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It's the classic Emperor's New Clothes being played out again...im struggling to get my around the fact a banal, boring, cookie cutter of a building like this can be labelled iconic. f***ing iconic!

I mean iconic can't be interpreted any other way....an icon, a beacon, a symbolic representation of a region and its people....fuck me man :evil::lol:

The same people saying it is magnificent are the same ones who said the fat Buddha down the beach was magnificent. What an absolute disgrace that place is. A f***ing shoe box standing as the centre piece of the only good thing Sunderland has got going for it.
 
It's the classic Emperor's New Clothes being played our again...im struggling to get my around the fact a banal, boring, cookie cutter of a building like this can be labelled iconic. f***ing iconic!

I mean iconic can't be interpreted any other way....an icon, a beacon, a symbolic representation of a region and its people....fuck me man :evil::lol:

The same people saying it is magnificent are the same ones who said the fat Buddha down the beach was magnificent. What an absolute disgrace that place is. A f***ing shoe box standing as the centre piece of the only good thing Sunderland has got going for it.

A large proportion of the problem lies with the ambition of the folks who sign this shit off. For too many years, we have had minimal investment and when we do, its at a low level both CAPEX and ambition wise. Our planners should have the tenacity to say no to shit design and push for quality.
 
A large proportion of the problem lies with the ambition of the folks who sign this shit off. For too many years, we have had minimal investment and when we do, its at a low level both CAPEX and ambition wise. Our planners should have the tenacity to say no to shit design and push for quality.

What grounds would they have to do that?

The city should be sucking people off to get things built and bring in white collar workers, not standing in the way.
 
What grounds would they have to do that?

The city should be sucking people off to get things built and bring in white collar workers, not standing in the way.

What utter shite. Is the Echo building Iconic? or is it simply the tallest building they could squeeze onto that plot? If companies are willing to invest, then don't allow them to do it on the cheap as it reflects (cheaply) on our town. Small town mentality.
 
A large proportion of the problem lies with the ambition of the folks who sign this shit off. For too many years, we have had minimal investment and when we do, its at a low level both CAPEX and ambition wise. Our planners should have the tenacity to say no to shit design and push for quality.
We literally do not have a single modern building anywhere in the city centre with a wow factor or in any way that could be described as cutting edge.

It's an absolute f***ing disgrace how long this has gone on for.

Look at the brand new college at park lane man...devastatingly bland and uninspiring.
 
What utter shite. Is the Echo building Iconic? or is it simply the tallest building they could squeeze onto that plot? If companies are willing to invest, then don't allow them to do it on the cheap as it reflects (cheaply) on our town. Small town mentality.

The council can't turn down development because it looks cheap, there's got to be a valid reason behind it, this isn't Sim City. I doubt there were lines of developers queuing up to build on that site anyway.

The only one labelling it iconic is a no mark, small local radio station, it's hardly something to get het up on.
 
The same people saying it is magnificent are the same ones who said the fat Buddha down the beach was magnificent. What an absolute disgrace that place is. A f***ing shoe box standing as the centre piece of the only good thing Sunderland has got going for it.
The Fat Buddha building looks fine. Have you actually seen it recently? I quite like it. A welcome improvement to the sea front.
 
It's the classic Emperor's New Clothes being played out again...im struggling to get my around the fact a banal, boring, cookie cutter of a building like this can be labelled iconic. f***ing iconic!

I mean iconic can't be interpreted any other way....an icon, a beacon, a symbolic representation of a region and its people....fuck me man :evil::lol:

The same people saying it is magnificent are the same ones who said the fat Buddha down the beach was magnificent. What an absolute disgrace that place is. A f***ing shoe box standing as the centre piece of the only good thing Sunderland has got going for it.

It could be meant with it being the 1st building after waiting years for development. You're clearly looking for negatives for the sake of it
 
The council can't turn down development because it looks cheap, there's got to be a valid reason behind it, this isn't Sim City. I doubt there were lines of developers queuing up to build on that site anyway.

The only one labeling it iconic is a no mark, small local radio station, it's hardly something to get het up on.

Yes they can. The 'rules' they play by are set out in agenda 21 and subsequent local initiatives. Why would they have to accept poor quality development on the basis we are classed as a second rate town? There is nothing stopping them only approving quality developments and not grasping at any investment on the basis no-one else invests in this area. I'm all for progression, but why not ensure it is the right type of long-term sustainable investment? We've seen shite investment in the past and it does nothing for the town, long term.
 
