?  Quite simple:  Profit - Profit before community .. The motto of the tory Party

well that and a fire that meant that the building became unsafe. I believe Paul Simon (the old ones) own the building. Whether they were Tories is unclear at this stage.

I would never suggest that the fire was most fortuitous since it is cheaper to build from scratch than it is to renovate on which you have to pay VAT. Planning laws in this country are odd laws, but no party has been particularly keen on revising them, even when they had 13 years to do so.

oh. I though the UK has had 'centre-right'  governments since 1979 - certainly no 'real' Labour or Social Democratic ones

Stephen do you think that the Socialist Workers Party might be the answer to all our problems?

And (just to bring it back to the subject of this thread for a moment), do you think that if the SWP gained power they might be able – by eschewing the profit motive – to stop ugly buildings?

(NB new Euro title started to enable Euro-views in its own thread).

oh your politics are so polarised Clive..  did I mention Socialist workers party..?  Maybe your haughty comments will change come the next election when your fav. party which has delivered none of it's election promises will no doubt be slaughtered by the 'wise' electorate.

Regarding ugly buildings.. from what I've seen of British architecture of the last two decades .. there's not much to commend it .. whether it be Barratt's chicken coups houses or buildings like Portcullis House or The Shard -  all of which have no real connection with London or Britain but all to do with unregulated speculation.. or looking more locally Hale Village or the commercial development of Tottenham Hale, the building on the site of 'Tottenham Royal' or the road design around Tottenham High Cross - are these worthy improvements for the Borough ... no, I don't think so..  and then you have the audacity to call the 'warm' Civic Centre brutalist ..  On the other hand, I do understand that you need to convince us all the last twenty years in Britain weren't just a waste of time architecturally..

I don't think political parties design buildings.

John D .. try telling that to John Prescott or before him Michael Heseltine.. 

Political parties lay the guidelines of what should be built.. why and how..  or why did Thatcher worry so much about council houses or the colour of their doors.. ?

I like Hornsey Town Hall - described officially as " Modernist " The Civic Centre is just 60s Conran Shabbitack.

But my nomination for the ugliest ......

 

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