Friargate development

I think this development is very important for Coventry. Important that it succeeds and doesn't end up as another 'pocket park'!

The view from a similar position on Tuesday of this week

Building work to start on £40m Council offices

Having seen that picture I thought I'd show you the model for it before they cut out the windows

Surely you could do the same with any building? They're all just boxes. That one is far better than any of the stuff they put in the sixties or seventies. If you read the planning statement, it's been designed to be clad in red brick to reflect the city's sandstone character.

Not ALL buildings are boxes - though slab-fronted boxes use the minimum ground footprint to house the pigeon-hole interiors and are probably the cheapest to construct. But shouldn't council offices in what is supposedly the gateway to the city be more than that? Surely it should reflect pride in the city and show that we plan to be a go-ahead city just as we were in the past.

Well what would you want them to do? It's a public sector project, as well, so costs have to be kept down. I think it looks OK. Clad in red brick, with different dimensions on the ground floor. There are far worse high rise buildings in the city (Built when it was, apparently, a 'go-ahead' city.) Sometimes it's better not to be a pioneer, but to wait for someone else to make all the mistakes. Coventry should be well aware of this by now! What was once a go-ahead city is now an anachronism!

Great photos Cliff

Seems as if 'The Rocket' took off too.

Who cares ? ...it was only built in the 1830s and was the last architectural link with the original Coventry Station. "City of Culture" eh ?

After originally being told that the black horse (Trigger) would be relocated a short distance from its original location after the junction work was completed, the Council are now informing us that it is too corroded to be placed outside and are looking for a suitable 'indoor' location. Surely it wouldn't take much to repair, repaint and return it to the open air where it deserves to be?

Sounds like a poor excuse to me Tony, I have worked with metals all my life and I know it's easily put right. If the truth is known 'Trigger' just doesn't fit into their plans whatever they are...