http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: "Edinburgh's post-war architecture should be cherished" en Tue, 19 May 2026 11:25:59 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=3#post-121903 Thu, 15 Aug 2013 12:34:26 +0000 cb 121903@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"CONTROVERSIAL plans to knock down a modernist landmark have been suspended, amid substantial opposition from heritage groups and warnings that such action could erode protection for other listed buildings"</p> <p>"The Scottish Provident building in central Edinburgh was to be partly demolished, along with much of the south side of St Andrew Square as part of a major redevelopment project."</p> <p><a href="http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/heritage/brutalist-edinburgh-building-demolition-blocked-1-3045210">http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/heritage/brutalist-edinburgh-building-demolition-blocked-1-3045210</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=3#post-60616 Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:27:39 +0000 cb 60616@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>kaputnik (6 months ago):<br /> "I think I've found a new list to get round and photograph. I've already been to quite a few. Certainly before they try knock down the telephone exchange off Pitsligo Road."</em></p> <p><a href="http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news/top-stories/ringing-the-changes-at-old-bt-site-1-2167892">http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news/top-stories/ringing-the-changes-at-old-bt-site-1-2167892</a></p> <p>"<br /> Merchiston Community Council chair Marianna Clyde said: “We are glad that this hideous building will be demolished but we would much rather have had some affordable housing or a public park rather than more £500,000 luxury homes.”<br /> " </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=3#post-54365 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:16:36 +0000 chdot 54365@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Sir Basil Spence in the Canongate"</p> <p><a href="http://www.blipfoto.com/entry/1691722" rel="nofollow">http://www.blipfoto.com/entry/1691722</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-39210 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 22:18:02 +0000 kaputnik 39210@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I better not be working that weekend then because that part of the office points at the Bypass! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-39209 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 22:15:54 +0000 chdot 39209@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"if it's during work hours"</p> <p>Tends to be done at weekends. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-39208 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 22:03:50 +0000 kaputnik 39208@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://news.stv.tv/scotland/east-central/267552-eyesore-tower-blocks-to-be-demolished/?utm_source=twitterfeed&amp;utm_medium=twitter">'Eyesore' tower blocks to be demolished</a><em></p> <p>Three blocks of flats in Sighthill are to come down as part of Edinburgh Council's regeneration plans.</em></p> <p>(Those would be the three I photographed above. Glad I did now!)</p> <p>Will be a fine site and also a fine one to film / photograph for those of us with nice cameras. Our offices will get a good view if it's during work hours. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-39100 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 20:00:47 +0000 chdot 39100@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>No but yes. </p> <p>It's what you might call industrial heritage, which is generally undervalued. </p> <p>- like the Granton Gas Towers. </p> <p>Obviously some people think such things are ugly and others will try to stop (almost) anything from being removed. </p> <p>Certainly in a city like Edinburgh it's easier to 'airbrush' anything that might be called industrial. </p> <p>I'm not aware of any attempts to conserve the remains of or mark the sites of the Water of Leith mills (about 80) apart from the odd bits at Redhall and Bonnington. The survival of Stenhouse Mill is an anomaly. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-39099 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:49:52 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 39099@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Do these count?</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackpuddinonnabike/6073539541/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6085/6073539541_33fdbe9136.jpg"></a><br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackpuddinonnabike/6073539541/">23_3</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/blackpuddinonnabike/">blackpuddinonnabike</a>, on Flickr</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackpuddinonnabike/6074081236/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6201/6074081236_7bcd75ff85.jpg"></a><br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackpuddinonnabike/6074081236/">23_1</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/blackpuddinonnabike/">blackpuddinonnabike</a>, on Flickr</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackpuddinonnabike/6074083720/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6208/6074083720_5b0597ae2d.jpg"></a><br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackpuddinonnabike/6074083720/">23_6</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/blackpuddinonnabike/">blackpuddinonnabike</a>, on Flickr </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38836 Sun, 21 Aug 2011 10:30:23 +0000 chdot 38836@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"<br /> DaveHenniker: </p> <p>@CyclingEdin Lost Edinburgh are fixing things and will be back soon. Thanks to David McLean who's been overwhelmed by unexpected popularity! </p> <p>Original Tweet: <a href="http://api.twitter.com/1/DaveHenniker/status/105182462476423169" rel="nofollow">http://api.twitter.com/1/DaveHenniker/status/105182462476423169</a><br /> " </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38799 Sat, 20 Aug 2011 14:29:16 +0000 Cyclingmollie 38799@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>...and they've used <a href="http://www.peterstanden.com/index.php?