The lower levels were originally supposed to be the "servants quarters" bit, keeping all the uneducated maintenance and administration types away from the high brow academics, but it hasn't been used like that for decades and plenty of students spend time down there.
That sounds like the premise of that new Tom Hiddleson film.High Rise.
Just remembered this movie from 2000 (I actually have it on VHS somewhere) - these people make a bet not to go outside as they can get from home to work through walkways - and weird stuff happens. (It's a movie, not a documentary BTW).. Just think it kind of fits with the 'block' idea.
That's also a psychological thing..it's yours until they want to build a bypass and then invoke the "imminent domain" law. :))
Eminent domain, to be pedantic (simply called "compulsory purchase" here).
As for living in flats, I've done it, and it didn't bother me that I had neighbours above and below. The real drawback was that you have to always be as quiet as a mouse to avoid annoying anyone, most of these places are built with terrible soundproofing (especially in the US, which is where I spent the most time in this kind of place). The couple upstairs didn't have to play their music very loud for me to hear it just perfectly (I used to follow it on my keyboard!) But then again, I wasn't going to complain because I hosted LAN parties from time to time and it probably sounded like a gun massacre in progress...
As for living in flats, I've done it, and it didn't bother me that I had neighbours above and below. The real drawback was that you have to always be as quiet as a mouse to avoid annoying anyone, most of these places are built with terrible soundproofing (especially in the US, which is where I spent the most time in this kind of place). The couple upstairs didn't have to play their music very loud for me to hear it just perfectly (I used to follow it on my keyboard!) But then again, I wasn't going to complain because I hosted LAN parties from time to time and it probably sounded like a gun massacre in progress...
I lived in a few flats in my time but by far the noisiest place I ever lived was a semi-detached new-ish build house (6 or 7 years old when we bought it in 2001). It was a one bedroom house, literally two up two down, and the dividing wall was like plasterboard or the set of Neighbours.
We used to hear everything from next door - usually the wife (Romanian) calling the husband (English) a "f*cking prick", which he was, especially at 3am on Sunday mornings after he'd come back from the pub stoned out of his tiny mind and treated us to the whole of f*cking Dark Side Of The Moon turned up to 11.
Then we had a baby and the tosser moved away because he "couldn't cope with the noise". Boo f*cking hoo!
I love my 1940s-built council house, we never hear the neighbours. The walls between our rooms are three times as thick as the dividing wall in our old house.
The now partially demolished Anderston Centre in Glasgow:
This part is now demolished:
The Business Centre section, still standing but vacant
The view from nearby, some parts have been demolished or upgraded:
It also used to have a bus station but that was closed in 1993, since then, it became a magnet for prostitutes and vandals so it was pulled down. Parts still exist and actually house businesses but it's not a place to hang around at night. The history of the centre (and its failure) is here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anderston_Centre
It's weathered well that Anserston House. I really do like the look of it. Its a shame that most or the architects visions did not work well for the target audience. If humans were just a bit nicer some of these 60s/70s experiments could have been marvelous places to live and socialize.
However, I guess had they have worked, the govt would have done more and more of them, bigger, taller wider, and we'd of ended up with a total concrete dystopia. As a teen I always imagined in a perfect world, tower blocks full of young adults could have been a very fun, promiscuous and socially fulfilling place to live.
I think the main issue is that by the 80's, councils had pretty much left these places to rot... it really didn't take long for these places to become complete shitholes.
it really didn't take long for these places to become complete shitholes.
About 10 minutes after the first brick was laid. People designed these things?! They're horrendous! It's like an architectural ugly bird competition!
Totally agree with you. I loathe the whole Bauhaus bullshit design ethos, had monster rows with my instructors at college over this. Mies van de Rohe is a frigging vandal in my opinion, trying to foist we humans with his robotic slabs for androids to be installed into.
In Durham, theres a public footbridge called Kingsgate Bridge. It was built in 1966.. Back in the mid 90s, it won an award of 'Mature concrete infrastructure' or something, and it was all a bit of a joke.
Well I went back there recently for the first time in years, and the bridge is .... actually rather beautiful. I don't know what has changed in me.
It's weathered well that Anserston House. I really do like the look of it. Its a shame that most or the architects visions did not work well for the target audience. If humans were just a bit nicer some of these 60s/70s experiments could have been marvelous places to live and socialize.
