Chester HQ

From Chester Wiki

Chester Wiki Forum : Chester Talk : Chester HQ

---

By Hooligan(sysop) on Sun May 27, 2007 9:04 am

One might have thought, that upon the acquisition of a site which was famed for its occupation by an eyesore, the developers would opt for a name that was not in any way connected with the previous monstrosity. Not so in this case. "Chester Police HQ" was ugly and intimidating in a way (meaning no disservice to the hard working police of Chester) that only George Orwell could have dreamt up. Naming the new building "Chester HQ" is a bit like calling a new hotel "The Black of Calcutta".

I still haven't made my mind up about the new design. I suppose I could consider a harmonious blending of work, home and travel into a circular structure as something akin to a less linear version of the Barbican centre and as radical as Stonehenge was in its time. On the other hand, it does seem to clash with Stapleton Cotton's monument (perhaps if they turned him round...) and with the formal squareness of the Castle Forecourt. I do hope I'm wrong.

For me, Chester architecture should look like it's here to stay, at least for a while, which means building in brick and stone, slate and tile (or even wattle and daub). Glass is OK in the roof of the Grosvenor Arcade, but the concrete and steel panels we see used on so many "contemporary buildings" seem even less substantial than the Forum and the Police HQ - both with a lifetime measured in little more than a generation.

Private Message | Personal Page | Quote

---