/lanscapes/castle-rock/">Peter Standen's Castle Rock</a> as the main image without crediting the artist (who can be found selling his wonderful prints behind the One World Cafe at St John's.</p> <p>Klaxon: <em>"The council's one is a little better"</em> - the Museums and Galleries section of CC was put together by a single qualified archivist working 14 hours a week for a low wage paid for by MGS on a one year contract. Have you looked at the quality of the descriptions? You might be able to crowdsource that. But I have my doubts. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38791 Sat, 20 Aug 2011 12:14:31 +0000 chdot 38791@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"<br /> DaveHenniker: </p> <p>Lost Edinburgh? Finding more of my work credited to others  <a href="http://t.co/2I5lb0w" rel="nofollow">http://t.co/2I5lb0w</a> <a href="http://t.co/364vAIC" rel="nofollow">http://t.co/364vAIC</a> #copyrightviolation </p> <p>Original Tweet: <a href="http://twitter.com/DaveHenniker/status/104829685648736256" rel="nofollow">http://twitter.com/DaveHenniker/status/104829685648736256</a><br /> " </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38625 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 10:09:10 +0000 chdot 38625@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"we still need quality archiving of digital images, which takes on board concerns about longevity and cataloguing. FB is never going to provide either of those."</p> <p>Yes to the first sentence, not sure about the second.</p> <p>The whole business of 'digital archiving' is developing. British Library is archiving some web sites and there's <a href="http://wayback.archive.org" rel="nofollow">http://wayback.archive.org</a> which is far from comprehensive, but has some web sites that no longer exist - or versions that have since been re-edited - not in any 'sinister' sense, but a lot of sites take down 'old stuff' when they have something new.</p> <p>FB has been criticised for being hard to delete from and You Tube (sometimes) deletes stuff where the copyright is clearly not held by the uploader.</p> <p>Then there is Flickr, with lots of interesting photos taken by all sorts of people (and some by others - not the uploader) randomly 'catalogued'.</p> <p>It's clear that this particular FB page has caught the imagination of a lot of people - so perhaps something 'better' will develop.</p> <p>The whole business of copyright remains a minefield - with a battle between those who think 'everything' should be free and those who actually try to make a living as originators - words, photos, music etc.</p> <p>Will the Herald stop <em>printing</em> before the Scotsman - and will either survive 'in digital form' (discuss).</p> <p>Will the web run for ever? </p> <p>Is the future enough electricity to run a couple of light bulbs (at home) and the rest running server farms and universal free wifi??!!</p> <p>Or maybe 'all' electricity will be reserved for electric cars! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38619 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:44:51 +0000 SRD 38619@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@Klaxon - notwithstanding your good points about access and useability, we still need quality archiving of digital images, which takes on board concerns about longevity and cataloguing. FB is never going to provide either of those. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38618 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:43:57 +0000 chdot 38618@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"selling access to out of copyright images"</p> <p>Yes, I've often wondered about 're-copyrighting' out of copyright photos/maps.</p> <p>edinphoto seems to do the same - though no access restrictions. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38616 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:39:37 +0000 Klaxon 38616@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The above linked websites, with the exception of edinphoto, are all self serving government businesses that make their money selling access to out of copyright images. The council's one is a little better, bur rhcams and scran seek to restrict any access to subscribers only and from what I've tried to use of them in the past, are pretty hard to find what you want on.</p> <p>The Facebook page is well laid out with simple geographic areas and quick to browse through. Instead of going tut tut at the creators why not ask why the aforementioned organisations aren't doing similar populist galleries on their own websites? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38604 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:45:17 +0000 chdot 38604@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Tut tut. I recognise some of those photos from the Scran database, with the copyright restriction conveniently chopped off the bottom!"