MetaChat - The last days

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24 March 2010

The last days of a huge UK housing project. (Photo essay) Amazingly, a few people still live there.

post by: BoringPostcards at: 06:46 | 8 comments

Thanks, BP. An interesting and poignant photo essay.

posted by flapjax at midnite 24 March | 07:40

Although aesthetically I love post-war architecture, these flats, and others of their type, have been an unmitigated disaster. Intended to be 'streets in the sky', the walkway designs just didn't work and resulted in people isolating in their homes rather than creating a community.

posted by essexjan 24 March | 07:48

I walked past there a while ago, pretty creepy.

It's quite close to the block of flats with the Seizure art thing where they crystallized a flat by pumping it full of copper sulphate.

posted by TheophileEscargot 24 March | 15:33

It's odd and sad that some people feel more comfortable there now that it's barren than when it was occupied.

TheophileEscargot, I think I've read about that creation before. Did you see it first-hand?

posted by filthy light thief 24 March | 18:27

Yes, I went: incredibly impressive, very eerie atmosphere.

≡ Click to see image ≡

There's also a huge new building called the Strata Tower going up in that area, but some people are skeptical.

posted by TheophileEscargot 25 March | 01:58

Those are some really brutal ugly buildings. What the hell were they thinking when they were building them?

posted by arse_hat 25 March | 02:01

Ugly? I've always been awed by the way the main blocks look (see the first picture in the gallery), especially the way they slide into view when you're taking the train past them.

I'm sure the architects/planners/councillors thought the same and didn't anticipate the kind of community they'd [fail to] create.

posted by cillit bang 25 March | 03:41

cb, when I look at those buildings I just see big utilitarian storage units with no thought given to the fact that people have to live there. It's kind of like the human version or a big box factory store.

posted by arse_hat 25 March | 21:46

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