Comments on: Clapham One development is go! http://www.loveclapham.com/clapham-one-is-go/2303 Information about Clapham and the surrounding areas with news, shop, restaurant and bar directory. Plus a forum for residents to chat about issues. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:46:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Gavin http://www.loveclapham.com/clapham-one-is-go/2303/comment-page-1#comment-1892 Gavin Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:34:41 +0000 http://www.loveclapham.com/?p=2303#comment-1892 The design vision is actually very good. I wouldn't be surprised at all if it were a Vlado Milunic / Frank Gehry creation - the folks that designed Dancing House in Prague (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_House) a world famous and renowned building. Britain is blighted with bland, pastiche architecture. It's 2010. We have many gorgeous original buildings that remind us of years gone by in London. It's impossible to successfully recreate those designs with today's planning limitations. So let's create buildings appropriate to our time. That work with today's materials, laws and life to create something awe inspiring - even on a south London suburban high street (which, quite frankly could do with an injection of "interesting"). I just hope the designers and planners aren't bullied into watering down the design and creating a congenial design when what is proposed is challenging and exciting. The design vision is actually very good. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it were a Vlado Milunic / Frank Gehry creation – the folks that designed Dancing House in Prague (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_House) a world famous and renowned building. Britain is blighted with bland, pastiche architecture. It’s 2010. We have many gorgeous original buildings that remind us of years gone by in London. It’s impossible to successfully recreate those designs with today’s planning limitations. So let’s create buildings appropriate to our time. That work with today’s materials, laws and life to create something awe inspiring – even on a south London suburban high street (which, quite frankly could do with an injection of “interesting”). I just hope the designers and planners aren’t bullied into watering down the design and creating a congenial design when what is proposed is challenging and exciting.

]]> By: Steve http://www.loveclapham.com/clapham-one-is-go/2303/comment-page-1#comment-1850 Steve Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:42:52 +0000 http://www.loveclapham.com/?p=2303#comment-1850 I've read on the Clapham One site that there will be changes to the external facade of the leisure cntre building due to objections raised during planning consultation but that the inside of the building and its facilities will remain the same. It looks likethey might re-model the design based on people's objections. Nevertheless i think both projects are an excellent development for the high street. Any non-historic building will most likely become outdated in a matter of time anyway. There are a couple of ugly council blocks already on Clapham Manor road which is in keeping with london's tendency to mix the ugly with the beautiful and bizarre. Clapham High Street has been allowed to evolve at its own pace and its own unique way without any fussy planning from gentrifiers, I think that is a good thing, even if we still have a sizeable number of shops selling plastics and corner shops, at least it hasn't got the unappealing exclusivity of Abbeville Road - Clapham's other key High Street or the anodyne appeal of Lavendar road which is now crowded with occasionally-used restaurants and useless twee-looking shops selling sleek tat. I’ve read on the Clapham One site that there will be changes to the external facade of the leisure cntre building due to objections raised during planning consultation but that the inside of the building and its facilities will remain the same. It looks likethey might re-model the design based on people’s objections. Nevertheless i think both projects are an excellent development for the high street. Any non-historic building will most likely become outdated in a matter of time anyway. There are a couple of ugly council blocks already on Clapham Manor road which is in keeping with london’s tendency to mix the ugly with the beautiful and bizarre. Clapham High Street has been allowed to evolve at its own pace and its own unique way without any fussy planning from gentrifiers, I think that is a good thing, even if we still have a sizeable number of shops selling plastics and corner shops, at least it hasn’t got the unappealing exclusivity of Abbeville Road – Clapham’s other key High Street or the anodyne appeal of Lavendar road which is now crowded with occasionally-used restaurants and useless twee-looking shops selling sleek tat.

]]> By: Cyril Richert http://www.loveclapham.com/clapham-one-is-go/2303/comment-page-1#comment-1845 Cyril Richert Sun, 24 Jan 2010 15:29:18 +0000 http://www.loveclapham.com/?p=2303#comment-1845 Regarding the new towers, I appreciate that the proportion seems the same as the one they replace (however you should publish a picture showing that). The reference to carton is unfortunately appropriate... think about what those building will look like in 20 years? I completely disagree with the statement from @filmish: “new Clapham Leisure Centre looks like a multistorey car park mated with a supermarket. But it’s what’s on the inside that counts,” Does it mean that you can build the most horrible, out of place, out of proportion building, as long as you provide newest and more convenient facilities inside? I am afraid I strongly disagree and considering the level of objections in Clapham Junction last year, a lot of people think the same. Honestly I don't understand why the façade of the leisure centre is not kept, which is a nice building with a little history and character, which is what the proposal lacks completely. Regarding the new towers, I appreciate that the proportion seems the same as the one they replace (however you should publish a picture showing that). The reference to carton is unfortunately appropriate… think about what those building will look like in 20 years?

I completely disagree with the statement from @filmish: “new Clapham Leisure Centre looks like a multistorey car park mated with a supermarket. But it’s what’s on the inside that counts,”
Does it mean that you can build the most horrible, out of place, out of proportion building, as long as you provide newest and more convenient facilities inside? I am afraid I strongly disagree and considering the level of objections in Clapham Junction last year, a lot of people think the same.
Honestly I don’t understand why the façade of the leisure centre is not kept, which is a nice building with a little history and character, which is what the proposal lacks completely.

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