General Developments

I am glad it's going, think it's hideous!

There is no accounting for taste, but hideous is not a word I'd associate with that building. On pure aesthetics I'd take it every time over the planned replacement, which although not hideous is laughably mediocre.[/quote]


Ok, maybe i exaggerated a bit, but i still dont understand all the erections over this building![/quote]

I think I'm the only one lamenting the likely demolition. No one else apart from Wizard and you have commented. Wizard's take seems to be that it has a nice facade but is not really capable of being utilised and you are quite happy to see the back of it. I'm the only one with an 'erection' over it and even that's probably a semi rather than full engorgement.

I suppose I'm being sentimental because I grew up in that area and it was a local landmark. I don't live there any more so my views are not really that valid other than as an architecture geek giving his opinion on a forum for architecture geeks.

I am glad it's going, think it's hideous!

There is no accounting for taste, but hideous is not a word I'd associate with that building. On pure aesthetics I'd take it every time over the planned replacement, which although not hideous is laughably mediocre.

Ok, maybe i exaggerated a bit, but i still dont understand all the erections over this building!

Is splott becoming cardiff's own answer to pigalle?

Is splott becoming cardiff's own answer to pigalle?

Only for Karl!

Altolusso is 21 floors high

I think the loss of any older building of character in favour of a building with zero character is a great shame. It’s a gradual process, but the risk is that all of a sudden an area is simply terraces with the occasional bland modern block of flats, and nothing else to break up the monotony. The same thing is happening in Grangetown. It’s only a few buildings but it’s those buildings which give an area at least a modicum of architectural interest. Cardiff is not exactly blessed with an architecturally distinguished past in terms of its inner city areas especially, so we do have to be careful that we don’t lose what little good stuff we have in these areas.

I think DaiB hits the nail on the head. Landmark buildings can give an area identity and a sense of place - even if not to everyone's taste. I don't know enough about this building to have a view - although I think Wizard's comment is important. But more generally, if characterful buildings (e.g. Inn on the River) are demolished to be replaced with relatively bland offerings, it is a problem. I think we need a bit more ambition on what replaces demolished buildings. It doesn't necessarily have to be more expensive - just something different. And if it does cost a bit more, perhaps a bit of the S106 money could be used pay for these additions (because an areas character can sometimes be as important as a cctv camera at a bus stop, or a new bench in a park).

It strikes me that the listing system is very conservative in terms of what it includes.

There are only 14 listed buildings or features in Canton ward, for example, and they seem quite arbitary. Take one example - Landsdowne Rd School is listed - while Radnor Primary isn't although they're similar buildings from a similar period. There's not a single domestic or former domestic building listing. Even buildings as striking as Llanover Hall have no protection.

It's worth having a look at the list to see what is - and what isn't included.

http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/wales/cardiff

At last - I've mastered how to upload from Flickr
Here are a few photos that I took inside the University Buildings in Splott. I so wish that I had taken more because they don't really give a feel for what the impression that I was trying to convey.

https://flic.kr/p/qsidDr

https://flic.kr/p/qaVmyy

https://flic.kr/p/qsiear

https://flic.kr/p/qb4aBz

https://flic.kr/p/qsidPr

(Ignore any weird adverts which may appear courtesy of Flickr (such as the retirees walking across the sandy beach) - they were not part of the set -up lol).

At last - I've mastered how to upload from Flickr!

Here are a few photos that I took inside the University Buildings in Splott. I so wish that I had taken more because they don't really give a feel for what the impression that I was trying to convey.

https://flic.kr/p/qsidDr

https://flic.kr/p/qaVmyy

https://flic.kr/p/qsiear

https://flic.kr/p/qb4aBz

https://flic.kr/p/qsidPr

Where is this building? That third pic....The building certainly looks worth keeping. Granted the inside looks like a garden shed

That is the exterior of the main building whose demolition Karl was welling up over. I did say that it was rather elegant.

I've lifted the following from the net:
Splott University building on Courtenay Road in Cardiff. Splott University settlement was founded in 1901 & the building dates from 1906. In 1924 it became St Illtyds College & the above extension was built circa 1937. St Illtyds moved to LLanrumney in 1964 & the building later became a printing works.