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City of Culture 2021 | Wish List

4448 Views 30 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  Dr Pepper, 
J
So, with a few years to plan and execute, what are your suggestions for potential projects based around our City of Culture 2021 success? Maybe you have ideas for art installations or things that commemorate Coventry. Perhaps there are aspects of Coventry's history you feel could be better promoted or new ideas to really put entertainment on the map. And what about the community? Are there ways that this award can kickstart some of the more challenged areas of the city?
Buildings - What would be on your list of priorities to bring some of the above to fruition? Do we need to consider the offerings that already exist in the city at places such as Warwick Uni Arts Centre and consolidate funds in a way that are less immediately tangible such as supporting youth groups and culture for years to come? Space - with a lot of the space in the city centre already marked for development, would we have enough land within the ring road to build something like a 3500 capacity entertainment arena being constructed in Hull? I'd really appreciate people's comments and ideas, and who knows, there could be something Skyscrapercity folk can contribute to the party. Let's get involved!
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C
Another quick idea is for a blitz art installation, possibly in Broadgate but could be done on top of another building.

Basically it's a circular array of 'searchlights' arranged so they form a fourth 'spire'
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F
Covguy said:
Yeah terrible a rugby club that has one of biggest gates in the country! It also has done masses of community work.

And what's up with sport - cov rugby are flying. Still have ice hockey team, then there is the netball team I could go on. There is more than football.
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The Wasps rugby club are vile and their community work is in pursuit of economic objectives over anything else.
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NewTroll
CovAD said:
Possibly. But that blank wall facing the road HAS to go if it is, or an extension put further out into the free space with a more airy, active frontage - if it could be made to match the 'hidden' FoB side it'd look pretty impressive along the road.
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The back side is a bit of a mess at the moment, with an abandoned 'sunken' garden, weird platforms and a bridge. It's all hidden by trees and overlooks service areas. It's just not been looked after and the garden is full of rubbish. Do these things *really* work in urban environments like this?

I don't really get what they were thinking. Where a building could have benefitted from a big window overlooking something nice (Owen Owen) we have blank walls. Then we have big windows overlooking service areas. I don't believe there was ever much of a comprehensive plan for that area, so it was probably done in dribs and drabs - and this shows!

The Elephant is interesting, and I can see why some people want to keep it, but I just think it looks... well, a bit naff.
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Covguy
Fernando Partridge said:
The Wasps rugby club are vile and their community work is in pursuit of economic objectives over anything else.
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They are a business of they were not in pursuit of economic objectives if he worried.
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Covguy
NewTroll said:
The back side is a bit of a mess at the moment, with an abandoned 'sunken' garden, weird platforms and a bridge. It's all hidden by trees and overlooks service areas. It's just not been looked after and the garden is full of rubbish. Do these things *really* work in urban environments like this?

I don't really get what they were thinking. Where a building could have benefitted from a big window overlooking something nice (Owen Owen) we have blank walls. Then we have big windows overlooking service areas. I don't believe there was ever much of a comprehensive plan for that area, so it was probably done in dribs and drabs - and this shows!

The Elephant is interesting, and I can see why some people want to keep it, but I just think it looks... well, a bit naff.
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The actual glass frontage is good. The trees need to go and when the university redevelop the buildings behind it needs a more sympathetic approach.
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NewTroll
Covguy said:
The actual glass frontage is good. The trees need to go and when the university redevelop the buildings behind it needs a more sympathetic approach.
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I agree. You can hardly see it.

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

It looks a bit odd where it stops and turns into a concrete plinth - as if the ground around it has been washed away to reveal foundations.
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C
Yep - the trees hide it. Maybe that's the point - to stop people being able to see in that well with people in their swimming gear. But then why bother putting in the big glass window in the first place? Why not have the big glass window on Fairfax St side showing the foyer and the blank wall facing the service area and hiding people using the baths?

So in redevelopment (assuming the building is staying) the trees have to go and Cope St made into a proper walkable route/street.

As for the Elephant, I actually quite like it. It took me 20 years to actually see it but again it's covered by trees (I only saw it because it was winter and the trees were bare) and only visible from the sliproad from J3 up to J2. So unless you get rid of that raised section of the ringroad it's pointless.

My sister and I were looking at some of the old photos etc of the city and we noticed something about the ones that looked the best - a distinct lack of trees in general and certainly mature ones. In an urban setting let the architecture do the talking. I'm all for green space and trees, green corridors and the like, but can we please start thinking it through first.
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C
Fernando Partridge said:
The Wasps rugby club are vile and their community work is in pursuit of economic objectives over anything else.
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As is that of CCFC, Cov Rugby, Blaze..... - in fact any sporting club or business in general. If it's not going to get sales/bums on seats and good PR they won't bother doing it - full stop. Sometimes (certainly with CCFC) it's a box-ticking exercise as it's something they're contractually obliged by the league to do.
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Covguy
CovAD said:
Yep - the trees hide it. Maybe that's the point - to stop people being able to see in that well with people in their swimming gear. But then why bother putting in the big glass window in the first place? Why not have the big glass window on Fairfax St side showing the foyer and the blank wall facing the service area and hiding people using the baths?

So in redevelopment (assuming the building is staying) the trees have to go and Cope St made into a proper walkable route/street.

As for the Elephant, I actually quite like it. It took me 20 years to actually see it but again it's covered by trees (I only saw it because it was winter and the trees were bare) and only visible from the sliproad from J3 up to J2. So unless you get rid of that raised section of the ringroad it's pointless.

My sister and I were looking at some of the old photos etc of the city and we noticed something about the ones that looked the best - a distinct lack of trees in general and certainly mature ones. In an urban setting let the architecture do the talking. I'm all for green space and trees, green corridors and the like, but can we please start thinking it through first.
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Market way, outside the coop building all have trees that are far too large now.
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J
Rising Bristol punk band, Idles have announced they are to play a gig at Coventry library (the Locarno/Tiffany’s) on April 14th. I wonder if this is a precursor to a potential relocation of the library and a return to former glory for Tiffany’s with its 1500-2000 capacity? With noise from Councillor Ruane about the need for a larger music and entertainments venue in the city, perhaps this could be it.
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Dr Pepper
How about moving the Jaguar Heritage Trust from Gaydon into a new museum in Coventry? There is plenty of space behind the Transport Museum for something impressive. Maybe even rebuild the Transport Museum while your at it.

A decent looking building and the new Jaguar displays would give the whole museum national significance. At the moment it feels a bit regional.
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