Leeds losing its modern heritage?????

[The Doggers]

I was thinking about this the other day, and reading the Duchess thread, it kinda ties in with it. I realised that in 100 years' time there will be practically no buildings from our era remaining. Things do not last long enough to become listed anymore..... Buildings are torn down or fall down or are converted to something unrecognizable..... Take the Duchess for instance... how does something so significant in Leeds' modern history not able to be preserved or saved? I find it really hard to accept. Granted there's many many modern buildings where the architecture is bland and boring and not of any particular artistic flair, but without knowing where we came from, how the hell do we know where we're going??Thoughts??

[chameleon]

The Doggers wrote: I was thinking about this the other day, and reading the Duchess thread, it kinda ties in with it. I realised that in 100 years' time there will be practically no buildings from our era remaining. Things do not last long enough to become listed anymore..... Buildings are torn down or fall down or are converted to something unrecognizable..... Take the Duchess for instance... how does something so significant in Leeds' modern history not able to be preserved or saved? I find it really hard to accept. Granted there's many many modern buildings where the architecture is bland and boring and not of any particular artistic flair, but without knowing where we came from, how the hell do we know where we're going??Thoughts?? A point made several times Doggers - and then, so many of the magnificent buildings from an earlier era which have a longevity are often ignored and left to rot.

[cnosni]

chameleon wrote: The Doggers wrote: I was thinking about this the other day, and reading the Duchess thread, it kinda ties in with it. I realised that in 100 years' time there will be practically no buildings from our era remaining. Things do not last long enough to become listed anymore..... Buildings are torn down or fall down or are converted to something unrecognizable..... Take the Duchess for instance... how does something so significant in Leeds' modern history not able to be preserved or saved? I find it really hard to accept. Granted there's many many modern buildings where the architecture is bland and boring and not of any particular artistic flair, but without knowing where we came from, how the hell do we know where we're going??Thoughts?? A point made several times Doggers - and then, so many of the magnificent buildings from an earlier era which have a longevity are often ignored and left to rot. Can you suggest any,personally,despite the fact that its uneconomic to do so,i would preserve the Olympics.Not to everyones taste,but i think you can safely say it is certainly unique not just to Leeds but to the whole country.I can see future generations crucifying us for this.

[rikj]

Very difficult question Doggers, a coin with two sides if ever there was one. For instance, if buildings are perceived to have merit and are preserved, then does that mean that future generations of designers and architects will be limited in what they are allowed to do? Where is their scope for expression? Do we have the right to say how future generations design their buildings when they may be living in circumstances we have never come across?Just playing Devil's Advocate here you understand.Leeds does host one of the defining modern architectural sites. One that is very much under appreciated, but I'm sure will survive and become famous and much visited for its survival. It is of course the University of Leeds Campus.It's outstanding for its sheer size, God knows how many acres, and I'm not sure what style it is officially, but I'd call it Concrete Brutalism. It really is the epitomy of concrete mania gone mad. But, it is being regularly maintained, resprayed, updated and seems to be here for the long term. It might be everyday to people who work there, but I think in the future it will put Leeds on the map as a work of outstanding 20C architecture.    

[cnosni]

rikj wrote: Very difficult question Doggers, a coin with two sides if ever there was one. For instance, if buildings are perceived to have merit and are preserved, then does that mean that future generations of designers and architects will be limited in what they are allowed to do? Where is their scope for expression? Do we have the right to say how future generations design their buildings when they may be living in circumstances we have never come across?Just playing Devil's Advocate here you understand.Leeds does host one of the defining modern architectural sites. One that is very much under appreciated, but I'm sure will survive and become famous and much visited for its survival. It is of course the University of Leeds Campus.It's outstanding for its sheer size, God knows how many acres, and I'm not sure what style it is officially, but I'd call it Concrete Brutalism. It really is the epitomy of concrete mania gone mad. But, it is being regularly maintained, resprayed, updated and seems to be here for the long term. It might be everyday to people who work there, but I think in the future it will put Leeds on the map as a work of outstanding 20C architecture.     Oh its brutal alright,bl**dy brutal to find your way out of after a night there at 2 in the morming.Couldnt do it as a teenager,and cant do it in my forties.well it does nt help coming out of the rock night there on a Saturday,ears ringing,drunk and hungry,needing a taxi and your bed at 3 am.Brutal!!

[Clankylad]

Rikj - totally agree about the brutalist (it is a technically accurate architectural name) 70s part of the university, which I used to hate but now like a lot, especially the Roger Stevens building. Happily, unlike the ‘Get Carter’ car park in Gateshead and the Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth it is a bit hidden away from the city centre and therefore has a good chance of surviving the period of unfashionability that this type of architecture is going through. Also, it doesn’t dominate the landscape in the way those buildings did. Who knows? In the future it may come to be accepted and even loved in the same way that many of the buildings on the South Bank in London are.