However, I guess had they have worked, the govt would have done more and more of them, bigger, taller wider, and we'd of ended up with a total concrete dystopia. As a teen I always imagined in a perfect world, tower blocks full of young adults could have been a very fun, promiscuous and socially fulfilling place to live.
I went to have a look at it a few weeks ago and it looks odd now because some bits are demolished. It looks kind of chopped up and was difficult to try and vision what it looked like in the 70's/80's. It didn't help that a Marriott Hotel and also a Hilton was built over part of the site. There's plans to demolish the Business Centre but so far nothing has been done.
I got a bit obsessed with the Centre and looked quite deeply into its history. I like to look at local history.
I have warm childhood memories of the 60's and 70s built estates, housing and concrete shopping centers when everything still looked fresh as a daisy. This would have been the end of the 70s and pre 85.
I can even remember the design aesthetic on things such as street lighting. It seem to be every well thought out and looked good together.
Concrete lamp posts, you dont see them on new builds any more and I expect they are very much dying out in the UK.
As a teen I always imagined in a perfect world, tower blocks full of young adults could have been a very fun, promiscuous and socially fulfilling place to live.
The reality is that these housing blocks have such isolated communities that inbreeding of families is very much the case now. I was more than a little surprised to learn how common that was a few years back.
Some of these might look sort-of OK if someone would just take a pressure-washer to the outside of the buildings to scrub the grime off now and again. Then again, so might Sheffield.
Well, I know a place in Portugal where they built these tower blocks (on top of the sand dunes!?) back in the 70's - The ofir towers condo.
Obviously the primary use of the flats is for holidays during summer time but apparently there are 12 families actually living there all year round!
Big problem is when the high tides and bad weather make the sea engulf the beach and slowly erode the coast line threatening the buildings themeselves.
Yeah, it must be fabulous during the summer (night party! \:D/ ) but I can't imagine myself living in a flat seeing nothing but water till your eyes can reach, hearing the waves crashing over and over, wondering if a big one is going to take the house down, dealing with the gusts of wind on the windows and bearing all the cold, moisture and fog of the winter season.. not to mention the maintenace costs of a building built that close to the sea water. Must feel like living in a huge light house!
...or perhaps not. :-w
Just found out that some of the flats for rent are truly incredible. :-O
(Mind you, I don't have any real estate interests in there or know anyone with.)
! Standby alert !
“There are four lights!”
Step up to red alert. Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb!
Looking forward to summer in Somerset later in the year :)
Comments
Stunning, at 2000 a piece I bet the artist is doing well.
http://www.maltebrandenburg.com/portfolio/
That sounds like the premise of that new Tom Hiddleson film.High Rise.
@luny@mstdn.games
https://www.luny.co.uk
http://www.citymetric.com/sites/default/files/article_body_2016/03/exterior_273_3_two_workmen_survey_the_lakeside_faoade_nov_1979.jpg
http://www.citymetric.com/sites/default/files/article_body_2016/03/conservatory_348_7_a_tree_makes_its_way_into_the_conservatory_from_silk_street_via_crane_mar_1980.jpg
http://www.citymetric.com/sites/default/files/styles/nodeimage/public/article_2016/03/exterior_736_3_the_completed_lakeside_and_fountains_oct_1981.jpg
http://www.citymetric.com/fabric/newly-available-pictures-barbican-under-construction-are-basically-brutalism-porn-1907
http://www.barbican.org.uk/buildingthebrutal/
I've been in one of those towers. Can't remember why. Amazing views though.
Buying weed :))
Ha! I was about 13 or 14 and with my mum, something to do with her work I think. I didn't even know what weed was when I was 13 or 14!
"Oh don't worry about this son, it's ...erm...herbal tea....it helps with my erm....sinuses"
Eminent domain, to be pedantic (simply called "compulsory purchase" here).
As for living in flats, I've done it, and it didn't bother me that I had neighbours above and below. The real drawback was that you have to always be as quiet as a mouse to avoid annoying anyone, most of these places are built with terrible soundproofing (especially in the US, which is where I spent the most time in this kind of place). The couple upstairs didn't have to play their music very loud for me to hear it just perfectly (I used to follow it on my keyboard!) But then again, I wasn't going to complain because I hosted LAN parties from time to time and it probably sounded like a gun massacre in progress...
