Will Alsop's regeneration proposals for Bradford from the 'Bradford Centre Regeneration' website.

http://www.bradfordurc.co.uk/default.asp

Promotional Film - http://www.bradfordurc.co.uk/film.asp?nav=vision&subnav=film



http://www.bradfordurc.co.uk/pics/the-future-bowl-lrg.jpg




http://www.bradfordurc.co.uk/pics/the-future-market-lrg.jpg




http://www.bradfordurc.co.uk/pics/the-future-channel-lrg.jpg



http://www.bradfordurc.co.uk/pics/the-future-valley-lrg.jpg




http://www.bradfordurc.co.uk/pics/model-lrg.jpg




http://www.bradfordurc.co.uk/pics/bowl-long-lrg.jpg




http://www.bradfordurc.co.uk/pics/valley-long-lrg.jpg




http://www.bradfordurc.co.uk/pics/channel_long-lrg.jpg




http://www.bradfordurc.co.uk/pics/market-long-lrg.jpg




http://www.bradfordurc.co.uk/pics/rebuilding-sml.jpg

Looks like a crazy golf course, or some sort of alien city from another world.

what is the status of this?

i think some of the ideas here are really good, but if this gets the go-ahead he needs to tone down some of his designs from this

http://www.bradfordurc.co.uk/pics/the-future-valley-lrg.jpg

to more like the oval building

http://www.bradfordurc.co.uk/pics/the-future-channel-lrg.jpg

Looks like Alsop has tried to put a themepark in the middle of the city.

"Welcome to Alsopland, where nightmares come true"

I like the way the old building sticks out into the lake in this image.
http://www.bradfordurc.co.uk/pics/the-future-bowl-lrg.jpg
But the new buildings around it look rubbish.

I think watching the film makes you appreciate how good some of these ideas are.

A hell of a lot more interesting than just patching up a city. Bring it on.

well I think Bradford should go for the big bang approach rather than slowly dying in pool of small-windowed Barratt brick shite. I like to see towns be a bit daring, if they go for quality then there is a good chance it will succeed

Looks awful.

Looks awful.

Constructive comment there.

It looks a far sight better and more interesting than what currently is there, thank you very much.

oh god please let this go through, if this became reality bradford would be re-vitalised, it would be unique.

Half of the...er, structures look unusable, just mere asthetics.. seems unlikely to pay so much to build loads of glass panelled umbrellas and whatever aint it?

I like some parts of it, but I don't think its overall that good, looks a bit like the London2012 olympic park, lol..

lets put it this way I would definitely visit! They must make sure the vibe of the area is enhanced, it must make people want to visit and re-visit and maybe live there. The overview of the plan looks good with the linking of green spaces across the town, like a green corridor and the man made lake is a great idea.

If this was the 60s it would have been an urban flyover, lots of subways under a couple of large round-a-bouts and maybe a pedestrianised shopping precint. This plan is equally as dramatic but it uses nature to soften the impact. THe architecture looks like it will be exciting and contemporary while organically joining into the existing town, not too jarring I would say.

it is certainly different..er... yeah.... scary odd different....

Where are the rollercoasters? :dunno:

I think it's too wacky!!

The bloke is a total loon!

so what status is this project in? I assume it is just an overall idea and that individual buidlings will go to different architects and developers?

Constructive comment there.

It's called an opinion.

It looks a far sight better and more interesting than what currently is there, thank you very much.

Just because it's better than what's currently there, doesn't make it "good". I appreciate urban regeneration... but this is a travesty. As someone else pointed out, it's almost completely aesthetics... and don't forget who's behind it... the same person who wanted to build that awful 4th (dis)Grace... :puke:

These sort of proposals always make a big splash, then one by one the lesser spotted Nimby, that most elusive of parasites, comes out of hiding because it feels that its natural habitat of urban waste and decay is under threat, and any attempt to improve the local envoiroment is a betrayel of the notion of clinging on to the past and they would rather live in a shit hole than see improvements.......

It is a most unique species, seemingly only located in middle class surburbia in a small country called England....
Attempts to resume hunting of the species for commercial gain have been repeatdley thwarted by infestations of such creatures in local town halls and council meetings that discuss urban renewal....

Looks good especially the green spaces and town hall by lake.The ugly concrete buildings being demolished is a great ideal and some interesting modern buildings there.