</p> <p>Seems so -</p> <p>"<br /> If you'd like to see the original sources of many of the images, then I'd recommend the following websites:</p> <p><a href="http://www.rcahms.gov.uk" rel="nofollow">http://www.rcahms.gov.uk</a><br /> <a href="http://www.scran.ac.uk" rel="nofollow">http://www.scran.ac.uk</a><br /> <a href="http://www.capitalcollections.org.uk" rel="nofollow">http://www.capitalcollections.org.uk</a><br /> <a href="http://www.edinphoto.org.uk" rel="nofollow">http://www.edinphoto.org.uk</a><br /> "</p> <p><a href="http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Virtual-crowd-gathers-to-look.6820821.jp?CommentPage=1&amp;CommentPageLength=1000#6350557" rel="nofollow">http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Virtual-crowd-gathers-to-look.6820821.jp?CommentPage=1&amp;CommentPageLength=1000#6350557</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38572 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:01:28 +0000 chdot 38572@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"The real problems were the use of poor quality materials, an initial lack of community facilities and failure of landlords to maintain properties."</p> <p>I know this thread is about 'post war', but it's probably worth looking a bit further back. For instance the housing in Craigmillar was (I believe) designed and built to a high standard. However a new community with the same population as Musselburgh was created without all the facilities of a town of that size. </p> <p>I know someone whose family was moved from the slums of the High Street to this 'brave new world' but disliked the 'open spaces' so much they moved back to the South Side!</p> <p>Housing maintenance/management could have been better and whether mass demolition was a good idea... I think it's safe to say that some of the newer houses are not as robust.</p> <p>Incidentally the architect of Craigmillar also designed the (largely abandoned) <a href="http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_my_p_0/0_my_photographs_0_edinburgh_police_boxes.htm">police boxes</a>.</p> <p>"We really need a new housing revolution in Scotland"</p> <p>Little chance of that. Irrespective of 'politics' and 'money', not sure there's too much consensus of what 'needs to be done'.</p> <p>Too many vested interests. Too much belief that 'everyone' wants a 3 bedroomed box (however small) with a bit of lawn. They probably also want ones with super insulation and low running costs but...</p> <p><a href="http://www.building.co.uk/sectors/housing/wayne-hemingway-in-gateshead-wimpey-à-la-mode/3114615.article">Wayne Hemingway seems to have achieved something</a>.</p> <p>Talking of WH - <a href="http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3670">this just happened</a>! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38444 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 23:33:25 +0000 Arellcat 38444@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em><a href="http://facebook.com/lostedinburgh" rel="nofollow">http://facebook.com/lostedinburgh</a></em></p> <p>Tut tut. I recognise some of those photos from the Scran database, with the copyright restriction conveniently chopped off the bottom!</p> <p>The Portobello Pool set is fantastic, though.</p> <p>I was poking around Lochend the other day in the Butterfly development, and some of the new flats built no more than four years ago are already showing signs of age, with salt leaching out of the orangey-brown breeze blocks. Another 30 years and who knows what state they'll be in? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38422 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:49:18 +0000 kaputnik 38422@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>However "ugly" or "eyesore" the Weir of Hermiston flats up there look after 50 years, I seriously doubt the huge developments around Western Harbour and Granton Harbour (or whatever fancy "quarter" name they go by now) will look any better after 10 years. And looking at the structure of the older flats now that the skeleton is beginning to be revealed, they look seriously heavily engineered.</p> <p>Like you, Mornignsider, I (pessimistically perhaps) think this sort of history is destined to repeat itself with a lot of very recent developments. Even developments that are only 3 or 4 years old and at least looked clean and tidy when they were finished are now beginning to look tired and ugly - rust streaks down the side where boiler vents are, mould/mildew/moss growing where damp collects, coloured concrete / mock stone cladding staining, double glazing / glass block walls filling with condensation. And the finishing on the cladding always looked cheap and rushed - in panels with seams down the main face of the structure that looked like the join was filled with white silicon sealant, and lots of little plastic vents sticking out, I presume to allow air to circulate into the cavity. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38419 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:25:55 +0000 Morningsider 38419@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I suspect the fact the "ugly" but generously proportioned post war housing was mainly built by the public sector while the jauntily designed but meanly sized 80's onwards housing built by the private may go some way towards explaining the effect discussed in the BBC article.</p> <p>Changes in design also reflect a general move away from communal living and attempts to level out society in the post-war period. It's easy to criticise post war housing developmets and new towns, but they were built with the best of intentions - giving less well-off people previously unobtainable comforts (inside toilets!) and good sized properties. The real problems were the use of poor quality materials, an initial lack of community facilities and failure of landlords to maintain properties. The best of such schemes have thrived and aren't thought of as "60's" developments, a tag only normally applied to failed estates.</p> <p>We really need a new housing revolution in Scotland or we are in danger of the slow development of modern slums, i.e. large concentrations of poor quality, private rented housing largely used by young and less well paid workers. