Sixties concrete
The revival of 60s style has not quite reached buildings. Generally they still get a bad press. The Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth has now been demolished. Many more everyday buildings from the 'sixties are still under threat. The sad thing is that as more and more 'sixties buildings get the chop, we are learning to love the style all over again.
The "Retro" style has yet to penetrate the council chamber. Local councils have always been bad on preservation. You can swell with more civic pride over a shiny new development than you can over a well maintained old one. Even Owen Luder's famous shopping centre at Gateshead - featured in the cult film "Get Carter" is under threat. 'Sixties architecture in town centres is well into the cycle of neglect, vandalism and decay. Many buildings are facing destruction. Why not buck the trend and restore a shopping centre or precinct from the 'sixties? Now is the time to act. In ten years' time it will be too late.
The demolition of the Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth began on 24 March 2004. English Heritage decided that it did not warrant listing, leaving its fate to Portsmouth City Council, whom were hell-bent on its destruction. The Council decided not to let the building go quietly. A member of the public was chosen at random, by a radio 'phone-in, to start the demolition. It was accompanied by the 1812 Overture. Why? Because the Tricorn was described, in the 'sixties, as a symphony in concrete similar to the 1812 Overture.
Does this mean that no shopping centres from the 'fifties or 'sixties will be saved? Birmingham's Bullring was demolished in 2002, Coventry's Lower Precinct has been altered beyond recognition, albeit with the retention of a circular burger bar that was deemed worth saving. There are plans afoot to demolish the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre in South London (1965) and even the famous Gateshead Centre, yes the one in "Get Carter" is under threat. (will this come down to the theme from "Get Carter" I wonder(!))
'Sixties architecture has had a bad press from the 'eighties onwards. It was often blamed for anti-social behaviour. However, there has been almost no attempt by local authorities to maintain many properties in good condition. It is almost as if the neglect and vandalism are part of the plan, seeing the eventual demise of the buildings once the public are finally sick of them. The experience of the Tricorn has shown that people are not prepared to look beyond the neglect and decay to see what a restored and rejuvenated 'sixties town centre might be like.
The Tricorn was not without its problems. However, the choice Portsmouth faced was not between the Tricorn as it stood and something completely new, but between a number of imaginative and interesting part-restoration, part-demolition plans and the expensive, protracted process of a completely new development.
The sad news in March 2004 was that English Heritage decided not to list the Tricorn in Portsmouth. (See "Reflections on the Tricorn" ) It seems that public opinion was still against it. The building was perceived as "ugly" by many. This was a short-sighted view based on the taste of the moment. Ugliness, just like beauty, changes with time. In the early 'fifties all Victorian property was considered "ugly". Even by 1960 there was still plenty of advice on how to make a Victorian house look more modern. What did they like in the early 'fifties? The simple elegance of the prefab!
In the 'sixties, most Victorian architecture was ripe for demolition. Without the hard work of the Victorian Society there would hardly be a Victorian building left standing in Britain today. Now it is the turn of the architecture of the 60s. The strange thing is though is that tastes are changing quickly. The 'sixties is well and truly back. In the 'eighties, we decided that the cars of the era should be preserved before they rotted into the ground. Now the fashions are back in the shops. "Retro" is replacing "Art Deco" as the favourite alternative to the DIY superstore look in peoples' homes.
Many towns in the UK were developed in the 1960s. Sometimes it was to replace buildings destroyed in wartime, in other cases it was to give the town a modern image. Many town centres still retain a "sixties" look. However, increasingly this is seen as out-of-date and unfashionable. The aim of this section is to raise appreciation for 'sixties buildings. We love the music of the decade and the cars - why not the architecture?
'Sixties architecture expressed a desire for a future without reference to the past. People had come through the Depression and then the War. They did not want to be reminded of the recent past and still less the gloomy slums of many Victorian town centres. 'Sixties buildings were new, fresh and modern. They were also democratic. The 'sixties was an age when anything seemed possible for anyone. To me 'sixties buildings showed how far we had come and pointed a way to a brighter, better future.
Now is time to celebrate the architecture of the decade, rather than destroy it. Why not restore a sixties shopping centre to its former glory - rather than update it in an unsympathetic way? The town will have something distinctive. People may come from far and wide to look at the architecture and spend some money whilst they are there!
