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11K views 38 replies 15 participants last post by  AngerOfTheNorth 
#1 · (Edited)
Pandon Bank

Height: 40m
Floors: 13
Architect: Jesmond Group
Developer: Metnor Property Group Ltd.


Official description from Jesmond Group:

The Pandon Bank project is an ambitious £17 million student accommodation facility designed to house 514 students in a mixture of studio apartments and ‘cluster flats’ in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, situated across the road form Northumbria University’s new Manors Campus.

The development, located on the former site of the Pandon Dean Corn Warehouse offers the ideal location for students with ready access to the university as well as nearby retail and leisure facilities. The flats consist of between four and six en-suite bedrooms with shared kitchen and dining room facilities, while the building also includes service rooms, games rooms and a number of cycle stores, with a picturesque garden to the front of the property.

Being situated across two plateaux at markedly different ground level and in close proximity to listed structures in a markedly built-up area, the development has presented a series of design challenges, not least since it also backs on to the railway line.

Due to differing ground levels on which it is built, Pandon Bank has also been artfully sculpted to gain maximum usage from the plot on which it stands, constituting 13 floors on the steeper north east side and nine on the south west.

Given the enormous size of the development, particular care has been taken to ensure that the building features adequate variety across its façade. The front therefore consists of a mixture of cream rendering, steel and timber cladding, and projecting oriel windows in primary colours of red, yellow and blue, giving the project a contemporary design aesthetic contrasting with both the modern and Victorian neighbouring buildings, while taking account of the historical context of the site.

“This is a major development in the heart of the city, and we were looking for an architectural practice with proven experience in this sector as well as knowledge of the local area. I had no hesitation in selecting Jesmond Group’s innovative proposals for the site, which will provide the high quality accommodation now demanded for student housing.”
- John Parkinson of Metnor Property Group.

http://www.jesmondgroup.co.uk/our-work/student-accommodation/1000


Renders:




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Construction Photos:




Latest Photos:




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#7 ·
that block was built by Persimmon as the 'Rialto' development and is apartments. it looks like it was built without an architect to me, every side of it looks like the rear end.

as for foundation, there was an application about a year ago to turn the building into office space.
 
#8 ·
^^ Thanks for your reply johnnypd. I can see what you mean about Rialto - the vents of car parking is never the best look. Still, there's some decent massing on Melbourne St - especially considering how far away the area is from the central area, and is a welcome change from the 'anything will do' infill of the Technopole. Presumably the land round here is no longer under the threat of the CME Bypass :lol:
 
#19 ·
Its largely complete and the scaffolding is down (I live across the road). I personally think it looks hideous. The brown cladding in parts looks naff, and its looks like it'll degrade and look dirty before long.

The random bits of colour look tacky and it all looks generally cheap and nasty. Access to this building for the 500 students is going to be a nightmare with the state of the roads in the area - Melbourne Street and Pandon bank are in urgent needs of resurfacing I just hope they do it. The Access road is pretty much single track too.
 
#21 ·
I will certainly have a go! Im away this weekend but will try on Monday.

The area is still fenced off and they haven't done any of the landscaping yet. Their pneumatic drills are still waking me up at 8am every day as they dig up the roads nearby (I assume to tinker with water pipes etc). The state of the roads due to the heavy machinery and constant digging up over the past two years is really bad.
 
#23 ·
Coupled with the fact there will be 500 rowdy students on my doorstep from September. I moved to my current location 3 years ago and had no idea what they were planning at the time. Luckily my window doesn't face onto it directly.

Im by no means a building expert but even I can tell it's bad! :)
 
#30 ·
Sometimes . . . a new building can look SO bad in the renders, but actually looks a lot better in reality.

Sometimes . . . when it is very first finished (but still in a building site environment) a new building can look reallly awful.

BUT, in both cases, it is possible (and happens sometimes) that an awful building (in both the above catagories) can look GOOD, when it is fully landscaped (grassed areas, bushes and a few taller trees) and has 'matured' a bit with the effects of the weather. It can look like it 'fits in' and can become quite attractive, when (initially) it looked awful.



erm . . . . . "sometimes" !!!!!!
 
#31 ·
Ever the optimist NH, thats a very admirable quality!

Its a real missed opportunity for such a prominent site. How many thousands of people on the ECML must see this plastic garbage up close on a daily basis?

I wonder if as part of the redevelopment they could've tarted up Manors station as part of the deal, in return for say, prominent advertising rights (much like Wimpey did at Hadrian Road metro following their projects in that area). If we have to live with their architectural vomit we might at least get some public realm improvements out of it!
 
#32 ·
Is it possible to change the thread title on Pandon bank to complete?

Yes, landscaping works are still to do, and I suspect internal works are still going on, but the external shell looks complete.

Just out of interest (not just for this project, but for general guidance) what are peoples views on this?

When should a Project Thread be marked as "completed"?
 
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