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Submitting this because I find it interesting that there's a bunch of old stuff in England and because there's so much of it we often don't have good quality in

by DanBC 4y ago

Submitting this because I find it interesting that there's a bunch of old stuff in England and because there's so much of it we often don't have good quality information about it, and it's not always in good condition. The article describes New Inn in Gloucester as "This incredibly well-preserved, galleried, courtyard inn", and that's true. But here's the New Inn in Google maps https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.8656679,-2.2453785,3a,83.4y,119.52h,97.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sS0k-rtvOzO9HFrYIL-yvvA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.8656679,-2.2453785,3a,83.4... There's some modern retail unit infill on the ground floor; there are alarm boxes and hanging basket brackets stuck on the walls; and the context of the building has been destroyed - the pavement and surrounding buildings are all modern. This thing about context is writ large in Gloucester. Here's another example just down the street of a very old building with an unhappy juxtaposition with a more modern building: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.8650378,-2.2462721,3a,75y,140.38h,112.26t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sS4tWgCafeJjNYKezPTyzpA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.8650378,-2.2462721,3a,75y,... Here's another example of a not great modern building put up next to an old (1450) building: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Cookes+Coffee+%26+Curios/@51.8665696,-2.2482787,3a,81y,30.8h,101.12t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOWUtmJLEJ5Q3E47rcnFELA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x48710c03090711f1:0xd4964ab511370440!8m2!3d51.8663937!4d-2.2479521 https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Cookes+Coffee+%26+Curios... (I'm not anti modern building! Many of them are more accessible, beautiful, playful, creative. But, also, lots of them are just rubbish.)

walnutclosefarm 4y ago
Kinda hard to avoid the juxtaposition though, isn't it? Not like you can conjure suitable old neighbors for these survivors. For an example of the same thing (except with jarringly more extreme difference between the old and new) in the New World, take a look at Fraunces Tavern in New York City: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7035379,-74.0113687,3a,75y,216.79h,88.61t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s7Kdcg8KIndxqpP8qp5sJZg!2e0!5s20190601T000000!7i16384!8i8192 https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7035379,-74.0113687,3a,75y,2... The tavern dates from about 1720. So, it's old for America, although nothing special age-wise from a European point of view. But it's almost literally buried in 30 to 50 story glass and steel towers, between Wall Street and The Battery.
frereubu 4y ago
I'd agree about the first one, which looks a bit of a mess, but I actually quite enjoy the "another example just down the street of a very old building with an unhappy juxtaposition" example (I quite like brutalist architecture when done well, and like the juxtaposition there). It's a bit of a shame to me that the Costa frontage has replaced what was presumably a rather nice ground floor though. I think what I mind most is blandness, which is in the third example.
- DanBC 4y ago
  I completely agree about blandness! I live in Cheltenham and there's a bunch of buildings that are about 100-150 years old but they're in not great condition. I would much prefer there to be exciting modern buildings instead of run down older buildings.
drewzero1 4y ago
My office is in a small-town downtown US building that is that building on the block. Most of the buildings date to the 1870s after a fire nearly leveled the area, with nice brickwork and decorative elements. Ours however is a late-1950s department store with an imposing red brick facade and just a few small windows. Some years ago a 1930s gangster movie was filmed here and they went out of their way to avoid including our extremely anachronistic building in the shot. I think it snuck into a few frames during a car chase though.

by DanBC 4y ago

walnutclosefarm 4y ago

Kinda hard to avoid the juxtaposition though, isn't it? Not like you can conjure suitable old neighbors for these survivors. For an example of the same thing (except with jarringly more extreme difference between the old and new) in the New World, take a look at Fraunces Tavern in New York City: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7035379,-74.0113687,3a,75y,216.79h,88.61t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s7Kdcg8KIndxqpP8qp5sJZg!2e0!5s20190601T000000!7i16384!8i8192 https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7035379,-74.0113687,3a,75y,2... The tavern dates from about 1720. So, it's old for America, although nothing special age-wise from a European point of view. But it's almost literally buried in 30 to 50 story glass and steel towers, between Wall Street and The Battery.

frereubu 4y ago

I'd agree about the first one, which looks a bit of a mess, but I actually quite enjoy the "another example just down the street of a very old building with an unhappy juxtaposition" example (I quite like brutalist architecture when done well, and like the juxtaposition there). It's a bit of a shame to me that the Costa frontage has replaced what was presumably a rather nice ground floor though. I think what I mind most is blandness, which is in the third example.

DanBC 4y ago
I completely agree about blandness! I live in Cheltenham and there's a bunch of buildings that are about 100-150 years old but they're in not great condition. I would much prefer there to be exciting modern buildings instead of run down older buildings.

drewzero1 4y ago

My office is in a small-town downtown US building that is that building on the block. Most of the buildings date to the 1870s after a fire nearly leveled the area, with nice brickwork and decorative elements. Ours however is a late-1950s department store with an imposing red brick facade and just a few small windows. Some years ago a 1930s gangster movie was filmed here and they went out of their way to avoid including our extremely anachronistic building in the shot. I think it snuck into a few frames during a car chase though.