I love Brutalist architecture, and I loved Greyfriars bus station. The mistake with Greyfriars, was that the functionality was not offset with the way people respond to the bunker-like conditions it created. And this echoes throughout the entire style of Brutalism. Also, when the councils built these behemoths, they didn't factor in that they wouldn't just look after themselves. They needed a steady stream of cash to keep them in good condition, as does every single other building in the world. By the looks of things, I don't think a single penny was ever spent on Greyfriars beyond its opening. Of course people will hate it. It's grotty through neglect, the teething problems never addressed and allowed to worsen as the years rolled by. I've never lived in Northampton, but I'm somewhat familiar with parts of it and knew the bus station very well. In my opinion, it was the best bus station in the entire country and one of the greatest assets to Northampton. It needed a huge amount of work to bring it up to date, one of the biggest aesthetic challenges trying to find a way of making the bus concourse enjoy daylight. But it would have been worth it, despite the amount of work and money it needed. This was a gem of a building, I actually didn't find it ugly (though I do laugh at the truth in the Mouth Of Hell description people gave it.) It's sad that this architectural wonder is no more. And a part of me is glad to hear that the new, swanky, daylight bathed replacement has been plagued with problems and has a poor reputation among the citizens, as it seems to have made people realise what they have lost through their haste to out with the old and dismiss the many merits of Greyfriars.
I love Brutalist architecture, and I loved Greyfriars bus station. The mistake with Greyfriars, was that the functionality was not offset with the way people respond to the bunker-like conditions it created. And this echoes throughout the entire style of Brutalism. Also, when the councils built these behemoths, they didn't factor in that they wouldn't just look after themselves. They needed a steady stream of cash to keep them in good condition, as does every single other building in the world. By the looks of things, I don't think a single penny was ever spent on Greyfriars beyond its opening. Of course people will hate it. It's grotty through neglect, the teething problems never addressed and allowed to worsen as the years rolled by. I've never lived in Northampton, but I'm somewhat familiar with parts of it and knew the bus station very well. In my opinion, it was the best bus station in the entire country and one of the greatest assets to Northampton. It needed a huge amount of work to bring it up to date, one of the biggest aesthetic challenges trying to find a way of making the bus concourse enjoy daylight. But it would have been worth it, despite the amount of work and money it needed. This was a gem of a building, I actually didn't find it ugly (though I do laugh at the truth in the Mouth Of Hell description people gave it.) It's sad that this architectural wonder is no more. And a part of me is glad to hear that the new, swanky, daylight bathed replacement has been plagued with problems and has a poor reputation among the citizens, as it seems to have made people realise what they have lost through their haste to out with the old and dismiss the many merits of Greyfriars.
I love them , too many are being ripped down !!