Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
turdwatch
Windrush Square, Brixton - news and discussion
- Thread starter teuchter
- Start date
Sadly that's not too inaccurate in the morning. Somebody's a very dirty boy on those chairs.
The sprayclean team were out again Wednesday or perhaps the day before, moving very slightly away from the Ritzy and towards the tree. That's 4 visits I know about in the past month, and it's only very marginally better.
The fountain seems buggered too of late, blowing everywhere in the wind and leaving a big puddle and drain channel of water down to one side by Rushcroft. It was a bit of a damp rubbish-attracting piss-stream the other other day. It doesn't seem to be holding up very well to use.
The sprayclean team were out again Wednesday or perhaps the day before, moving very slightly away from the Ritzy and towards the tree. That's 4 visits I know about in the past month, and it's only very marginally better.
The fountain seems buggered too of late, blowing everywhere in the wind and leaving a big puddle and drain channel of water down to one side by Rushcroft. It was a bit of a damp rubbish-attracting piss-stream the other other day. It doesn't seem to be holding up very well to use.
London_Calling
Pleasant and unpatronising
Ah yes, the cones photo again.
editor
hiraethified
OK. Imagine the cones aren't there. Now tell me what you think of a design that leaves vast puddles dribbling their way towards Rushcroft Road. Are you impressed? Do you think perhaps the fountain could have been in a better location and that a better job could have been done with the drainage?
And how about the shape, size, strength of the fountain. How does that shape up to the picture above which shows the kind of fountains seen in quite a few locations in the UK.
Have you an opinion, or are you blinded by the cones?
To be fair, they've also put crash barriers around the edges of the sprinkers this morning, or at least just to the right of the thing - it looks as if they're doing some repairs anyway.
I'm slightly more indifferent to it than the Ed - it looks good on a sunny day - but it's been a bit of a dribbling, rubbish attracting eyesore of late, not helped by it gushing a trench of water onto the square and gutters. I'm guessing that something's not working properly at the moment - my understanding that it was meant to turn off in higher winds, but come gusty Wed/Thurs it had created a bit of an exclusion zone, discharging its watery payload mainly into Rushcroft Road.
I'm slightly more indifferent to it than the Ed - it looks good on a sunny day - but it's been a bit of a dribbling, rubbish attracting eyesore of late, not helped by it gushing a trench of water onto the square and gutters. I'm guessing that something's not working properly at the moment - my understanding that it was meant to turn off in higher winds, but come gusty Wed/Thurs it had created a bit of an exclusion zone, discharging its watery payload mainly into Rushcroft Road.
London_Calling
Pleasant and unpatronising
I think it's a water feature that isn't yet working as intended. It's not particularly ambitious, it's not supposed to be an 'attraction' - which is your photographic comparison with the 'Appearing Rooms', seasonal, South Bank project, it causes no diminution of space when not switched on and kids will enjoy it. It's not the end of the world that it's got teething problems and I'm not interested in a rush to judgement about it.
You are though.
editor
hiraethified
The fountains in Somerset Square cause zero diminution of space when not switched on. And yes - I am "rushing" to criticise something paid for by taxpayers that has been up and working for several months. The way the water slops all over Windrush Square smacks of poor planning/execution to me, Why shouldn't I criticise it?
Gixxer1000
cant wheelie a shaftie :(
But you dont know how much they cost, so you cant possibly comment <sniggers>
teuchter
je suis teuchter
*update*
Well, some time ago I was berated (by people who couldn't be bothered to do some proper research before making sensationalist statements) for being too lazy to go and find out the facts for myself (to counter their spurious remarks).
So I made FOI requests to both Lambeth council and TfL, asking what the final cost of the square was.
Lambeth's response was a bit vague, although to be fair to them, the funding for the actual building work itself didn't come from them. However, they did confirm that prior to the work starting it was established that:
TfL have stated that:
So there you have it.
The "staggering" £10M was (as suspected) not for the square but for the entirety of the works to the town centre.
The actual cost of the square itself is identified as £2.9M.
Well, some time ago I was berated (by people who couldn't be bothered to do some proper research before making sensationalist statements) for being too lazy to go and find out the facts for myself (to counter their spurious remarks).
So I made FOI requests to both Lambeth council and TfL, asking what the final cost of the square was.
Lambeth's response was a bit vague, although to be fair to them, the funding for the actual building work itself didn't come from them. However, they did confirm that prior to the work starting it was established that:
Lambeth said:
TfL have stated that:
So there you have it.
The "staggering" £10M was (as suspected) not for the square but for the entirety of the works to the town centre.