It's called an opinion.
...this is a travesty. As someone else pointed out, it's almost completely aesthetics...

but it isnt though, there is a solid idea behind this in that a central focus point is generated by the man-made lake and from this the various parts of town are connected by a green route (can't tell if this is all public accessible on the roof-top gardens or not). This isn't putting barriers through communities in the name of progress this is creating welcoming space in an existing urban setting. The buildings are varied in their form to show this isnt going to be a monotonous block by block experience as was cheaply put forward in the 60s. Nothing seems out of scale, the developments mould into the existing street patterns, it looks exciting and has the potential of putting Bradford on the map in a positive light.

Ok you can play it safe by selling off pockets of land, build a travel lodge here, some 2 bed apartments there, all in red brick with some glass cladding and terracota detail if you are lucky, but if you have the chance for that something extra then you should try and grab it.

We all know that the physical environment isnt everything but there needs to be good foundations to help nuture something worthy of the investment I dont see the point in whittling it all away on piecemeal developments. I think this masterplan has what is required.

Don't forget - Alsop has a history of producing incredibly wacky early designs, only for them to be toned down substantially before anything get's built. Look at the difference between the original Palastra and what's being built now.

And, anyway, know of the actual 'buildings' in this masterplan are likely to make it off his drawing board. If they agree to do this, they'll get probably just get other architects it to design individual buildings based on a vague outline from Alsop ('this is a residential area', 'this is a commercial area') etc.

Building the new lake by the townhall is pretty exciting though.

Alsop has built some of th emost interesting and varied buildings that are actually a lot more polished and contemporary than many of today's architects.

He's proven that he can build, and people can live and work in his buildings.

I don't know why the guy gets so much grief on these forums - he's a damm sight more visionary and original than Foster or even Rogers when it comes to the urban environment.

Yeh, I'd agree with that. I think more highly of Alsops work than some of the bland architecture in canary wharf. Alsop's done alot of good for run-down areas.

With Alsop, and with this opportunity, you can go all the way and let him implement the full image because the city simply doesn't have a whole lot to ride on... this isnt the City of London, it isn't Westminster, there are no protected views of St. Paul's

I think the whole thing should go ahead, especially since its teh details that will make the project, and they are usually the first to be shaved.....

I love the aesthetics, i love the dare, i love the public spaces... i do have concern for the general habitable buildings, i like the venue buildings though...

I have to agree as well. These developments for Bradford look very exciting. Its funny cause I was a stern traditionalist. The lake in particular looks staggering. I want Alsop to get this one, its tens times better than whats there now and I love the contrast betwen old and new.

Why not go for it , just for once ? If no other town ever gets this treatment and never gets an Alsop Workover it will mean that Bradford will be unique. As such it will be noticed and visited. Id bloody visit it.

As I indicated we dont need this everywhere, but for Bradford it will mean a true identity of its own. People will go to Bath for Georgian beauty, York for history, London for a mix of everything, Bradford for its contrast of old and Alsop..and Plymouth for its concrete ( kidding ).

He's an architect not an urban designer. In fact I was speaking to an urban designer the other day who left Alsops practice becasue he thought Wil was irresponsible. His designs are very very seductive to town councils of deprived regions. Very much like deprived regions were seduced by the promise of sudden futuristic advancement in the 50s and 60s.

His masterplans are experimental, and on paper, rarely create a flexible urban form that can evolve. Take Middlesbrough. It is simply objects plonked in a park where the texture only works on a computer.... ugh... basically he uses graphics to seduce. If he painted his designs with water colours everyone would see straight through them immediately. Theyre the work of an immature boy with a team of interpreters translating them into beautiful glossy masterplans designed to seduce planners and councillors by using their civic pride against them "Your town is a beautiful tuscan hill village, with my plan it can be the most amazing and revolutionary town in the country if only the population has my vision".

They so work on paper to get imagination going, theyre great and fascinating art... but they arent cities! Hes an architecft, his one off buildings can be brilliant, but hes also a megalomaniac and he cant do urban design. he doesnt have a clue!

thats a bit worrying then :s but from those Bradford proposals there are some sound urban design concepts in there

I don't like the funnel things, it's a place you would dream of, not see for real. Doesn't fit in with the surrounding location too well, the designs need to be more feasable

more boring you mean? To me it conjures up the excitement of a medieval city, or an arab kingdom, the variety the different routes you can wander down, all displaying different shapes and colours. They all seem to fit into the urban scape quite well, not sure about some of the blocks with large gaps around them though

Far more interesting and daring than sheffields current masterplan. Probably more chance of this happening too!

