Best building in your city?

[VoldemortBlack]

Originally Posted by Delirium

The prettiest Primark around perhaps?

Certainly beats the Manchester one

[belfastuniguy]

Fantastic pics conor, I agree with them all.

I would add Clifton House as well. I just love the elegance of the building. It's one of a handful of Georgian buildings in Belfast as the city was almost nothing during that era and at the time was built 'outside' the city surrounded by fields, it's now 5 minutes walk from City Hall

Clifton House, originally Belfast’s Poor House, was founded by the Belfast Charitable Society in the 1770’s.


An Act of Parliament gave the Society considerable power over the welfare of the town’s citizens. As well as taking in the destitute, sick and poor, they administered the water supply, and exercised authority over town planning, policing and fire fighting. Children in the poor house were taught the skills of mechanised cotton spinning and weaving – the start of the city’s industrialisation.

In 1798, the military in the barracks next door gave the Society forty eight hours to clear the Poor House because of the radical connections of its founding members. Robert and Henry Joy,
joint editors of the Belfast Newsletter, played pivotal roles in advancing the interests of the Poor House and their nephew Henry Joy McCracken was hanged for his part in the Rebellion of 1798. Henry Joy’s sister Mary Ann was a revolutionary and an advocate of the rights of women and children. After her brother’s execution she devoted her life to the welfare of the residents of the Poor House.


In more recent years it became obvious that Clifton House required a major refurbishment. The Society commissioned a new purpose built nursing home at Carlisle Circus and leased Clifton House to BIH Housing Association for 70 years, allowing them to fund the renovation work. The Society now shares Clifton House with BIH who operate sheltered accommodation on the site while the Society run a residential home and an impressive Interpretative Centre.

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[Delirium]

Just to jazz it up a little bit.

Some of Bristol's best post war buildings (in no order):

1.)


2.)


3.)


4.)


5.)


6.)


(non streetview pics taken by Bristolmike).

[Gherkin]

Leeds' victorian arcades are a lovely shopping experience... if only I could afford to shop there

[wiggleyleeds]

watched a documentary about arcades a few months back, and those ones in leeds are reputed as the finest in europe.

[Leeds No.1]

On the note of Leeds, these are Leeds' favourite buildings, voted for by people across the city:

Honours for the ideas that shape our city
30 January 2010
Suzanne Mctaggart

THE best new buildings – and an old favourite – were celebrated when industry leaders from around the country gathered at the Leeds Architecture Awards. One of the biggest cheers of the night went to Leeds Town Hall, which won the YEP's inaugural award for Leeds's Favourite Building.

YEP readers had voted in their masses for the town hall, designed by Cuthbert Brodrick. Back in November, we asked readers to send in their ideas before drawing up a shortlist of 10 of the best, which also including Leeds Grand Theatre, Leeds Civic Hall, Leeds Bridge House, The Corn Exchange, Leeds Cathedral, Quarry House and Hinsley Hall in Headingley.

When YEP editor Paul Napier announced the town hall as the winner, rapturous applause broke out in the 400-strong audience.

Coun John Procter, pictured, picked up the prize, a stunning framed photograph of the Town Hall, on behalf of Leeds City Council.

The executive board member for leisure said: "The town hall is a magnificent building and really is a great architectural asset to the city of Leeds.

"I am very pleased it has won the favourite building award as it is a beautiful building and a favourite of locals and tourists alike."

Temple Works in Holbeck, a former flax mill based on the Temple of Edfu in Egypt, finished second in our search, followed by Leeds Metropolitan University's Faculty of Arts and Society – also known as Broadcasting Place – in third.

A panel of top judges, led by guest assessor Renato Benedetti – who also presented the awards evening – had toured Leeds examining works in five categories: Altered Building, Conserved Building, New Building, Public Realm and Landscape and Temporary Works.

The awards are jointly promoted by Leeds City Council and the Leeds Chamber Property Forum, in association with the Leeds Society of Architects, the Landscape Institute, the Institute of Historic Building Conservation and Leeds Civic Trust.

