Friargate development

Thanks, Peter - if you look at post 217 above you will see I revisited earlier this month and found that little further demolition had taken place

Rights to the owner but does anyone know what this was?

It's the bottom part of this.

Not to mention the Evening Telegraph, it hasn't been called that in years!

Thanks as ever Dutchman They are some foundations for a flower-bed! More buildings going.

Hi all, Picture from this morning.

The Lisbon square is more interesting in that it shows how Europe tends to create 'public spaces'. Notice: - there are prominent buildings on the square, and they are probably buildings that form a social function (Museum, university, etc.) that generate footfall. - there is a road to the far left. The road means the area is generally 'in use' constantly and also has good access for drop off/short term parking. The squares usually have some sort of feature as well, a building that's important and well used, or a landmark. With restaurants moving into Broadgate, it would make sense to reopen the street up and allow evening parking in the area. Having it as a dead ghetto of ugly architecture and failed ideas is not good for anyone.

So now its officially opened - what do we all think of the new 'bridge'?

A waste of good money according to this. Friargate bridge deck reaction

Its a lovely bridge/deck/road layout/travesty/waste (delete as applicable).

There is a saying be careful what you wish for'. You all wanted something different, so embrace it, love it, suck it up (delete as applicable).

According to the article it was European money that paid for it. I do find it ironic that it gives the feel of how Eaton Road / St Patricks Road and the look of Warwick Road was pre-ring road.

Best thing they could do is break the concrete collar of the ring road - hopefully they'll be as ambitious as Birmingham and remove all the flyovers and elevated sections in the long term.

For me the artist impressions of the Friargate development show a disaster in the making. They hark to tired old designs more in keeping with the 1950s and 60s than with the 21st century. Does that reflect the Coventry of the future - to be stuck in a time warp of Modernism which had its roots at the Bauhaus in 1930s Germany. Today we have more modern materials and there's a better understanding of structural integrity. So, shouldn't the 'gateway to the city' reflect the era and put into the minds of visitors and investors that Coventry has a future.

Absolutely it should, and was what Gibson was trying to achieve way back when. BUT, you can't please all of the people all of the time, and some would not be pleased whatever happened.

I notice that there was a comment re 10% pedestrian, 90% roads in the new design, and I will say this. At night, it is safer to walk along a lit road where there is the possibility of passing cars than it is to walk across a desolate area where there is no line of sight and lots of shadows..