Does Manchester lack an iconic piece of stunning unique crazy brilliance? [Archive]

BeardedGenius

February 20th, 2006, 03:32 PM

Like:

http://data.greatbuildings.com/gbc/images/cid_bilbao_004.jpg
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

or

http://data.greatbuildings.com/gbc/images/cid_IMG_2167-20050516km.jpg
Museo Oscar Niemeyer

or

http://data.greatbuildings.com/gbc/images/cid_1112232879_DSCN0939.jpg
Seattle Public Library

or

http://www.bootsandpaws.co.uk/pics/imperial/im15b.jpg
Imperial War Museum, SALFORD!

Accura4Matalan

February 20th, 2006, 03:34 PM

Caught out. Imperial War Museum aint in Salford.

Nice try.

BeardedGenius

February 20th, 2006, 03:36 PM

Caught out. Imperial War Museum aint in Salford.

Nice try.

But we need another one! I do think something is central Manchester would be fantastical - Libeskind or Frank Gehry or someone...

kebabmonster

February 20th, 2006, 05:18 PM

Caught out. Imperial War Museum aint in Salford.

Nice try.

Aye, it's in Trafford.

I am going off the (maybe wrong) assupmtion that beardedgenius is a WUM, but the Contact Theatre on Oxford Rd (City of Manchester proper) is iconic and wacky. A bit.

BeardedGenius

February 20th, 2006, 05:23 PM

Aye, it's in Trafford.

I am going off the (maybe wrong) assupmtion that beardedgenius is a WUM, but the Contact Theatre on Oxford Rd (City of Manchester proper) is iconic and wacky. A bit.

Why would I be a wind-up merchant? I think all these new tall buildings and Spinningfields projects are great, but I'd love a really abstract creation in the heart of the city - maybe the new BBC building would be a perfect opportunity...

kebabmonster

February 20th, 2006, 05:27 PM

just with the "Salford" bit in capitals. Don't be too insulted, wasn't being serious calling you a WUM.

Has anyone seen that curvy house/pub in Poland that featured on one of the world threads? Now that would go down well in the NQ, I think.

majormystery

February 20th, 2006, 05:32 PM

Doesnt the CJC count as wacky? Certainly unique.

BeardedGenius

February 20th, 2006, 05:41 PM

GShutty

February 20th, 2006, 06:18 PM

The CJC is a cool design, but it's not striking piece of chaotic brilliance that's gonna capture the imagination and put Manchester on the map a la Guggenheim...

Is there anything in New Islington that'll have the desired effect? Summat that'll divide opinion and defy physics? I can imagine that Chips thing will disappoint in the flesh...

To be fair BG, there's not been much for the last decade IMHO that can match the impact, or wow factor of the Guggenheim. the closest thing for me is the Swiss Re: Tower, or the Al Burj (is it called?) hotel in Dubai. There have been many imitations, including the Lowry which I feel borrowed from it's style (and which i do like BTW), but the Guggenheim was so of it's time as well as being timeless. If Manchester can achieve something that special, that would be fantastic. As things stand I think Manchester will come to be regarded as a great city for architecture, rather than a city with one iconic piece of architecture.

I have high hopes for New Islington. I hope that it becomes as synonymous with quality housing as Spinningfields, including the CJC, aspires and promises to be for quality working environments. They will both become integral parts of the greater whole.

Isaac Newell

February 20th, 2006, 09:09 PM

Who talks about the Guggenheim now ? It's yesterday's news and Bilbao is a forgotten city.

SleepyOne

February 20th, 2006, 10:16 PM

The Contact Theatre is one of my favourite buildings in Manchester. Just a shame its set back from Oxford Road road. It would be nice to think that the surface car parks that surround it could be landscaped or built on sympathetically to give this building the setting it deserves.

http://www.ma.man.ac.uk/~higham/photos/univman/020922-1057-19_std.jpg

b4mmy

February 20th, 2006, 10:21 PM

Maybe not... but here's a quick tour:

http://www.northwestvision.co.uk/film_office.php4?image=manchester1.jpg&film_office=manchester

Do we have to differentiate Salford and Manchester all the time... I mean London is made up of god knows how many districts and mini cities... the Salford / Manchester debate is a bit self effacing in a wider sense and it kind of makes me feel as though I have to look for the best in each... as opposed to considering the whole, I don't ven know where Manchester ends and Salford begins... as a whole Manchester (and by that I mean Manchester and Salford) is a great place to be, and I've been to a few places... I've stood at the foot of the Petronas, and in a temple in Ubud, walked up and down Pisa, had coffee in the Piazza del Dumomo in Milan, and shagged a bird in the bogs of Club2000 in Benidorm, but there's nowhere I'd rather be than Manchester (and Salford).... apart from Club2000.

