A Manifesto


We admire and seek to defend the distinctive and irreplaceable architecture that speaks of Birmingham's history in the second half of the Twentieth Century.
We have been provoked into action by the loss of a number of fine buildings of the 1970s- The Post and Mail, the Central Library, and the NatWest Tower.
We believe that that the public have been influenced by the use of phrases such as "1960s concrete monstrosity" and we aim to inform and enable the people of Birmingham to appreciate the best of 20th century design and architecture.
We accept that the Council wants to improve the economic fortune of the City; however this has resulted in indiscriminate demolition. We believe the time has come to stem the time of indiscriminate demolition of any building of this period and to look afresh at the best of what remains.
We aim to rescue the terms 'Modernist' and 'Brutalism' from those who would use them to write off Modernist buildings. We view Modernism as an ethical approach to design in which the form of the building strictly follows its function.
We believe that the best buildings of the period are honest, strong and full of character.
From our unique position we can provide an independent voice and become an information repository for this period of Birmingham's architectural history.

(Alan Clawley & Mary Keating March 2018)

Thursday, 14 June 2018

The end of an era




House of Fraser seems to have found itself in many rather interesting buildings throughout the country. Take Beatties in Wolverhampton as an example...

A fabulous modernist construction that was once Rackhams in Birmingham, (I remember my then boyfriend's mother telling me how much she loved shopping there) it is to close by the spring 2019. 

What will happen to it? Can it be reused, will it be saved or knocked down to be reborn as a dull glass clad office/retail experience?

What should we do with our high streets, and the buildings that inhabit them, and how can we preserve the best of 20th century architecture for the future?

Do tell us what you think!



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2 comments:

  1. Strider14 September 2020 at 11:51

    A beautiful building and a fine example of mid-century retail architecture that should be sensitively repurposed.

    ReplyDelete
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