BAKE OFF’S NO CARBUNCLE
I was pleased to see that the Trinity Square development in Gateshead did not “win” the Carbuncle Cup for being the worst new building of 2014.
http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/sep/03/what-is-the-ugliest-building-in-britain
The dubious honour went to another development, with a Tesco store as its focus, in south-east London. The judges described it as “oppressive, defensive, arrogant and inept”. I worked with Tesco on its Trinity Square scheme and certainly here saw no sign of arrogance or ineptitude in the approach of all parties: architect, builder, Tesco and Gateshead Council.
We made a video when work was getting underway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-yMs7hV_uc
I am no town planner or expert on architecture but who, apart from Get Carter devotees, really thinks the horrible grey concrete car park was preferable to what Trinity Square has become? I am sure the hundreds of people who now work in the centre of Gateshead do not. The sooner the rest of the monstrosities from the 60s and 70s disappear the better.
On a totally different subject it has been reported that The Great British Bake Off was last night seen by nearly double (8.3m) the number of people who watched the England versus Norway football match.
We can understand the reasons for the football turn off – a friendly, World Cup failure, Rooney, Chiles, Tyldesley, too much TV football…but to be spanked by a programme about baking cakes! The incredibly Mary Berry’s first book – The Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook – was published in 1970. So not everything coming out of that time was bad.