When the judges awarded the centenary of the Salford building of the Inaugural Stirling Prize in 1996, they declared it “a dynamic, modern and sophisticated exercise in steel, glasses and concrete”.
Recognizing as the best new Britain building from the Royal Institute of British Architects Cement Salford as an emblem of the emerging Northern architecture.
But last month the Salford City Council approved the demolition of the Centenary Building – which has not been used since 2021 – despite the voice opposition from campaigning in the care and architectural care and industry.
The Crescent Partnership, which includes the Salford City Council, English Cities Fund (ECF) and Salford University, who owns the building, said in a joint statement that while “careful consideration is given in the history of the building that There are many options that are explored “, it will be abolished next month as part of the comprehensive development of Adelphi Village, an area surrounding the university. The project is part of a £ 2.5BN plan aimed at delivering housing. “While the Centenary Building has been part of the University Estate for a decade, it is now not uncommon to run, with basic structures, heating and ventilation throughout,” the cooperation said.
Critics, however, say the decision is “happy and unresponsive” and encouraged the collaboration to change their minds. The twenty -centuries of society criticized the decision not to list the building and said it was not too late for the university to re -consider its plans. “The decision allowed the local authorities to take a break by demolition without sufficient investigation,” said its director, Catherine Croft. Opened in 1995 by the Duke of Edinburgh, on the east of the Irwell River, and originally designed for the University of Salford’s School of Electrical Engineering Department, the building was used by the Faculty of Art and Design Technology in completion.
Stephen Hodder, the architect responsible for the Centenary Building, said he failed, and felt the history was removed, as it was built to mark 100 years from the University’s formation. “The question should always be, that building has formed its usefulness? The Georgian buildings are lit by a candle, and then electricity is introduced,” Hodder said. “So a building needs to be capable of upgrading its life.
“It is part of the short that the building needs to be flexible. There is a service strategy within that building to allow it to change and upgrade.
“My reading of the situation is someone who is making a commercial decision because of its cost of upgrading.”
Twenty -centuries of society tried the building listed by historic England, but the public body ended with preliminary assessment reports that, considering against the high standard required for its age buildings, the centenary building is lacking in special interest in a national context required to merit the list. Previous attempts to adapt the building for another use also failed – the proposed plans to convert it to a basic school were recorded in 2018. Up to 2021, the Reality 4 Channel 4 series The circle There was an edit of suites in the building while filing a residential block opposite.
The twenty centuries of society described the demolition as “cheerful and responsible”, and critics point to the carbon of the construction industry. In 2022 England developed 63m tons of indigestive construction and waste demolition. Making bricks and steel creates a broad amount of CO2with cement only causing 8% of global releases.
A historical study in England in 2019 said that the leaks of leaks from the fixed or reepertrofitted buildings would cost a minimum of 2% of the total release of a building for 60 years. That figure rises to 28% in demolition and new buildings. The Salford City Council has a target of 2038 for net zero carbon emissions. Last month, Scott Anderson, an adult student at Salford University walking in the centenary building, said there were other buildings on campus that were not fit for the purpose. “The construction industry is an animal that needs to be fed,” he said. “If you are driving around Central Manchester of enough you will see a new [building] Going every two minutes. If there is a meaning to the councils, they will only release some of the former works, put in a new one. But there is a lot of money to do when you tear the whole thing and build another big thing. Everyone earns money. “
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Blake Barker, a first-year-old Marine Biology student said he would ride in demolition when it meant more residences would be created, but hesitated about the redevelopment of Adelphi’s village. “This is a risk that this is another cheap apartment building, because adelphi buildings are kind of cheap,” he said.
Stephen McCusker, the architect led the Manchester School of Architecture, said the approved demolition for the centenary of the building raised greater questions about the reuse of old UK buildings. “I have made it more passionate that we need to have a true national teeth to implement the consideration of the re -use before the demolition,” he said. “There are many innovative developers and companies that look at material reuse and the circular economy.”
A speaker said for the Crescent Partnership: “Unfortunately [the Centenary Building’s] Infrastructure means that it no longer meets modern standards and requirements. It has become vacant for a third of its built life.
“The [redevelopment] The project is part of £ 2.5BN Crescent Salford Masterplan that will deliver housing, to serve a wide range of residents. Future measures will also be sought to include sustainable design skills and materials, ensuring support for Salford’s maintenance purposes. “
