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General Developments

if it's about Cardiff.. Sport, Entertainment, Transportation, Business, Development Projects, Leisure, Eating, Drinking, Nightlife, Shopping, Train Spotting! etc.. then we want it here!
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redragon

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Re: General Developments

PostTue Dec 19, 2017 12:45 am

I am aware of them from my time in London and the SE. They are renowned (to me at least!) fortheir crap shopfronts and buildings. Just look at their website.

And while they are the only bank bucking the trend (f***ing NatWest has closed virtually every branch), it's a horrible aesthetic.
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Karl

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Re: General Developments

PostTue Dec 19, 2017 11:06 am

Lewisbeecham wrote:It's really hard to tell form those renders. And I don't totally dislike it, check out their other stores, it's not far off.

Plus that store only attracts crappy pop-ups which in my opinion only bring down Queen Street.


Lewis, I really admire your sunny disposition and 'glass half full' sentiment when looking at this proposal. I agree that the current buildings are under utilised and may be configured in such a way as to make them virtually unusable for modern retailers. I don't have a huge problem with them being demolished.

But I have to say that the proposal for the new building is as grim as anything I've seen in some time. I've looked online at Metro Bank's other stores and they all seem to be utterly awful. Even older, reasonably attractive buildings have been cheapened by the Metro Bank branding.

I've looked at the planning app a number of times just to make sure I'm not missing something or perhaps the design will grow on me. But it seems to me to be a combination of everything that cheapens the urban fabric - inappropriate and overbearing signage, shite render, lack of detail, complete disregard for its surroundings, cheap glazing, unambitious etc etc.

However it will make the Boots building look better in comparison - thats me trying to be positive.
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Kyle

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Re: General Developments

PostTue Dec 19, 2017 12:04 pm

Karl wrote:
Lewisbeecham wrote:It's really hard to tell form those renders. And I don't totally dislike it, check out their other stores, it's not far off.

Plus that store only attracts crappy pop-ups which in my opinion only bring down Queen Street.


Lewis, I really admire your sunny disposition and 'glass half full' sentiment when looking at this proposal. I agree that the current buildings are under utilised and may be configured in such a way as to make them virtually unusable for modern retailers. I don't have a huge problem with them being demolished.

But I have to say that the proposal for the new building is as grim as anything I've seen in some time. I've looked online at Metro Bank's other stores and they all seem to be utterly awful. Even older, reasonably attractive buildings have been cheapened by the Metro Bank branding.

I've looked at the planning app a number of times just to make sure I'm not missing something or perhaps the design will grow on me. But it seems to me to be a combination of everything that cheapens the urban fabric - inappropriate and overbearing signage, shite render, lack of detail, complete disregard for its surroundings, cheap glazing, unambitious etc etc.

However it will make the Boots building look better in comparison - thats me trying to be positive.


It's pretty shit isn't it?

What worries me is we've become so used to average and below average buildings that it seems okay to the planners and maybe they are driven more by the jobs that will be coming than anything else.
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Ash

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Re: General Developments

PostTue Dec 19, 2017 12:40 pm

Karl wrote:
However it will make the Boots building look better in comparison - that's me trying to be positive.


Oi! I love the Boots building. That mural is a classic piece of mid twentieth century architecture. Given that we've lost almost all the good buildings from that period (Empire Pool, Thompson House and soon BBC Llandaff) we should treasure it.

Those metro Bank renders though do look pretty poor - although, as Lewis said, they're so sketchy that it's difficult to tell.
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Cardiff

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Re: General Developments

PostWed Dec 20, 2017 10:34 am

Looks like the old post office will be getting a scrub up

https://twitter.com/DawsonStoneM/status ... 1210190854
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Karl

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Re: General Developments

PostWed Dec 20, 2017 11:51 am

More student accommodation this time at the junction of North Rd and Maindy Road. The site is a collection of single storey buildings opposite Maindy Leisure Centre. The renders look quite good in my view and the DAS suggests that the materials will be good. The building will be 6 stories on the prominent corenr plot facing North Road and then dropping down to 4 and 3 stories as it gets near the existing terraced housing.

The planning app is here, if you can't access it go to the planning apps on the Council websire for week commencing 18th December -

https://planning.cardiff.gov.uk/online- ... APR_122279

I think this is a good use of the plot. Big enough to create a bit of a landmark but also restrained enough to not overpower the existing area.
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Carlos

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Re: General Developments

PostSat Dec 23, 2017 8:56 am

Scaffolding coming off east gate house - from a distance looks like a big improvement but it is just coloured render and the worry is how it will weather/age
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Ash

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Re: General Developments

PostSat Dec 23, 2017 11:13 am

Carlos wrote:Scaffolding coming off east gate house - from a distance looks like a big improvement but it is just coloured render and the worry is how it will weather/age


It's always been a dog of a building - almost as bad as Longcross Court opposite. I'm not sure that replacing brick with render is a good solution though. It could look worse than ever a decade from now.
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Kyle

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Re: General Developments

PostWed Jan 03, 2018 7:28 am

Decent news on the job front and office lettings wise

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/financial-services-firm-open-new-14104619

Nice to see Number 2 Callaghan Square filling back up as well.
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paul cardiffwalesmap

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Re: General Developments

PostWed Jan 03, 2018 6:10 pm

That's great news for Cardiff and Callaghan sq2 - more like this and they'll need more office space at John st!! :)
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