I mean someone called Liverpool v United a derby on TV at the weekend...

b4mmy

February 20th, 2006, 10:23 PM

The Contact Theatre
Nice one sleepy, I've never seen that in daylight!

Accura4Matalan

February 20th, 2006, 10:25 PM

I dont see what is so great about the Guggenheim anyway. It looks a lot like the Lowry.

SleepyOne

February 20th, 2006, 10:34 PM

I think Manchester is building up a good stock of innovative modern buildings that add to the distinctiveness of the city and general aspirations for good quality design.... Nothing that is enough to make the rest of the world sit up and take notice but these things tend to be one-offs - born out of a strong, singular vision and purpose rather than contrived to be an icon. Manchester should keep on the path it is forging - taking risks, utilising the best home grown (i.e. mancunian) architects as well as welcoming those from outside the city and the country to create buildings here.

Its the general standard of design beneath the glamorous, headline grabbing schemes that needs to be continuously improved I think. There are plenty of talented architects working in Manchester but too often I think the planners have allowed certain developers get away with substandard schemes.

I remember not so long ago an idea being floated that all planning applications undertake the 'original-modern' criteria (Manchester's clever new marketing and branding initiative from the creative mind of Peter Saville)... This is a good aspiration - even if the embodiment of 'original-modern' is subjective, but at least it could serve to filter a lot of the low-end rubbish out?

havaska

February 20th, 2006, 10:59 PM

I think the Imperial War Museum is pretty world renound, just because of who designed it..

Wonder if the UK will ever get a Guggenheim and if it would move to Manchester... Would be so awesome next to the IWM and opposite the Lowry!

February 21st, 2006, 12:29 AM

TheGrand

February 21st, 2006, 01:10 AM

Whats wrong with the Urbis design wise?

9462

February 21st, 2006, 02:41 AM

Manchester doesnt need crazy brilliance because were manchester, too good for that.

Farsight

February 21st, 2006, 01:20 PM

I think Manchester does "lack an iconic piece of stunning unique crazy brilliance". But it's not much good building something like an office, in some street. It's got to be a place the public can go to. It needs to be in a park, or some significant open space to set it off. And Manchester is rather lacking in parks and open spaces. I'd hate to see some park marmalised by some iconic piece of crazy brilliance.

I think Urbis is pretty good. Basically they carved a park out of nothing, and put an attractive iconic building in it. If somebody could do something like that somewhere else, only more Guggenheimy, they'd get my vote.

PS: I like the crazy house. Turquoise again!

GShutty

February 21st, 2006, 06:17 PM

Who talks about the Guggenheim now ? It's yesterday's news and Bilbao is a forgotten city.

You say that Isaac, but go to the the Urbis shop and it's well represented there, go to the RIBA bookshop on Portland St and you'll still see it on the front cover of a half a dozen current architecture books in the window display alone and when you see it you think: Guggenheim Bilbao.

I dont see what is so great about the Guggenheim anyway. It looks a lot like the Lowry.- Accura.

I think you'll have to agree that since the Guggenheim was there first, that the Lowry infact 'copied' off it, not the other way around :) and although I like the Lowry, it's a step down in class from the Guggenheim.

di Livio

February 24th, 2006, 02:17 PM

The CJC is a cool design, but it's not striking piece of chaotic brilliance that's gonna capture the imagination and put Manchester on the map a la Guggenheim...

It's already on the map.
A good, characterful design is surely better than a whizz-bang iconic structure you can put on a postcard or into a Sunday supplement.

jrb

February 24th, 2006, 02:27 PM

I've got high hopes for 2 Spinningfields Square. From what I've been told, it's going be a stunning piece of architecture.

http://www.spinningfields-manchester.com/images/spinningfields/spinning_buildings_2ssq_03.jpg

http://www.spinningfields-manchester.com/images/spinningfields/spinning_buildings_2ssq_02.jpg

http://www.spinningfields-manchester.com/images/spinningfields/spinning_buildings_2ssq_01.jpg

Hopefully it will be another museum, tourist attraction, etc, etc.

Pobbie

February 24th, 2006, 02:39 PM

Be careful what you wish for: you don't want to put new ideas in Will Alsop's head.

