Minutes of a special meeting of the Development Management Committee held at the Council Chamber, Knowle, Sidmouth, on Friday 1 March 2013 [page 49]
However, one of the reasons given was not on aesthetic grounds - although the buildings being proposed could hardly have been considered 'stunning' for such a position as Knowle gardens:
These buildings would have replaced the Victorian hotel:
And there were several objections at the time:
But what about the 1970s/80s blocks?
Should they be dismissed simply because they are from the 1970s/80s?
What about adapting the modern notions of 'open-plan' to these offices?
What about refurbishing buildings from this period?
English Heritage has just celebrated the glories of this period by listing several office blocks:
The modern blocks at Knowle are certainly not 'beauties' - but the question must be asked as to what would replace them.
Of course, we will not know until an Outline Planning Application is made...
Eyesore or beauty? The 14 postwar office blocks listed by English Heritage
Whether you're a fan or take an altogether more "Prince Charles" attitude to post-war architecture, office buildings provide some of the finest examples of it.
And turns out English Heritage thinks it's worth preserving: the organisation has listed 14 of the UK's best-loved (or most-hated) post-war offices.
According to English Heritage, the buildings - which include the glass-and-steel One Finsbury Avenue, and the concrete offices of private bank Brown Shipley - "have ensured that this area of architectural achievement is recognised for future generations".
Concrete office blocks given Grade 2 listing by English Heritage
The 14 new additions which were built between 1964 to 1984 are located in major cities across England
MEA House in Newcastle is believed to be the first purpose-built building to house multiple community service organisations under a single roof
12:01AM GMT 28 Jan 2015
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More than a dozen post-war office buildings have been listed by English Heritage to ensure that they will not be accidentally demolished.
The buildings, which many critics deem to be ugly eyesores, have been chosen to show how architecture responded to radical changes in the workplace following the end of the Second World War.
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