The actual cost of the square itself is identified as £2.9M.
strung out
💩 🤣 🍆 💦 🧐 👻 🐝 🐈⬛
i can finally vote on the poll 
editor
hiraethified
You've got that a bit arse about tit, you div. It was you who couldn't be arsed to do any research at the time, and it was you who started this pointless, childish poll when the amount wasn't known.
But well done for finally getting off your arse. Eventually.
Oh, and do I think the square represents the very best value residents could have got for £3m? No, I don't.
And that windswept puddle-making 'fountain' is still a disaster.
You wouldn't think it to look at it, but this pic was actually taken on a dry day!
Attachments
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Now now, according to Hargreaves the fountain:
Furthermore
Still shite though
Furthermore
Still shite though
teuchter
je suis teuchter
Just a brief recap.
No, it didn't meet my standards for proper research, and the information that I have now made available vindicates my suspicion of that "research", because that "research" turned up a figure which was 334% of the actual, correct figure.
Anyway that is to some extent a moot point because what this is really about is this:
And yes there is a problem with the overspill from the fountain.
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Crispy
The following psytrance is baṉned: All
Excellent work, mr teuchter
- That's a totally reasonable price for the scale of works undertaken IMO, so any controversy can be laid to rest.
Onket
Je suis [CONTENT REMOVED]
He'd already won way back, tbf.
editor
hiraethified
That's just the hard money side of it, but how about how it looks, its value to the community, its design, its capabilities to host functions, the quality of its fountain, the feel of the place etc etc?
Do you think that's the best we could have got or do you think it falls short?
Crispy
The following psytrance is baṉned: All
It could have been better. That fountains not fantastic, and the cycle parking is in the wrong place, but otherwise its good and has always been a pleasant place to be in when I've been there. I've relaxed on the grass with friends several times, due to the reduced traffic going up effra road and the lack of fences. I'd never done that in all the time I lived in brixton. The layout seemed to work well enough for events at brixton splash. If the underground toilets could have been removed, i think a more cohesive layout could have been achieved. They're in completely the wrong place.
It looks good and seems to be used well.
It looks good and seems to be used well.
co-op
But....but cLoWnFiSh....
The real reason it fails as a true town square - or at least as a place which will really work as a 'civic forum' is basically because it's a motorway lay-by; and there's no design of the peripheral space which gets rid of the 6 lanes of traffic going N-S and the 5/3 lanes going Acre Lane - Coldharbour Lane. I reckon.
editor
hiraethified
I like the grassy bit at the 'back.'
Crispy
The following psytrance is baṉned: All
This is true. A traditional Square has active frontages on at least 3 sides. Windrush Square has 1/2 an active side. The other half of that side is derelict (but hopefully the BCA will get built). One other side is a residential road and the other two are busy through roads. Its function is more like that of a wide pavement.
teuchter
je suis teuchter
I think people are getting a bit too hung up on whether or not it's a "square". No design could eliminate the A23, or magically turn a residential street into an "active frontage". It would have been nice to redirect the traffic going up Effra road so that it formed a continuous space with the St Matthews Gardens; this hasn't happened due to residents' objections so you can't blame that on the designers.
It doesn't matter whether or not it's a "square". It's a public space. There are lots of public spaces in lots of cities and each is different and gets used differently. The brief here was to improve this bit of public space in such a way that it works in the way that is required in this location. Most people seem to agree it's a significant improvement on what was there before, and it appears to have been delivered on a reasonable budget. It's not perfect but it's pretty good considering the nature of the client(s) and the budget.
It would have been better if I had designed it, on an unlimited budget and with the power to overrule anyone else involved or consulted upon as I saw fit. Unfortunately on this occasion this was not the case, and therefore the result falls short of that particular potentially high standard.
It doesn't matter whether or not it's a "square". It's a public space. There are lots of public spaces in lots of cities and each is different and gets used differently. The brief here was to improve this bit of public space in such a way that it works in the way that is required in this location. Most people seem to agree it's a significant improvement on what was there before, and it appears to have been delivered on a reasonable budget. It's not perfect but it's pretty good considering the nature of the client(s) and the budget.
It would have been better if I had designed it, on an unlimited budget and with the power to overrule anyone else involved or consulted upon as I saw fit. Unfortunately on this occasion this was not the case, and therefore the result falls short of that particular potentially high standard.
T & P
|-o-| (-o-) |-o-|
A bit of a mischievious question isn't it? Even if you get a finished product that you think is really, really good, could anyone say was the best it could have possibly been?
Perhaps what you should be asking is, 'is the new square a significant improvement in relation to the previous setting, and has it made the place more welcoming and enjoyable for the community?'
My answer would be a resounding 'yes', and judging by comments both here and in the 'real' world I've heard, I'd say a great many locals would agree.
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