BeardedGenius

February 24th, 2006, 03:44 PM

jrb

February 24th, 2006, 05:12 PM

The problem with those pictures is that they give nothing away. I could photograph the Arndale Centre tower from all sorts of strange angles and make it look like exciting.
(okay, maybe not)

The pictures aren't meant to give anything away, it's a glimpse of what might be.

Is that any better?

http://img331.imageshack.us/img331/142/picture02319nx.jpg

BeardedGenius

February 24th, 2006, 05:20 PM

The pictures aren't meant to give anything away. It's a glimpse of what might be.

Is that nay better?

http://img331.imageshack.us/img331/142/picture02319nx.jpg

Ta mate, but I'm still none the wiser! Is it meant to be quite a unique and eye-catching design?

jrb

February 24th, 2006, 05:29 PM

Ta mate, but I'm still none the wiser! Is it meant to be quite a unique and eye-catching design?

Looking at the render, I'd say it's quite unique and eye-catching. I especially like the look of the overhang. The type of cladding used will be very important. It's location is superb, right next to John Rylands.

The Longford

February 24th, 2006, 05:40 PM

jrb

February 24th, 2006, 06:04 PM

Sorry jrb - IMO 2 Spinningfields Square is just another cool, understated, corporate office building. Perfectly suited to the area and non offensive but hardly iconic. Nothing wrong with not being iconic - we need these sort of buildings. Personally i'm against iconic for iconic sakes because there is tendency to for once-iconic buildings to date very quickly and look like the proverbial at a wedding. I wouldnt want a IWMN or Guggenheim in Mcr city centre to be honest. Lets just have lots of good quality non-iconic buildings please.

I don't think No 2 will be office Mr Longford. You may know different?
It's location and proximity to John Rylands suggests a cultural role, either museum, gallery, or tourist/visitor attraction.

Apparently there are/were plans for a art Gallery to be situated on the Spinningfields site. Rumor has it that Frank Cohen was approached and asked to contribute his collection of modern art?

I think we could be looking at that art gallery? Then again.......?

dgnr8

February 24th, 2006, 06:15 PM

The original plan for that site was Northy's Christmas tree hotel, which apparently would've also gone 10 storeys or so underground. So I'd say either way, Allied London don't have office planned for this part of Spinningfields. They'd be wise to bung something for the public there, what with opening up Spinningfields properly then to us non-office workers.

GShutty

February 24th, 2006, 06:23 PM

I don't think No 2 will be office Mr Longford. You may know different?
It's location and proximity to John Rylands suggests a cultural role, either museum, gallery, or tourist/visitor attraction.

Apparently there are/were plans for a art Gallery to be situated on the Spinningfields site. Rumor has it that Frank Cohen was approached and asked to contribute his collection of modern art?

I think we could be looking at that art gallery? Then again.......?

I'm sure that i heard that the Gallery was going below the new courts (with the Palm Trees and that No2 was going to be a hotel- though the latter I think was speculation. ???

The Longford

February 24th, 2006, 06:29 PM

jrb

February 24th, 2006, 08:12 PM

jrb - of course , once again my memory lets me down and your attention to detail is faultless. Number 2 is destined for hotel use isnt it? I stand by what i say about the design currently submitted though - another nice glass box. A cultural use doesnt fit in with the masterplan for the area at all so i would be very surprised if old Frankie does put his etchings down that part of town. Nice rumour though - i will perpetuate it myself.

As far as I know the current Manchester House site will be the new location for a mixed hotel/residential scheme.(see Spinningfields thread)
Spinningfields 'does' need a bit of culture. Offices, residential, hotel and retail are fine, but a theatre, museum, art gallery, or tourist/visitor centre wouldn't go a miss either. Don't forget this area is the main entrance to Spinningfields from Deansagte, so it's an ideal location for something cultural.

SleepyOne

February 24th, 2006, 10:42 PM

Frank Cohen at Spinningfields was no idle rumour. There were images of an interior fit out of the ground floor units beneath the Magistrates Court fronting Crown Square posted not so long ago.

Unfortunately I can't find them now. Maybe there has been a change in heart?