You can't just rip up a bunch of roads and grass them over.
He is making the same mistakes as the 60s planners but with glass and grass instead of concrete and tarmac.

Look at this rendering.
http://www.bradfordurc.co.uk/pics/the-future-market-lrg.jpg
Notice the main road though the centre of the site (left to right) with loads of cars on it?
Were are those cars going? Alsop has put a teletubbie park and some buildings over the middle of it so how are they going to get through the other side without spending hundreds of millions on a tunnel???

Alsops doesn't explain at all in the video where the traffic is going to go.
He just plays the part of a wizard that can get rid of concrete buildings and replace then with unfeasable buildings on stilts.

spot the ying yang with the new lake anyone?

it's crazy, but Bradford needs something like this to get itself going. The town hall looks beautiful surrounded by the water, and if the rest of it's built Bradford will become something truely unique. I much prefer this plan being built, than a slow and steady stream of average looking apartment blocks. Also the ideas behind the development are sound, alot of the accomodation is designed for families, with 3 and 4 bed apartments, aswell as 1 and 2 beds. There is a school, a care home, a nursery and a creche incuded in the plan, it's not jsut apartments and offices.

Also, people criticise Alsop, but every building I've seen of his that has been built has looked great. If these buildings in the masterplan all have the same qaulity cladding as palestra, they will look beautiful.

Bradford has so much potential, but it's suffering by being right next door to Leeds. People from the surroundign area and Bradford often go to Leeds to go shopping, or for a night out. Bradford needs this sort of unique look to attract people to it, and to stop it's shoppers and businesses heading over to Leeds.

If these ideas were tonded down a little I think this could be a great project for Bradford. Sometimes you need to be brave and daring to help places like this.

Alsop is a tosser whose talents would be better put to use designing theme parks (see above scheme). I lost all respect for him when he proposed (without irony) a pier-like construction parallel to the shore line and one mile out to sea at Brighton...thereby blocking the sea view for everyone. The sad thing is he actually gets paid for this.

how this look now???

Alsop is a tosser whose talents would be better put to use designing theme parks (see above scheme). I lost all respect for him when he proposed (without irony) a pier-like construction parallel to the shore line and one mile out to sea at Brighton...thereby blocking the sea view for everyone. The sad thing is he actually gets paid for this.

Architect in no holds barred envelope pushing brainstorming scheme shocker!

It's their job to come up with these ideas.

Perhaps actually seeing some of his build projects will convince you he isn't a 'tosser'.

I'd say give it go, bradford needs something massive and one thing that Alsop is good, or bad, at is vision. I think there are some superb ideas and designs in the proposal and the more wacky stuff would almost certainly be toned down leaving just the basics of the plan which to me seem quite good.

Why does everyone seem to think it is wacky or theme-parkish?! Last time I went to a themepark it was full of mock-wood plastic huts, large brieze block cattle sheds with large plastic decorative pieces shoved here and there.

In these images I see splashes of colour, some irregular but honestly shaped buildings interspersed with some exciting and good looking set-pieces and generous public space and greenery. There is no way it is kitsche or ugly post-modern shite that continues to adorn skyscrapers around the world.

I think there's some merit in what he's proposing here but I'm still to be convinced that Alsop's up to much as a masterplanner. More so than architecture, there are 'right' and 'wrong' things you can do - it's about more than carazzzy shapes.

To be fair though you have to understand the process that he goes through is very different to most other projects on here. When you look at his built works (North Greenwich, Palestra, Peckham library etc) they are actually fully working and pretty interesting buildings. The early stages of these projects though were pretty out there and not always particularly convincing. It's how he works and although it's not particularly my cup of tea, there's always more than one way to do things.

You've also got to remember that for all he flings paint around and draws blobs on the Pennines from the shelter of his Range Rover, he's backed up by an office of pretty credible and talented architects who have to produce the goods.

I'm not so keen on some of parts of the Masterplan, it just looks like an expanded version of Tellytubby land. But some parts look ok

I like the overall impression of it, some of the buildings are a bit stupid but that's ok. It's not all going to look exactly like that anyway. It's a masterplan not a detailed design, I'm guessing that individual buildings will be designed by a number of different architects. I love the idea of the lake and the green space looks great.