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38418 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:08:30 +0000 kaputnik 38418@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@smudge - despite whatever failings they have (had), my inner sceptic really doesn't think that their replacements will be any better (inside or out) or longer lasting.</p> <p>The buildings still look struturally and cosmetically sound and intact. I suppose they're just too out of fashion.</p> <p><em>the view wasn't bad at all</em></p> <p>I imagine the view, from the right flat, could be amazing! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38417 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:37:38 +0000 Smudge 38417@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@Kaputnik; "Ok, not even I will get sentimental about Weir / Hermiston / Glenalmond Court"</p> <p>I had a flat there (Glenalmond Court) for a little while after finding myself suddenly needing council accomodation, rooms were a reasonable size, soundproofing on the whole pretty good and the view wasn't bad at all. I wont miss it, but it wasn't bad :)</p> <p>Got to admit though, they weren't the most attractive buildings from the outside! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38416 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:25:49 +0000 kaputnik 38416@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I think I've found a new list to get round and photograph. I've already been to quite a few. Certainly before they try knock down the telephone exchange off Pitsligo Road. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38415 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:22:01 +0000 chdot 38415@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>This seems to be popular in the inter-web world -</p> <p><a href="http://facebook.com/lostedinburgh" rel="nofollow">http://facebook.com/lostedinburgh</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38414 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:07:16 +0000 kaputnik 38414@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Another interesting read from Historic Scotland as a free pdf <a href="http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/postwarlistedbuildings.pdf">Edinburgh’s Post-War Listed Buildings</a></p> <p>And just realised that my Great Uncle lives in number 8 on the list (page 20). Best get round for some close up shots! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38408 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:43:09 +0000 kaputnik 38408@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I read that earlier, cb. The author was far better at putting my thoughts into words than I am :)</p> <p>quote - <em>What there is, is a new housing development. Little detached boxes in cul-de-sacs, designed for two purposes - maximising car parking and maximising profit. Each house has a little neo-Georgian porch, what the developers call a "gob-on". </em> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38405 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:15:57 +0000 cb 38405@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14547088">BBC | Why does regeneration create so many ugly buildings?</a></p> <p>"<br /> For better or worse, the buildings of the 1960s were designed from the inside out. Even the most reviled of blocks contain spacious apartments. Even the most alarming crumbling concrete hulks have residents who will say: "But they're lovely inside." </p> <p>The new blocks are designed from the outside in, irregular windows and brightly-coloured cladding hide the tiny, mean proportions and a total lack of planning for human use.<br /> " </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38158 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:58:19 +0000 kaputnik 38158@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>For anyone who's interested, a fascinating book by Historic Scotland available online as a PDF here; <a href="http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/scotlandbuildingthefuture.pdf">Scotland - Building The Future</a></p> <p>Covers all aspects of post-war achitecture from housing, schools, places of worship, civic buildings and industry. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38105 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 23:15:38 +0000 kaputnik 38105@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Ok, not even I will get sentimental about Weir / Hermiston / Glenalmond Court</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaputniq/6043379238/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6086/6043379238_9db85e480c.jpg"></a></p> <p>Although the pastel coloured panels looked quite nice when the light caught them.</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaputniq/6042830955/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6087/6042830955_d2c6432232.jpg"></a></p> <p>At first I thought there were kids in them smashing things, or stripping out wiring / piping (look at the bigger photo, window above third red-panel up from the bottom). But then saw hard hats and fluorescent vests so assume it was the implosion men going about their business. Appeared to be draping wires out of the holes knocked in the exterior panels. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1675&page=2#post-38080 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:03:44 +0000 chdot 38080@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Not Edinburgh, but a classic example of what can happen if an 'iconic' building can't be found a new purpose -</p> <p><a href="http://www.hiddenglasgow.com/StPeters" rel="nofollow">http://www.hiddenglasgow.com/StPeters</a> </p>