2 Spinningfields Square sure looks like a highly promising building. That overhang looks awesome indeed. Would prefer to see a bit more more diversity in terms of the cladding used in spinningfields. Its all pretty high quality but do we need quite so much glass in one place?

jrb

February 24th, 2006, 11:15 PM

morestoreysplease

February 25th, 2006, 12:58 AM

I think Manchester's got plenty already - Urbis, Contact Th, Imp War Mus, Lowry. These are proper eye-opening buildings.

jrb

February 25th, 2006, 01:34 AM

I think Manchester's got plenty already - Urbis, Contact Th, Imp War Mus, Lowry. These are proper eye-opening buildings.

Well thank you morestoreysplease.

Let the Man/Brum-love in continue. :)

The Longford

February 25th, 2006, 02:13 AM

:grouphug:

Pietari

February 26th, 2006, 01:41 PM

What a question.

Picture me this ..... picture me that.

What is the face of Manchester?

:) :cheers:

Northbeach

February 26th, 2006, 03:06 PM

Frank Sidebottom.
http://www.franksidebottom.co.uk/images/frank.jpg

Pietari

February 26th, 2006, 03:17 PM

Well that made my eyes water ..... :)

dgnr8

February 26th, 2006, 03:26 PM

God I miss Frank Sidebottom. Him and Little Frank. Frank was the City mascot for a few years, back in the 90s. That was brilliant. Away fans didn't know what the hell he was, but we loved him in the North Stand.

All hail the Frank.

http://www.dfurnell.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/grf/sf-frankpool06s.jpg

Hohhhh yussssss.

http://www.jah.ne.jp/~fukufuku/footie_songs/club/club_pix/man_c/sidebottoms.gif

Legin

February 26th, 2006, 07:34 PM

I agree with 9462 we don't need to build an iconic building- it stinks of desperation. We have so much history to promote in terms of the importance of Manchester in the industrial revolution. This is the area with in which we should invest There are iconic building being built all over the place - an example in point being the Borj Tower in Dubai (1 Km Tall when completed ) - I've just returned from there and drove past the site. We just can't compete in this aspect at the moment.

Accura4Matalan

February 26th, 2006, 07:39 PM

We dont want to be copying Dubai!

b4mmy

February 26th, 2006, 07:47 PM

Just trying put my serious head on for a few minutes...

I don't think the desire for icon refelcts a 'need' or smacks of desperation. The city really isn't that big, and building a 1km high tower isn't what we should promote.

Overall we have a lot of great architecture in the city, and a lot that just needs cleaning up, and some that needs rescuing. That photo of The Contact theatre says it all for me... there are loads of un-realised gems. I wish I had time to take a week off work and go round and find em...

We should use this thread to show em off... one of the Brits main failings is a lack of nous at telling the rest of the world all the good things we have, instead of apologising for stuff... I mean its not our fault our ancestors were a bunch of greedy murdering bastards... (what's he on about again..) .....

Anyway, if anyone sees a funky building in the city why not stick it in here? Theres bound to be loads that some of us haven't seen in daylight...

Isaac Newell

February 26th, 2006, 08:11 PM

Public transport that runs on Boxing day would be a start.

highriser

February 26th, 2006, 08:18 PM

Mr Positive strikes again :)

I think a building becomes iconic, not built to be iconic,,if you know what i mean .

Isaac Newell

February 26th, 2006, 08:22 PM

I cannot drive and no-one in my family owns a car.

highriser

February 26th, 2006, 08:24 PM

Who's problem is that ?

Learn to drive or get a cab :)

b4mmy

February 26th, 2006, 08:29 PM

Mr Positive strikes again :)

I think a building becomes iconic, not built to be iconic,,if you know what i mean .

agreed. Except that when Sydney got its opera house, it became its icon. The Petronas Towers became the landmark of.... etc. HOWEVER, Pisa has an historical icon, so does Cairo...

I wonder if Beetham will become Manchester's? Things are moving do fast that it will be supplanted eventually by the Ducie St tower... I think at the minute its The Lowry/War Museum site that most associate with m/cr... hopefully it isn't the Trafford Centre?

Isaac Newell

February 26th, 2006, 08:34 PM

Who's problem is that ?

Learn to drive or get a cab :)

unfortunately I'm not that wealthy.

It's a working class thing, you wouldn't understand. :)

havaska

February 26th, 2006, 09:07 PM

The most well known building in Manchester is without a doubt Old Trafford.

After that I guess most poeple would say Coronation Street :|

highriser

February 26th, 2006, 09:32 PM

unfortunately I'm not that wealthy.

