Saw this on Pete's blog and, after watching the embedded video, I can't shake the feeling that it's so impossibly cheesy, so unbelievably naff that it must just be some ridiculous Birmingham City Council made up stunt.Because if it isn't a stunt, if it isn't just someone taking the piss then we're about to see a huge and very expensive gleaming tower of pure shit erected in the skies of Birmingham.
It's not the design that bugs the hell out of me either; I'm all for innovative buildings. No, it's the tacking on of the theme park aspects of it that really annoys. Completely trivialising and juvenilising the whole thing.
VTP200 site BBC report.
You're wrong.
ReplyDeleteWhy shouldn't a big fuckoff building be daft and (excuse the term) fun? I love tall buildings but it always annoys me that public access to the top is not included in the plans. The Rotunda should have a viewing gallery open to everyone. This will. As for the theme park stuff, why the hell not? I think we need more trivial and juvenile buildings to balance things out a bit (have you seen what's going on in Snow Hill? Office block dullsville..)
Hi Pete,
ReplyDeleteI'm all for the extensive public access and have wished, like you, that the Rotunda would have ahd a viewing gallery.
And I'm certainly not averse to the idea of buildings being playful and fun; I've always adored the Bull Ring (although it's definitely spelt wrong - two words dammit!).
But this just seems like it's a set of deliberately wacky ideas dreamt up by some ad exec to me.
What doesn't help is this nagging feeling that I've actually seen this idea before somewhere, either in a dream, or in comics, TV or movies. The sense of deja vu isn't helping my reaction to it to be honest.
why exactly didnt they just call it "The Bull Ring" like everyone knows is its real name anyway?! Go on, you try saying Bullring without the "the"!
ReplyDelete