Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!The Cesar Pelli eyesore is now being called a wondrous place by Paul Du Noyer author and journalist......oh and he has just got a new book out to publicise. Having left the city for London, he has taken out a 6 month let in Widnes Tech on speed look-a-like, One Park "Gone" West. http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/08/14/liverpool-s-one-park-west-residents-begin-the-fightback-92534-24440113/
I bumped into Paul, a client of mine outside the multi coloured Costa cafe in Lord Street three weeks ago and he told me he was here for three days and staying in Chavasse Park.
"Oh I have just nominated it for Building Designs Carbuncle Cup" I said, he wryly grinned in embarrassment. He seemed at the time to agree with me. http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=430&storycode=3146320&channel=783&c=2
"Oh well its not the best from the outside but the views are good from inside. "Well it depends which way you look" I replied.
Then on Wednesday morning he was waiting for me outside my shop at 10 am with a Daily Post under his arm.
"How are you getting on down at Chavasse Park, there was some publicity in the paper yesterday, sorry about that" I said". I had previously e-mailed the BD article to the paper which they hacked.
"Oh yes he said well the worst thing is that the views are being ruined as they build the black granite blocks" in agreement with me.
"Paul they are only just starting, the worst one on Mann Island" I said with another client present.
"Yeah its looking bad" Not a mention of this opinion. So the fightback begins with the post editor Mark Thomas (who I have recently criticised, so this may be his idea for a fightback) at the Helm, and our intrepid reporter Alan Weston....God help us. The fightback is on facebook. Oh and there is a group hug by the residents next Wednesday at 12.3o.
This is the future of architectural opinion for Liverpool....a group hug by the EMO look-alikes from what is turning into Goth City, up top, on the multi storey car park, that is Chavasse lawn.
Paul, best stick to music you are an expert there. Don't forget its a world heritage site imagine if they built this in front of the Taj Mahal or the Pyramids. I am sorry if I was critical of your....second home and it may have upset you, but I think.
They promised us world class architecture a Cesar Pelli.......and instead give us a Cesar salad.
Its all a matter of taste really, just like music, Phil Redmond a professional scouser who doesn't live here told me right outside the place, "Well at least it will fall down in 50 years". "Thats no good to me" I replied "I wont be here I have to look at it now."
Paul, If this building was a song it would be "Agadoo" by Black Lace, only you cant switch the radio off and forget about it, this is here forever and wont go away and keeps grating my nerves and bugging me, but hey I must be wrong Paul Du Noyer likes it, apparently.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POv-3yIPSWc Push pineapple here for Agadoo
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Wayne, this is a bit harsh. I haven't "hatched" anything and I'm certainly not in the pay of any PR, developer or restaurant. The Daily Post asked me for my opinion so I gave them it. Had they asked me about Mann Island my tone would have been far less upbeat. I always enjoy our talks and I support a lot of your work but we just have a difference of aesthetic judgement about this particular building. Oh, and as for plugging my new book... they don't even mention the bloody thing! Regards, Paul
ReplyDeleteWell Paul, dont look out your window you chose to live there overlooking Mann Island not me.
ReplyDeleteIn the book, which I plugged for you on todays post you descibe 'The Shining Scimitar of the Mersey' of which I use to be so proud.....before it turned average, into Milton Keynes-On-Sea. We are all entitled to our opinions, no hard feelings. Excuse me if I dont join you for the group hug.
Any therapist or psychiatrist will tell you that a group hug is cathartic; it's a way of getting over a tramatic or unwelcome event. The building of One Parked Here Without Our Say-so is both. I wonder if Messrs. Storey, Bradley & Hurst will be present for this touching gesture. Alaistair Machray would have attended, but I believe he'll be busy deciding whether to supply a free bag of chips or a meat pie with the following day's Oldham Echo.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from Paul though.
ReplyDeleteFor a city of Liverpool's historic and cultural importance, there aren't many decent books written about it. Wondrous Place is a great exception. Probably my favourite on Liverpool.
Belchem's (as editor) Liverpool 800 was a bit of a let down I thought.
Group hug ? How bizarre. This will not change the fact that One Park West inflicts brutally bad architecture on our once elegant waterfront.
ReplyDeleteA group hug in a public lavatory wouldn't turn it into a palace.