It's a working class thing, you wouldn't understand. :)

Even the working class have car's now Isaac,,,and believe me i do understand :)

The Longford

February 26th, 2006, 09:45 PM

Blimey! I agree with highriser and b4mmy!
By definition an icon, in the sense we are talking about, only gains that status when it starts to be associated with a place over time through various means - memory, photographs, film, etc.
As people's perceptions of a place change over time so will the icon. The icon of Manchester was once dark satanic mills and chimneys. We no longer associate Manchester with that image so our icons have changed. Sometimes a building gains iconic status immediately but it is usually something that develops over time as it becomes more and more associated with events in that city.
Good example - The Hacienda. Was not immediately iconic but over time (and ironically especially since it has been demolished) it has gained iconic status.

jrb

February 26th, 2006, 10:46 PM

The Longford

February 27th, 2006, 12:11 AM

jrb - without a doubt. Without sounding all academic and pretentious Beetham has already entered the 'collective consciousness' and as we've seen is appearing in ad's etc. (and its not even finished yet!).
To attain iconic status it has to transend simply its built form and Beetham has already come to represent the post millenium renaissance and has therefore become iconic.

jrb

February 27th, 2006, 12:17 AM

Isaac Newell

February 27th, 2006, 12:21 AM

Pietari

February 27th, 2006, 12:26 AM

http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=322304

Liverpool Street (e)scape ..... bright windows

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

WE must bring down the shutters on shop windows - they have lasted too long.

How many miles of cities are dominated by blank dark shutters (of despairing / protective business .....)

I well remember as a child my `nan` taking me into town window shopping.
The shops were closed (and we had little money) but she wanted the walk and just to pass some time.

I remember banging my head on C&A`s window because it had a slope that started about a foot back from the bottom to the top and I didn`t notice.... doh.

My `nan` ran away from home at aged 14 in 1910 (from a weathy home but her mother had died .....) and she got a `servile` job in `Bold Street` - the `Bond Street of the North` (and it was a `posh` shop) and she eventually married a docker.....

Bold Street is a place that I just adore for obvious reasons.

Tat and riches.....it might seem,

But if the shutters are down - who can look in.
__________________
Current investment boom of £3bn+
Englands fastest growing city outside London.
City centre pop growth of 10% a year.
50,000+ jobs created in the last five years.
House price gain of 22% in the year to April 2005
(Halifax)
New retail district, convention centre and arena, cruise liner terminal and airport expansion.
UK’s second-fastest growing conference destination.
£900m Grosvenor shopping complex.
8 new hotels by 2008 for ECoC.

The Longford

February 27th, 2006, 12:28 AM

The Beetham is a tremendous building and a fantastic addition to the skyline but fuck me it's just another midrise in the great scheme of things.

Nice building though and I'm being a bit harsh maybe, stick it in the middle of the City of London and it would easily be the second best tower there.

There is something in what you say but as i said (quite pretentiously i admit) a building can transend its actual form and come to represent much more and therefore become iconic. The hacienda was just another converted warehouse really but because of what happened there and what it came to represent it became iconic.

Pietari

February 27th, 2006, 12:44 AM

It`s a Liverpool thing ..... :) :cheers:

b4mmy

February 27th, 2006, 12:50 AM

Pietari

February 27th, 2006, 12:51 AM

But you do have a cold nose ..... :)

Pietari

February 27th, 2006, 12:53 AM

Whats all that about pete?

Well you get up in the morning and open the curtains Wammy!

kids

February 27th, 2006, 12:56 AM

The quays has got a few top buildings - the digital world centre's pretty mint, with that tappered wall an'all.

http://www.aidan.co.uk/md/SalDigWorldCnr5809.jpg

i always thought the interior of the LC was pretty wacky and cool

http://www.lowefoto.com/man/lowry06.jpg

http://mishami.image.pbase.com/u37/zanoni/upload/21171474.LowryCentreDetailWEB.jpg

then there's IWM

http://www.arup.com/IMAGEBANK/image230.jpg

Sir Miles Platting

February 27th, 2006, 12:57 AM

Well you get up in the morning and open the curtains Wammy!
Have you been on the pop, Pietari? :cheers: :)

Pietari

February 27th, 2006, 01:05 AM

I wasn`t poking fun and I`m not going to drop myself in a big hole but I might be digging deeper than the S* I can get out of.

Well not really.

I never chase anyone that can`t run away.

b4mmy

February 27th, 2006, 01:09 AM

I wasn`t poking fun and I`m not going to drop myself in a big hole but I might be digging deeper than the S* I can get out of.

