Greenwich Market redevelopment

So it seems our beloved Greenwich Market has been given the green light to be knocked down and built back up again.

Due to my lack of knowledge on this development, I'm reserving judgement at the moment, but on the whole, I'm in favour of letting go of the past and moving forwards with architecture. Having said that, I do love Greenwich Market. I love it for its' faults too. It's ridiculously cramped in peak season but oddly it doesn't bother me. I guess it's like a cranky old car that you know will need care and attention, but you just can't imagine taking to the scrap yard.

The development includes a 104 room hotel, which does cause me some concern as that would be a substantial building, but what does it look like? Having said this, Hopkins Architects are handling this development and they seem to have a sturdy track record in heritage projects. Judging by the computer aided rendition of the future market (see below), there looks to be new timber à la rustique facades around the perimeter, which I really like, but UTTERLY HIDEOUS stretched canopies which look like off-cuts from the Millennium Dome, or the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. I don't mind the tensile structures in the Dome or the QEH, but it really cheapens our World Heritage Site and makes it look like Penge High Street. Hopkins, back to the drawing board on this carbuncular detail please.

In terms of protecting heritage sites, I just don't understand what it means to be a part of a Conservation Area. Also, I think the market has listed building status and more to the point, what it means to be a part of a World Heritage Site.

Manga Flats

I see that the new high-rise block of flats being built next to Plumstead Railway Station is called Akira Heights.

What were the marketing department thinking of when choosing this name? The name Akira is fine although I don't see the link between a Japanese name and our corner of South East London. What I absolutely don't understand is that the Akira Heights branding is linked to the cult Japanese manga animation, Akira. I saw this film quite a few years ago and can remember it being about a motorcycle gang riding at high speed around a kind of post-nuclear war torn Tokyo, explosions and all set to a techno punk soundtrack. Call me old-fashioned, but not what I call aspirational living.

Woolwich Co Op petition

Reading the excellent 853 blog, I see they have flagged up a petition to save the lovely art deco Co Op building in Woolwich-on-Thames (given time the estate agents will latch on to it).

I don't know the effectiveness of these petitions, but it's worth a try. It really is a key piece of architecture in W-O-T, but hmmmm...... money talks and the developers could pass a few pound notes under a board room table at Greenwich Council and next thing we know, a bull-dozer is on site. Over the years I have become so very cynical of Greenwich Council.

On a different line of rant, the wonderful and tireless Plumstead Common Environment Group have been bashing their heads against brick walls over Greenwich Council's farcical refuse collection service. More on this when I get time.

Woolwich DLR opening soon

Oh boy, I am really excited about the DLR arriving at Woolwich Arsenal. Apparently, it'll be opening this month. I wouldn't mind booking a flight from London City Airport to Milan, just because I can and the journey would be so ridiculously easy.

Where else shall I go to? 

Let's see...... how about the Thames Barrier Park with its' contemporary planting and modern architecture tea house?

I'm keeping an eye on an exciting proposal for an eco visitor attraction called Biota! It's planned for Silvertown but I don't know if it's a

concept or actually being built. The architect's visuals look pretty stunning though. I'll have to find out more.

So the DLR is a bit more than a commuter's dream to get to Bank. I'm going to live my dream and sit at the very front and pretend I'm driving the driving the train.

Brilliant.

Modern architecture

I've been eager to see the architect plans for the Plumstead Manor School tuck shop for a while and have been pointed in the direction of the school's own website. In place of the pub is a modern glass construction with contemporary topiary. Looks very generic suburban architecture [at this point, I'd like to invent a new word - genurbantecture] in the style of the sports centres in Beckenham and Crook Log, Bexleyheath.

This is modern architecture without being offensive, although some would protest that this glass proposal would be a carbuncle on the face of Plumstead Common. As an example of contemporary genurbantecture, I like it. Of course, it's not aping the classicism of the existing school building, but that's good. It's not sympathetic to the Victorian terraces, but I think it's sympathetic to the Common. Time moves on and design moves on.

I'd be interested to see how the building will eventually look.