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MODULE 3DD2048

Historical Architectural Design and Materials 2012/13

3DD2048ES1

Weston Favell Shopping Centre

An Analysis of a Brutalist Building

Please produce an individual, illustrated comb-bound A3 report on ONE of the following three buildings:

1. Weston Favell Shopping Centre2. Greyfriars Bus Station3. Park Hill estate, Sheffield

Please observe the following:

Word Length: 1500 or equivalent as a mix of text and images, plans

Deadline: 12.3.15

Turnitin upload as a pdf file

No resit-in-term: Capped (D-) resit deadline as confirmed by university

Option One: Weston Favell Shopping Centre

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Weston Favell shopping centre, opened in 1974, is one of the earliest examples of purpose-built, out-of-town shopping centres in Britain – and possibly Europe. An example of Modernist design and construction, it remains a successful venture which has been capable of adaptation to meet modern shopping requirements. Many of the ideas developed by Le Corbusier can be seen in the design and construction, and this report enables you either to evaluate these, or, analyze the construction of the complex. Please choose one of the two options.

Option 1: Evaluate Weston Favell Shopping Centre using Le Corbusier's 5 Points of Architecture (Modernist Design).

The key aim of the assignment is to evaluate the extent to which Le Corbusier influenced the original Weston Favell architects with his 5 Points. Whether you approach this using mostly text, or graphic material, is up to you. My preference would be a report along the lines of the Barbican assignment - e.g. mostly graphic material with captions.

Please do not copy and paste large chunks of material from the internet about Le Corbusier and his 5 points. Instead, relate the 5 points to Weston Favell. An analysis of the shopping centre along the following lines is required:

- Plan / Elevations / facades / finishes- Construction- Materials- Stairs, elevators- Later additions- Wider context – pedestrian walkways, links to local

housing

You should also indicate whether you think the complex is successful, both from its original design intentions and also, in its present usage.

Option 2: Evaluate the design, construction and materials adopted for the Weston Favell Shopping Centre.

Evaluate the approach taken to the construction of the centre. Using materials originally provided by Michael Ellard, the architect who completed the centre, produce a report showing the various aspects of site construction and materials used.

- Approach to construction- Plan- Roof construction – e.g. coffered ceiling- Elevation / facades / finishes- Pilotis

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- Stairs, elevators- Elevated walkways

You have been provided with a powerpoint presentation which contains a series of photographs taken by Michael Ellard at various points in the construction process.

We will visit the shopping centre, and nearby Pearce Building (an Art Deco office block from 1939). You should also visit the local studies section of Weston Favell library, which has a range of useful materials on the history and development of the site.

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Option Two: Greyfriars Bus Station, Northampton

Greyfriars was opened in 1976 to serve as the main bus station for the town, in addition to providing office space for Barclaycard. The bus station was designed to accommodate 40,000 passengers and 1700 buses a day. The bus station is to be demolished in 2014 once the new facility is opened. Reactions to Greyfriars vary widely, principally because of its external appearance. However, it is not only the aesthetic aspect of a building which determines its relative success and in many respects it can be argued that given the design requirements and budget at the time, it was successful. It is only subsequently that the building has become only partially occupied – e.g. with Barclaycard’s departure because of the difficulties of incorporating modern IT technology into a building constructed before the ‘computer age’.

Option 1: Evaluate the approach taken to the construction of the bus station and produce a report showing the various aspects of site construction and materials used.

- Approach to construction- Plan- Roof construction - Elevation / facades / finishes / textures- Office space- Stairs, elevators- Rooftop garden

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Option 2: Evaluate the original purpose of the Greyfriars building and whether you consider it to have been a successful design at the time it was built. You should also consider its subsequent use. Please discuss the following:

- Plan / Elevations / facades / finishes / textures- Construction / materials- Stairs, elevators, the subways for pedestrians in the

immediate area- Barclaycard’s offices [and their obsolescence through IT

technology] - Rooftop garden- Later alterations - Wider context – pedestrian walkways, links to Grosvenor

Centre- Relationship to immediate area (roads, other buildings,

landscape) - Should it be Listed as an example of 1970s Brutalism?

We will arrange a visit to the bus station, which may include a look around the Barclaycard offices as they demolish the structure.

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Option Three: Park Hill Estate, Sheffield

Park Hill was opened in 1961 as a substantial Brutalist housing development, aimed at re-housing many people who had previously lived in poor quality terraced housing. Le Corbusier’s Brutalist designs and Beton Brut construction were significant influences on its architect, Jack Lynn, who died on 15th October this year. Most were very pleased with their new homes, as confirmed by many interviews with residents in its early years. When first built it was visited by many architects. It was only in later years that the estate acquired a bad name for drug-dealing, gangs and anti-social behaviour, which in turn has blighted its earlier good reputation. Subsequently, Urban Splash were involved in a major refurbishment of the site which resulted in only the concrete matrix, or frame, being retained, the remainder of the grade II listed building being entirely replaced. We saw a film about this recently.

Option 1: Evaluate the approach taken to the construction of the estate and produce a report showing the various aspects of site construction and materials used.

- Approach to construction- Roof construction - Elevation / plan / facades / finishes- Individual flats- Stairs, elevators- Driveways for delivery of milk etc - Refurbishment of the site by Urban Splash

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- Does the new remodelling make use of materials and technology which was not available when first built?

You should devote broadly 60% of your report to the original design, and 40% to the remodelling work. It makes sense to approach the report in two parts, with a final conclusion offering your thoughts on which is the most successful design, relative to the time when first built and used.

We have considered this set of buildings in relation to the Brutalist style during teaching sessions, and it bears some comparison with the Barbican complex. A range of material is available about Park Hill, and there is also an obituary for the architect, which will be provided to you.

Option 2: Compare the original Park Hill design with the newer, Urban Splash concept with a focus on the following elements:

- Plan / Elevations / facades / finishes- Construction / materials- Stairs, elevators, the subways for pedestrians in the

immediate area- Wider context – pedestrian walkways- Relationship to immediate area (roads, other buildings,

landscape, railway station) - Should the original 1960s work have been removed so

that only the concrete frame remains from the original construction?

- Does the new remodelling make use of design elements which was not available or possible when first built?

You should devote broadly 60% of your report to the original design, and 40% to the remodelling work. It makes sense to approach the report in two parts, with a final conclusion offering your thoughts on which is the most successful design, relative to the time when first built and used.

We have considered this set of buildings in relation to the Brutalist style during teaching sessions, and it bears some comparison with the Barbican complex. A range of material is available about Park Hill, and there is also an obituary for the architect, which will be provided to you.

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