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Smithfield General Market hall to become the New Museum Of London

tim

tim

EXPLODED TIM! (Help me!!!)
There was an article about this in the Independent, yesterday, saying in coyuld happen within 3 weeks. Don't know much about the building itself, and whether it is really worth saving but thought it woth posting here, as someone is bound to know more about it than me. Here's an arcticle from Save Britain's heritage
 
Saw the Independent article and nodded (sagely) when I read the bit about such an interesting looking building being replaced by another dull steel and glass office block. For shame.

Used to go to Smithfields (the club) in that building a lot when I first moved to London 9 or 10 years back. Was a good place.
 
tim said:
There was an article about this in the Independent, yesterday, saying in coyuld happen within 3 weeks. Don't know much about the building itself, and whether it is really worth saving but thought it woth posting here, as someone is bound to know more about it than me. Here's an arcticle from Save Britain's heritage
Click to expand...
well seeing as part of it was 'accidently' destroied, around 8 months earlier than it was supposed to be leaving traders who had contracts pitches and indeed taken out a court injunction to continue to trade until the end of their contracts, all of which was uttlery pointless as they knocked it down and they could of course trade there anymore ....

this has been along time a coming and frankly though it's a beautiful building the place has turned into a city verison of covent garden now with the fuckign arwful faux market hall frontage in from of the glass and chrome bullshit ...
 
in fact looking at that site most of what they intend to protect has already been knocked down the site's quite old...
 
Correction printed in today's indy : the market stays, it's a building nearby that's being demolished.
 
Yeah it's the one that fronts Farringdon Street. Just as much architectural merit as the main market buildings, but has been neglected over the past 8 years or so - the former club was certainly squatted for a bit, but the whole place is mostly inhabited by pigeons..
 
corporate whore said:
but has been neglected over the past 8 years or so - the former club was certainly squatted for a bit, but the whole place is mostly inhabited by pigeons..
Click to expand...

yup , top Unsound nights there:)

it needs redoing but u just know they'll do some thing crap with the site :mad: look at the fucking cheque book vandalism of spitalfields , don't get me started.
 
smithfield-market-12.jpg


Photos and feature here!
http://www.urban75.org/london/smithfield-market.html
 
lang rabbie said:
Top Google rankings already, I see!
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Blimey. Although I built the pages and know a bit about search engines, sometimes I'm still surprised how high some urban pages rank!

(Looking for something else, I've just realised that urban's also number one for 'Leinster Gardens' too).

Cheers for the link: I've added it to the article.
 
Woohoo! The demolition plans have been turned down!

Smithfield market plans refused


_44900814_d0531d16-17cd-4c43-a294-6631772ad50e.jpg


A part of the historic Smithfield market earmarked for demolition has been saved after planning permission to redevelop the site was refused.

The western part of the meat market in Farringdon, central London, was due to be converted into shops and offices.

The bid involved demolishing the disused 19th Century building, the General Market and other structures.

But Communities Secretary Hazel Blears refused permission saying the proposal would harm the area's character.

Ms Blears said the existing buildings on the site made "a significant contribution" to the character and appearance of Farringdon, including the Smithfield Conservation Area.

The development was put forward by Thornfield Properties and the City of London.

The plans, which were the subject of a public inquiry, have proved controversial.

Supporters claimed the development would revive Smithfield but opponents suggest it would damage the conservation area and be intrusive.

English Heritage has not listed the General Market Building, but opposed the proposals to demolish it and redevelop the site.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7547439.stm
Click to expand...
 
The actual interior of the modern market is listed, i think - 60s building with big curved concrete roof with little circular windows...
 
denied

fucking right. farringdon is and should now remain a distinctive district of london - not a City splurge.
 
Good news, though I recently found out the row of shops between Smithfields and Farringdon station are about to be demolished, to be replaced with god knows what - a decent stretch of small businesses, including a fruit'n'veg shop and a butchers, all compulsorily evicted. :(
 
good news but it's sad how much of the little streets around there, Littel Britain etc , have gone though and many recently .. what the germans didn't destroy etc ..
 
HackneyE9 said:
The actual interior of the modern market is listed, i think - 60s building with big curved concrete roof with little circular windows...
Click to expand...

The whole of the 1960s Poultry Market has been listed Grade II since 1990.

Listing Description said:
The exterior is a remarkable piece of `pop architecture', that is absolutely `of its time'.
Click to expand...

is this a euphemmism for "ugly as hell" :confused:

The Victorian East Market building is listed Grade II* but the knocked-about General Market buildings to the west of the Poultry Market aren't listed except for the "Red House" former cold store.
 
corporate whore said:
Good news, though I recently found out the row of shops between Smithfields and Farringdon station are about to be demolished, to be replaced with god knows what - a decent stretch of small businesses, including a fruit'n'veg shop and a butchers, all compulsorily evicted. :(
Click to expand...

Is that for the new Crossrail station?
 
Apparently it was rebuilt after that end of the market was levelled by a V2 strike in 1944 - over 400 killed, whole thing hushed up as a 'gas explosion' as was the practice for a while.
 
I've been cycling through Smithfields every day for the last 3 years, still looks grim and run down. They've been working under Snow Hill all that time, can't quite work out what they're doing. Any ideas?

I know the old Snow Hill station/ railway line was in need of a lot of work, but is it just that or are they putting in new tracks for one something - Crossrail perhaps? Definitely Crossrail works going on at the north of Smithfields on St John Street, its been shut one way for the last month.
 
Crispy said:
Oh that is excellent news. It's a great location, and the existing MoL building is a nightmare to access.
Click to expand...

The MoL building seems designed to make the Barbican look good :D

Whether this idea will progress remains to be seen. It could be a great catalyst for a more appropriate regeneration of the market than previous proposals.
 
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