47 replies to this topic

[taffy1967]

Interesting debate... been on 28DL and Derelict Places and looked at similar stuff to this.
Taffy have you looked at the history of the Tricorn Centre, Portsmouth? Similar type of thing- 1960s building- seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time but decayed a lot and ended up demolished.

However for a success story look at Park Hill flats in Sheffield- 1960 modernist, then derelict, now being updated by trendy Urban Splash.

Odd- I had no interest in architecture at all until I started looking at Urbex sites- now I find it fascinating.

Yes I'd heard of the Tricorn Centre and that was also designed by the same architect who designed the 'Get Carter' car-park and Gateshead 'Rocket' tower block.

It must be terribly upsetting to see your achievements getting demolished.

I guess that's just Britain for you and the local council allowed these places to fall into terrible disrepair over the decades. No wonder most of our Castles are just ruins.



Oh and yes I believe the Park Hill Flats in Sheffield are also grade II listed too?

Edited by taffy1967, 07 April 2009 - 10:38 PM.

[MiniSal]

Dan, I guess you are talking about Park Prewett ? When I first came to this town in the 1980s , that place was still operational. These days it has become a housing development and totally ruined. Someone I shared an office with in recent times was a bit of a ghost buster and used to go there and take pictures. I love the architecture of all these grand old buildings, but sadly the only memories of their grandeur are found in photographs.

[Dan]

Yes Park Prewett. When we were working there in '96 half the blocks were still open as a hospital. The patients used to wander through our set and it was a bit tricky to keep them out of the way! The blocks we were using had only just been closed, there was still a lot of equipment lying around. We also used the admin buildings and the main hall which had been closed for a long time. Some of the derelict parts were really pretty dangerous. The complex was immense, I saw the original maps and plans for the whole thing and it went on forever. There were original architects drawings for the place in glass cases in the admin buildings which were really interesting. If you want to see more of the place than your photos show try to find a copy of a Channel 4 drama called 'Turning World', that's what we were shooting there. It'll probably be hard to find though, I don't think it's ever been released or even repeated on TV.