They encourage local firms to put in tenders but on big things like this they also have an obligation to the tax payer to provide value for money. So if a local firm doesnt meet the criteria or cant do it within budget they dont get the gig
How do they encourage local firms to put in tenders? We are local and we weren’t encouraged. And the Council are aware of us and what we do.
 
We literally do not have a single modern building anywhere in the city centre with a wow factor or in any way that could be described as cutting edge.

It's an absolute f***ing disgrace how long this has gone on for.

Look at the brand new college at park lane man...devastatingly bland and uninspiring.

I dare say thats true of most similar places round the country. I was down preston last week and much of it resembled 1970's soviot union or east germany

How do they encourage local firms to put in tenders? We are local and we weren’t encouraged. And the Council are aware of us and what we do.

http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4551
 
Yes they can. The 'rules' they play by are set out in agenda 21 and subsequent local initiatives. Why would they have to accept poor quality development on the basis we are classed as a second rate town? There is nothing stopping them only approving quality developments and not grasping at any investment on the basis no-one else invests in this area. I'm all for progression, but why not ensure it is the right type of long-term sustainable investment? We've seen shite investment in the past and it does nothing for the town, long term.

You're the one calling it a poor quality development. To me it looks like a perfectly normal office development. If you're expecting developers to start paying architects a fortune to create a bespoke masterpiece for Sunderland city centre you're living in dream world, there's not going to be enough money made to justify that. Maybe you'll see something a bit more lavish once there's an established workforce in the city centre and everything is dragged up a notch.

We all want to see what's best for the city, but it requires some realism. Bold architecture doesn't equal a better looking building either, just look at some of the dross that wins the Carbuncle Cup, they're multi-million pound developments and you'd be embarrassed to see them in Sunderland.
 
Exactly, the only places that have fancy office blocks are the likes of London. Most office blocks built around the country will be fairly generic and functional.
As an example, take a look at the two new office blocks built in Durham to replace the '60's monstrosity that was the original NS&I and Passport office - square and functional, with an intended lifespan of no more than 20 years.

It's an office block ffs. What do you want? Palma cathedral?
 
You're the one calling it a poor quality development. To me it looks like a perfectly normal office development. If you're expecting developers to start paying architects a fortune to create a bespoke masterpiece for Sunderland city centre you're living in dream world, there's not going to be enough money made to justify that. Maybe you'll see something a bit more lavish once there's an established workforce in the city centre and everything is dragged up a notch.

We all want to see what's best for the city, but it requires some realism. Bold architecture doesn't equal a better looking building either, just look at some of the dross that wins the Carbuncle Cup, they're multi-million pound developments and you'd be embarrassed to see them in Sunderland.

James,

I have worked with Architects for years. I'm sorry, but anyone who claims a square box is 'iconic' is selling themselves. Take another look and tell me it's a good design.
 
I dare say thats true of most similar places round the country. I was down preston last week and much of it resembled 1970's soviot union or east germany



http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4551
Ok, been there n done that and still heard nothing. Been involved in other tenders that didn’t involve Carillion within the city boundaries and they have stated to there credit that it’s encouraged that the main Contractor buys local wherever possible. Why was this overlooked on the biggest package on the project, the external facade? Who provided the Steel framing?
 
As an example, take a look at the two new office blocks built in Durham to replace the '60's monstrosity that was the original NS&I and Passport office - square and functional, with an intended lifespan of no more than 20 years.

It's an office block ffs. What do you want? Palma cathedral?
Well don't go calling it f***ing iconic would certainly help which is my point entirely.

If this passes for grandiose and iconic what on earth passes for bog standard.

Keep your expectations low and you'll never be disappointed....should be translated into Latin and be the City's bastard motto

The Fat Buddha building looks fine. Have you actually seen it recently? I quite like it. A welcome improvement to the sea front.
Ahhh come on man, its bloody awful. Not a patch on the original plan which was quietly revised, for reasons never explained, into the insipid shoe box it became.
 
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But it's not the same. Meeting your mates at 7:30 in Boulevard then doing the rounds before getting a dorty kebab and waiting 40 minutes in a freezing cold taxi queue isn't the same now. Might be my age and music rather than the quality of the bars.
I Know it's not the same. Having a set route where you knew where everyone would be was class.
But the town isn't dead, it's just changed.
 

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