Who the awards went to

New Building:
WINNERS: Broadcasting Place, also known as Leeds Metropolitan University's Faculty of Arts and Society, opened to students last
summer and Pudsey Grangefield School, built as part of the Leeds Building for Schools (BSF) programme.
architects: Fielden Clegg Bradley Studios (Broadcasting Place) and Mentor
(Pudsey).
Commendations: The Rose Bowl at Leeds Metropolitan University, designed by Sheppard Robson; Fusion at Millennium Village, Allerton Bywater, designed by PRP Architects Ltd; and Carnegie Village at Leeds Met's Headingley campus, designed by GWP Architecture.


Public realm and landscape
WINNERS: Seating on Albion Place, and Connect at The Gateway. These awards aims to recognise public areas which have been spruced up.
architects: Peter Yarwood (Albion Place) and Carey Jones with Linda Schwab (Connect).
commendation: The car park at 83a Otley Road, Headingley, designed by David R Bamford Architects with Smeedom Foreman.

Conserved building
winner: the Mansion at Roundhay Park, where a sweeping staircase and carved mahogany bannister were restored following a multi-million-pound refurbishment.
Architects Purcell Miller Tritton for Leeds City Council.
Commendations: The Dyneley Arms in Pool-in-Wharfedale, designed by architect Christopher Hearn with DSP Architects LLP.
The pub re-opened in 2008 after it was left unused and derelict following after a massive fire in 2002.


Altered building
WINNER: The Mansion at Roundhay Park, which re-opened after a refurbishment in August.
Architects Purcell Miller Tritton.
Commendations: Broad Gate for transforming the former Lewis's building on The Headrow and Richard Crooks Partnership for St Margaret's Church in Horsforth's eco-friendly extension.

Temporary works
WINNER: Green In The City at Wellington Place, Leeds city centre.
This category had two entrants but only one winner. The green space was praised by the judges for the facilities it offers to the local community, including allotments and football pitches. This category is a brand new category launched for this year's awards, which recognises the temporary use of vacant spaces in the city.

Lifetime achievement
THE Lifetime Achievement award went to Leeds City Council's civic architect John Thorp, who is due to retire after 40 years with the council. In a moving speech, director of development Jean Dent spoke of some of John's most well-known projects, including Millennium Square and Merrion Gardens. She told the audience: "It's been a pleasure and a privilege to work with John and to call him my friend over all these many years. "His knowledge of architecture is boundless, his enthusiasm is inspiring and frankly, he is irreplaceable."

Receiving one of the Millennium Square golden owls, which he designed himself, Mr Thorp said: "It's a tremendous honour, a tremendous privilege and probably the biggest surprise of my life. "Cuthbert Brodrick really does intrigue us all in that he won a competition at the age of 28 to design the Town Hall.

Emulate

"He retired admirably at the age of 42 and lived until he was 84.

"Although I would love to emulate his achievements, it is rather interesting to think what it would have been like to retire at 42 and find that how ever many years on, you're still in the long distance marathon and race that is part of city development."

Favourite Buildings:

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[Gherkin]

I wish there was more talk on here about Leeds' buildings pictured above rather than opal tower!

[johnnypd]

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interesting building, what is it?

[cardiff]

Originally Posted by Gherkin

I wish there was more talk on here about Leeds' buildings pictured above rather than opal tower!

Me too, relatively few picture in skybar fo Leeds, and very few photo threads.

[Leeds No.1]

Originally Posted by johnnypd

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interesting building, what is it?

Hinsley Hall, a Christian Conference Centre.

[yoshef]

The bristol primark/hof looks boss!

Hard choice to pick one from Liverpool, loads to choose from, and I'll probably change my mind again in a few years, but I'm going to go for a building that took most of the 20th century to build looms over the entire city. I think if you're from the city sometimes you take things for granted, and its not everyones cup of tea, but for me the scale of it is epic. The thing seems to get bigger as you get up closer to it, and the big space inside it is superb, it looks like somewhere Batman might hang around.

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cohodas208


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jon wild

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stephen aka crispin swan

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Philipborg


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hypnofocal


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homer simpsons donut

[Required]

My top 5 buildings in Manchester

Midland Hotel
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Lancaster House


Civil Justice Centre


Midland Bank


St Anns Church
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[Saul Silver]

Old trafford, well technically Im not from trafford.

[Required]

My Top 5 buildings in Belfast

The Crown Bar


Grand Opera House


Spires
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Elmwood Hall
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St Annes Cathedral
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[yoshef]

looks better inside

[belfastuniguy]

It's incredible inside!