I lived in a few flats in my time but by far the noisiest place I ever lived was a semi-detached new-ish build house (6 or 7 years old when we bought it in 2001). It was a one bedroom house, literally two up two down, and the dividing wall was like plasterboard or the set of Neighbours.
We used to hear everything from next door - usually the wife (Romanian) calling the husband (English) a "f*cking prick", which he was, especially at 3am on Sunday mornings after he'd come back from the pub stoned out of his tiny mind and treated us to the whole of f*cking Dark Side Of The Moon turned up to 11.
Then we had a baby and the tosser moved away because he "couldn't cope with the noise". Boo f*cking hoo!
I love my 1940s-built council house, we never hear the neighbours. The walls between our rooms are three times as thick as the dividing wall in our old house.
http://fotojks.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/london-barbican.jpg
http://www.urban75.org/blog/images/barbican-london-photos-13.jpg
https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/4e/22/aa/barbican-centre-canals.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/London_barbican_20.JPG
The now partially demolished Anderston Centre in Glasgow:
This part is now demolished:
The Business Centre section, still standing but vacant
The view from nearby, some parts have been demolished or upgraded:
It also used to have a bus station but that was closed in 1993, since then, it became a magnet for prostitutes and vandals so it was pulled down. Parts still exist and actually house businesses but it's not a place to hang around at night. The history of the centre (and its failure) is here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anderston_Centre
I visited the Bauhaus in Dessau when it was still East Germany, that was way cool.
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However, I guess had they have worked, the govt would have done more and more of them, bigger, taller wider, and we'd of ended up with a total concrete dystopia. As a teen I always imagined in a perfect world, tower blocks full of young adults could have been a very fun, promiscuous and socially fulfilling place to live.
About 10 minutes after the first brick was laid. People designed these things?! They're horrendous! It's like an architectural ugly bird competition!
Totally agree with you. I loathe the whole Bauhaus bullshit design ethos, had monster rows with my instructors at college over this. Mies van de Rohe is a frigging vandal in my opinion, trying to foist we humans with his robotic slabs for androids to be installed into.
https://mb.boardhost.com/BikerMike/index.html?1593001131
You'll be telling me that The Designers Republic and Build are rubbish, too, with it's use of brutalist buildings within it's design!
Seriously, though, if we all liked the same things the world would be incredibly boring, eh?
Well I went back there recently for the first time in years, and the bridge is .... actually rather beautiful. I don't know what has changed in me.
I went to have a look at it a few weeks ago and it looks odd now because some bits are demolished. It looks kind of chopped up and was difficult to try and vision what it looked like in the 70's/80's. It didn't help that a Marriott Hotel and also a Hilton was built over part of the site. There's plans to demolish the Business Centre but so far nothing has been done.
I got a bit obsessed with the Centre and looked quite deeply into its history. I like to look at local history.
I can even remember the design aesthetic on things such as street lighting. It seem to be every well thought out and looked good together.
Concrete lamp posts, you dont see them on new builds any more and I expect they are very much dying out in the UK.
- IONIAN-GAMES.com -
Obviously the primary use of the flats is for holidays during summer time but apparently there are 12 families actually living there all year round!
Big problem is when the high tides and bad weather make the sea engulf the beach and slowly erode the coast line threatening the buildings themeselves.
Yeah, it must be fabulous during the summer (night party! \:D/ ) but I can't imagine myself living in a flat seeing nothing but water till your eyes can reach, hearing the waves crashing over and over, wondering if a big one is going to take the house down, dealing with the gusts of wind on the windows and bearing all the cold, moisture and fog of the winter season.. not to mention the maintenace costs of a building built that close to the sea water. Must feel like living in a huge light house!
...or perhaps not. :-w
Just found out that some of the flats for rent are truly incredible. :-O
(Mind you, I don't have any real estate interests in there or know anyone with.)
=P~ =P~ =P~ Ooooh, now that's cosy!
Stainless steel lamp post appears to be the current in-favour type around most parts in my area.
Mark
Repair Guides. Spanish Hardware site.
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! Standby alert !
“There are four lights!”
Step up to red alert. Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb!
Looking forward to summer in Somerset later in the year :)