So are you ok then? Whats up?

The Longford

February 27th, 2006, 01:10 AM

Ah! A scouser who makes no sense at all and talks incessantly - theres something you dont see everyday.

Pietari

February 27th, 2006, 01:52 AM

I can feel a slap comming on but you`d probably enjoy it.

Thank you Longy and Wammy ..... it`s nice to talk.

I`m fine .....

Me and Manchester go back some time.

Hee hee hee!

Pietari

February 27th, 2006, 02:09 AM

Have you been on the pop, Pietari? :cheers: :)

erm what was the question? (hickory dicky dock .....)

No I suppose it`s a bit late for Tom Foolery.

:) :cheers:

Sir Miles Platting

February 27th, 2006, 05:19 AM

^^ I blame the parents.... ;)

Northbeach

February 27th, 2006, 10:50 AM

Dan - is that you?

I personally love the seamless victorian grid of Princess Street from the the town hall down to Whitworth street. On a good day, beautiful.
Hard to stick this on a postcard and presented as 'iconic' unless you hoisted the whole street pattern upright...Jerv, is this technically possible?

There are loads of mini icon's dotted around the city (urbis/strangeways/boddies/iwmn et al) but when Manchester is represented on telly it's usually old trafford/corrie that gets the money shot.
Look at the BBC city websites - Birmingham has it's BT tower and skyline, Nottingham Robin Hood, Liverpool her Liver building and Chinese Arch, Manchester has...two teenage girls on a staged night out!

Farsight

February 27th, 2006, 01:03 PM

I reckon Urbis is pretty iconic. There was a Mercedes advert in the Sunday Times with Urbis all lit up in the background.

Mez

August 14th, 2006, 04:21 PM

Man, this thread is old.

I got myself very depressed last night searching through old pics and paintings of the city centre streets.

So much is gone, never to be replaced. Anyway, before the tears come back.

We all know this is the lovely old Piccadilly Infirmary...

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b184/mezmail/CA0PY3CD.jpg

But imagin if the proposed extension would have got built!

mwahahaha.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b184/mezmail/CA79FJEO.jpg
North facing side

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b184/mezmail/propoasedpiicinfirmary.jpg
West facing side

Great eh?! Does anyone know (wheeey Longbean) why this 'never got off the ground'. :)

majormystery

August 14th, 2006, 04:57 PM

That would be a modern wonder of the world if it had been built.

Not sure its very graceful though, but i love it.

macc

August 14th, 2006, 05:09 PM

woah! How the hell are you supposed to get up there?

On the back of one of these babies, perhapse? They could replace the common automobile....plus it complements the building.

http://mutter.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/tripod.jpg

majormystery

August 14th, 2006, 05:15 PM

I thought how to get up there at first.
But you can see there is a lift shaft coming out the roof of the original building.

Isaac Newell

August 14th, 2006, 05:16 PM

http://www.jrc.nl/5ici/images/atomium%20web.jpg

Isaac Newell

August 14th, 2006, 05:20 PM

I thought how to get up there at first.
But you can see there is a lift shaft coming out the roof of the original building.

very similar to this lift shaft

http://billhocker.com/france2/elevator2.jpg

Sir Miles Platting

August 14th, 2006, 05:21 PM

^^ where's that Isaac?

Sir Miles Platting

August 14th, 2006, 05:23 PM

I meant ther ''molecules' on the highway...

Isaac Newell

August 14th, 2006, 05:24 PM

The first one is the Atomium in Brussells anf the second is the Grande Arche de La Defense in Paris.

majormystery

August 14th, 2006, 05:25 PM

Reminds me of Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.
Can just imagine it smashing through that roof and off into the sky.

Sir Miles Platting

August 14th, 2006, 05:34 PM

Jongeman

August 15th, 2006, 01:05 AM

cheers Isaac.
I've got a problem with the theme of this thread though. You can't really combine all the adjectives iconic, stunning, unique, crazy and brilliance and come up with anything really.
There are some buildings in Mcr that may have some of the above atributes but not all of them.
Urbis, The Lowry Gallery, Imperial War Museum, 'B' of the Bang' for a start.....

B of the Bang comes pretty close to 'iconic, unique, crazy and brilliant', but it's not in the right place for a kick-off. It's fantastic when you see it, so much better than in any picture. It's now had some of its spikes severed to secure it, which looks a bit odd. It'll go down in Manchester history as the 'world's first largest iconic scupture that didn't actually fuckin work!' lol