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City North scheme - wow!

Alex SAlex S
edited June 2008 in Local discussion
Hi, new to the site. Anybody seen the winning design for the revamp of FP station? <a href="http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=3116455"> www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=3116455</a> Blimey. What do people think?
I can't quite get my head round it but it's pretty ambitious stuff. Can't think of anything to compare it to, except maybe Barking Square. Interested to know what the leisure element will be. 480 apartments!

<img src="http://www.bdonline.co.uk/Pictures/web/k/k/i/Benson_Forsyth_25_ready.jpg" alt="City North site" />
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  • IanIan
    edited 3:00PM
    Cool...
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  • PetePete
    edited 3:00PM
    There is a reason they make these models stark white.
    Imagine, if you will, if it was grey concrete, of breezeblock. Would the design still stand up?

    I maintain that circular buildings have no place in modern architecture. Think, whats the reason behind using a cylinder? Why a cylinder? What does a cylinder do so well?

    I think I need convincing that cylinders are only there to distract and decoy away and be nothing more than a folly.
    "Look its lovely because its not a bland square!"

    I draw you to these sentences:
    “The chaotic geometry of the nearby railway line has effectively distorted the orthogonal nature of the city grid,” Benson said.

    Chaotic geometry... Distorted orthogonal...
    Translation: Messy lines mess up the messed up lines

    "Practice principal Gordon Benson said the design would be integrated contextually locally and at the citywide level."
    “Our scheme will reinstate an orthogonal geometry at local level, with bold vertical elements to establish its presence in north London and the wider city context.”

    What kind of bullshit is this? You cannot integrate locally and citywide. The only way to do that is to design bland, and keep bland, push no envelopes. Its like marketing Smirnoff: you can sell it to anyone because it completely lacks any defining charactertistic. "Bold vertical elements" means it will be tall. Orthogonal means they'll form a triangle to the railway line.

    A building to integrate into the whole of London? London has the size, population, ethnicity and identity compared to several countries let alone several cities. A mass appeal to all sensibilities will only provide a context that wishes to not offend anyone. I also point out the "mixed use" language to show that this is a building designed to serve no purpose but all. No soul except functionality. No design expect flexibility.

    I've been reading a lot of Marc Auge and Hans Ibelings today. SupermodernStroudGreen
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  • LizLiz
    edited June 2008
    I'm clearly very dense - I can't work out which way round this goes or its relationship to any other FP landmarks, so find it v hard to comment! Helpful tips greatly appreciated, especially if anyone can work out whether it means the existing City North complex with lovely Yoga Junction in it will be affected...
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  • Mike from LondonMike from London
    edited 3:00PM
    Impressive. A filing cabinet, water butt and two steel shelving units.
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  • katiejanekatiejane
    edited 3:00PM
    It reminds me of Jake and Dinos Chapman's 'Fucking Hell'. Just needs a gazillion skeletons in nazi helmets and pig faces...
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  • SimonBSimonB
    edited 3:00PM
    Jake and Dinos Chapman work next door to me in Shoreditch ... fact of the day :)
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  • ShaunGShaunG
    edited June 2008
    @Liz - I think it covers the whole block between Wells Terrace and Fonthill Rd.

    <iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&t=h&s=AARTsJq_bzYeoLMNXYLBQeXf8Rkes2ffyg&msa=0&msid=114110531567263915570.0004503f1d13815856ae7&ll=51.564599,-0.107524&spn=0.004669,0.00912&z=16&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&t=h&msa=0&msid=114110531567263915570.0004503f1d13815856ae7&ll=51.564599,-0.107524&spn=0.004669,0.00912&z=16&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>

    Apologies if this attempted map cocks up - I'm not too great at this.

    Shaun
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  • LizLiz
    edited 3:00PM
    Worked perfectly, and makes much more sense now, thanks ShaunG. It seems very close to the railway line for a major residential development though - the railway line is at the bottom of my garden and down a cutting and it's noisy enough there. I'll have to ask at Yoga Junction what they think is going to happen - there are quite a lot of interesting businesses in City North so I think it would be a shame not to rehouse them in the new development, but I guess it's unlikely to be practical given how long it will take to do.
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  • JoeVJoeV
    edited June 2008
    @Pete I noticed the “The chaotic geometry of the nearby railway line has effectively distorted the orthogonal nature of the city grid" quote and I'm confused as well.

