Motel One | London Road | 42m | 14 fl | Demo

[urbnist]

Originally Posted by kids

This building will bring footfall into a dingy end of town and sharpen up the streetscape and ultimately could open the door for the redevelopment of the fire station. Unlike something like the Salford Lad's Club or Coronation Street the twisted wheel club is completely uninteresting to the sort people who we want to come to Manchester and spend money, and is honestly only a footnote in the popular cultural history of one city. You have got to be kidding me if you think that is enough to even stall this project.

What you mean is, the significance of the club and the buildings falls outside your frame of reference and you were seduced by the CGIs.

[urbnist]

Originally Posted by macc

[ManCon's photo] See to me, this looks great. All but Monroes will be gone. With so many empty plots in the city we really shouldn't have to be flattening things like this to make way for new builds.

Couldn't agree more with this. What a thrilling and quintessentially Mancunian street scene. The new hotel will only make this corner of the city less interesting, less distinctive and less diverse.

[dhulkamaniac]

This building means so much to many people

[kids]

Originally Posted by Cherguevara

You could, but I doubt you'd get that argument to pass muster with most of Legends' patrons. To those that patronise it, it doesn't matter that it's not right in the Village (indeed its probably a plus); and the likelihood of being able to recreate something like that in the Village is slim anyway.

Right, well looking at the comments on Facebook people seem to be extremely fond of it because it's a part of the village but not. i.e. it's a remnant of originality opposing the unoriginality of canal street, is that essentially correct? I can understand that, but could MCC legitimately base a planning decision on this idea? It sort of reifies the limbo. The village shouldn't be shit!

[kids]

Originally Posted by urbnist

What you mean is, the significance of the club and the buildings falls outside your frame of reference and you were seduced by the CGIs.

No, what I mean is, people chat some cringeworthy shit about how significant the history of pop music and pop culture in Manchester is.

[urbnist]

Originally Posted by kids

No, what I mean is, people chat some cringeworthy shit about how significant the history of pop music and pop culture in Manchester is.

As an aspirant tour guide I think you might want to refine your patter, kids!







...and do a bit more research

[kids]

It's civilised to attack someone in veiled and snarky language, but an arbitrary swear is unrefined.

I don't want to spend my time reading about how some people danced in the 60's. I don't give a fuck. And neither should you.

[urbnist]

It was more a comment on the sentiment and your wilful ignorance than the swear.

And give the plazzy attitude a rest.

[kids]

Who the fuck do you think you are? You've told me I'm ignorant without even remotely explaining how, creepily referred to something I *might* have mentioned on here last summer as a way to throw me because I am ignorant, and you now have the guile to tell me how to behave. Get fucked.

[iheartthenew]

I think I've made it quite clear on other threads that I'm not sentimental about buildings that happen to be old making way for something new and exciting. But this proposal looks RUBBISH. It would be a shame to lose a surface car park for this bland zero interest concrete box, let alone a pretty little building like this.

[macc]

This doesn't nesseccarily mean it'll have any bearing on what the hotel may look like, but I've done a quick google for existing Motel One buildings.

There's a selection of utter shite which doesn't remotely resemble the Manc render (see below) but interestingly there is the Berlin-Hauptbahnhof hotel which does have similarities and was completed only last year.

Some spiel to be translated here:
http://berlinhauptbahnhof.wordpress....llen/#comments

Had a quick look for an SSC thread but couldn't find one.





Manc render:




And some other Motel One shite:

[Cherguevara]

Originally Posted by kids

Right, well looking at the comments on Facebook people seem to be extremely fond of it because it's a part of the village but not. i.e. it's a remnant of originality opposing the unoriginality of canal street, is that essentially correct? I can understand that, but could MCC legitimately base a planning decision on this idea? It sort of reifies the limbo. The village shouldn't be shit!

Probably not, but that isn't my point. I'm saying it has a value to people above most buildings but I don't mean that the council will be influenced because of that subjective value. What it might be however is that some people may be motivated enough to use the planning system against it to try to prevent the plans progressing. As Jackson's Wharf has shown us, the threat of a never ending planning application can be enough to get developers to throw in the towel.

To be honest I'm not completely against redevelopment of this site, but I don't think a valuable social utility, or quite interesting Victorian buildings should be lost for such a shit proposal.

[Seasonedbest]

I think it looks very Houston, Texas. Actually looks Like a deconstructed OneSPQ.

[kids]

Originally Posted by Cherguevara

Probably not, but that isn't my point. I'm saying it has a value to people above most buildings but I don't mean that the council will be influenced because of that subjective value. What it might be however is that some people may be motivated enough to use the planning system against it to try to prevent the plans progressing. As Jackson's Wharf has shown us, the threat of a never ending planning application can be enough to get developers to throw in the towel.