    This makes sense if London was a grid city like New York, but it's not. How can the railway line distort the city grid when there is no grid?
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  • andyandy
    edited 3:00PM
    Can't decide whether this a 'good thing' or a big white elephant. There's nothing to suggest it won't be like every other tube station redevelopment. I agree with Pete - showing it all in white doesn't give you any idea what it will be like at all.
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  • BridgetBridget
    edited 3:00PM
    Hopefully it will have an M&S.
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  • krappyrubsnifkrappyrubsnif
    edited 3:00PM
    And an X-It.
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  • tosscattosscat
    edited 3:00PM
    Dear Bridget, I do hope you're joking.
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  • diondion
    edited 3:00PM
    Holloway has a Waitrose! Why can't Finsbury Park have an M&S?
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  • tosscattosscat
    edited 3:00PM
    It can if it wants, it's dull though. How about a Netto and a Lidl to start a price war. I think a BK or and MD is likely too.
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  • katiejanekatiejane
    edited 3:00PM
    My wish list: Wagamama; M&S Simply Food (for raspberry royales and percy pigs); Monmouth coffee; a new Curzon cinema; a Rose bakery; Space NK; a knitting shop; Foyles; a branch of the Tate; decent florist; a swiss chocolatier...
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  • BridgetBridget
    edited 3:00PM
    No Im not joking, it would be nice to have somewhere within walking distance to get nice bread and food and not have to go to Crouch End.

    Apparently where Lidel is there was going to be a Tesco but the locals fought against it and a Lidel went there instead which they are gutted about. I was told this by someone who complained about the impending Tesco!

    I also hope that they have loads of chain shops too which will be a breath of fresh air around here. A Yo Sushi, a Space NK a WH Smith or Borders.

    We can but dream.
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  • katiejanekatiejane
    edited 3:00PM
    ...and a Whole Foods. Yummm!
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  • katiejanekatiejane
    edited June 2008
    @ Bridget - that's two votes for Space NK! Bring it on!

    However - I have to disagree with you on one point - M&S has never, ever done nice bread.
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  • BridgetBridget
    edited 3:00PM
    You cant beat Dunns for a good loaf!
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  • BridgetBridget
    edited 3:00PM
    Yes a Whole Foods!

    How long is the FS revamp going to take 5 years? Will make sure I wont move until then. Ive been telling everyone we are getting an M&S - you should see their faces light up!
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  • andyandy
    edited June 2008
    A Whole Foods!? This is what there will be: A McDonalds, a Ladbrokes, a Cash Converters, a Costa Coffee and a Peacocks. It's a tube station precinct - think Archway, not San Francisco.
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  • BridgetBridget
    edited 3:00PM
    Ha ha ha ha ha!

    You have shattered my dreams.
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  • andyandy
    edited 3:00PM
    you seem to have taken it well. tread softly and all that.
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  • andyandy
    edited 3:00PM
    @katiejane - with that list, you should probably live in Borough. Coin Street or somewhere like that. Ticks every box I think.
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  • katiejanekatiejane
    edited 3:00PM
    @ andy - wash your mouth out! South of the River? I think not! Pah!

    I do love a good Peacocks, me. How about a Subway too - they seem to be proliferating into some quality sites - lovely!
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  • BridgetBridget
    edited 3:00PM
    oooh give me a Star burger








    An AMT would be nice...
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  • LizLiz
    edited 3:00PM
    People, a Wholefoods? Have you been in the one in Kensington High Street? It's astronomically expensive. Last time I went (more as a spectator sport than anything else), I happened to have been to a health food shop in Kew Gardens earlier in the day and still had my shopping with me. I compared the prices on identical products and Wholefoods was about a third more expensive, and the shop I originally bought the stuff in was pretty pricey in the first place. Now, I'm no fan of Tesco and cheap food which penalises producer/farmers, but Wholefoods is on a whole other level. And they must have to throw away shed loads of food which doesn't get sold, which also makes me a bit sad. If there's a cinema and space for Yoga Junction, that would be nice.
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  • PetePete
    edited 3:00PM
    Reading this thread, its like SG.org has all the potential to become a localised think tank.

    Even if it is preferences for what kind of bakery.
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  • tosscattosscat
    edited 3:00PM
    The think tank seems a bit girly to me - will the cinema show nothing but SATC? @ Bridget - with comments like "I also hope that they have loads of chain shops too which will be a breath of fresh air around here" you are gonna get yourself killed
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