To be honest I'm not completely against redevelopment of this site, but I don't think a valuable social utility, or quite interesting Victorian buildings should be lost for such a shit proposal.

Fair enough, believe me I hear the concerns over the loss of Legends learning about it, and can see it's legitimate so I'll just take you up on the architectural qualities. First of all I don't think it can be argued that these old buildings are up to much architecturally, they look really low quality and slummy to me. The only value I can see is that there are a lot of them together, that there is a bit of a streetscape going on, it's just unfortunate that they are where they are and as such are like broken teeth to the continuity of the much wider streetscape.

On the proposal I do think you're (all) being pretty unfair, it's not remarkable but if you ignore the massive blank wall in the middle it's actually a fairly neat piece of design - it does a good job of integrating the high density architecture of Piccadilly Place with the Fire Station and conservation area beyond, as I've said making the streetscape look more complete and established. Imagine this view below with that smart facade casting sharp urban lines over the street, it would be more impressive, befitting of Whitworth Street.

image hosted on flickr


I'd like clarification on the materials and maybe something should be done about that wall, but I think the massing is spot on.

(Whatever you think of this project I think we can all agree that more could be made of the above view. Imagine a landmark building on First Street.)

[Rational Plan]

The buildings that bookend Monroe's are finely detailed and if were in a posh street could be brushed up so that every brick and cornice gleamed.

The two smaller buildings to the left, however, are no great loss. If they were redeveloped that would be fine, but as they are on a smaller plot, it would be for a much smaller scheme.

[CHG]

Manchester has always been known as a city at the forefront of music and culture, even as far back as the 1800's. Unfortunately as our city progressed we have lost building after building which contributed towards this history, only to be replaced by offices and hotels. Surely buildings such as the one in which Legends resides should be protected so future generations and visitors can actually SEE and VISIT these places which have had such an impact on our history.

Places such as London, Birmingham and even Leicester are now at the forefront of musical trends (Bassline, Niche, Dubstep, UK Funky, Garage, etc etc) while our great city has worryingly been left behind. Manchester may never develop the next trend and in music again which makes buildings such as Legends even more important.

I am all for development but this must NOT be at the expense of our history, eradicating all traces of it.

Surely there must be a way of incorporating at least Monroe's AND the Legends building into this development while the others are demolished. At least meet half way! Why can't the developers build over and around these buildings much like was proposed for the "hotel Intercontinental" site on Peter Street? I know cost is going to be the main factor but just like all these other international companies which want to do business here, they should be subject to OUR conditions and not affect our culture/history in a negative way.

[CHG]

Originally Posted by Rational Plan

The two smaller buildings to the left, however, are no great loss. If they were redeveloped that would be fine, but as they are on a smaller plot, it would be for a much smaller scheme.

(In that picture) the building immediately to the left of Monroe's is actually a wing of Hotel International which is to the right of Monroe's. If the hotel is going then that building is also going regardless.

[iheartthenew]

I'm not normally into facade-ism but the part of the building facing London Rd could be kept, would be great for the inevitable hotel bar/restaurant with rentable meeting rooms above. That would still leave the Whitworth side to have the glassy front for the entrance/reception with the lay-by outside, and still a massive plot for a dull square hotel.

[Seasonedbest]

Originally Posted by CHG

Why can't the developers build over and around these buildings much like was proposed for the "hotel Intercontinental" site on Peter Street? I know cost is going to be the main factor but just like all these other international companies which want to do business here, they should be subject to OUR conditions and not affect our culture/history in a negative way.

Its not worth it. The buildings are not listed or deemed of having any historical value, fairly low quality and therefore up for wrecking ball. Manchester's musical heritage is ingrained in the vinyl, not the clubs/bars where everyone once had a good time. There’s virtually nothing from the 60’s and 70’s left standing in terms of Northern Soul venues in Manchester, precisely for this reason. People reminisce about a place, but if the venues were still around, how many are actually going to be in the same set-up? Most likely they would have been turned into a karaoke bar, or indeed a gay fetish club. And how many people are going to go loitering and gawping outside these places remember the good old days? Crowds and clubs and bars these days are fickle things - places open, places shut and I’m afraid to say 95% of clubbers (Friday/Saturday night revellers) today couldn’t give a toss about venues or controversially, the music. Cheap drinks, a chart hit and birds in the Printworks is the order of the day.

[Slow Burn]

Story about this on BBC:

It'll mean a great deal to a lot of people who are still into soul music, because the Twisted Wheel is the most iconic soul club that there ever was

Full article below
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ester-16926139