The Centre of Attention

[Mike]

The Centre of Attention is a competition I entered last year. I will post the images on the website shortly for your opinions / approval.

[Chrissie]

Do it Do it Do it...looking forward to seeing the 'killer images'

[Mike]

It was more limp biscuit rather than killer image but I tried my best! Will sort it out asap. Lizzie is back in work tomorrow and thought it would be good to distract her so she does not get stressed.

Maybe tomorrow?

[Mike]

The Centre of Attention - Reimagine Competition. I am quite pleased with the results on reflection, I just wish I had managed to make just a little bit more time to do some 3D visualisations of the new extension at the front of the building. Comments are welcome!

See I was able to do it tomorrow just as I promised. I should really go to bed some time soon. Have to be up early tomorrow to beat the snow!

[johnriley1uk]

I'm always quite torn with renovation of these old buildings. On the one hand I just love them as romantic ruins, and Sutton Scarsdale fits the bill perfectly. On the other hand buildings to survive need to grow and be used and a good restoration plan can bring new life.

However, I think I prefer modest restoration and an example of what I really hate is the job done at Whitby Abbey with the Bishop's Hall. This has been turned into a grotesquely over-developed entrance way for the Abbey when all it really needed was a gate and a small wooden hut.....

However, I digress from the subject. Good luck with the competition Mike!

[Mike]

However, I digress from the subject. Good luck with the competition Mike!

Does that mean (reading between the lines) that you hope my 'grotesquely over-developed entrance' does not win!

[johnriley1uk]

No, it means good luck!

"Grossly overdeveloped" referred to Whitby Abbey, but from an Architecture point of view perhaps the Profession would not agree?

I'm afraid I like mouldering ruins, but then as I look in the mirror every morning perhaps I'm just comfortable with what I'm used to.....

[Mike]

I have been 'longlisted' for the Competition entry. There are some nice schemes on there so I will have to see how it goes! I hope that I get 'shortlisted' in the next round.

A press conference will be held at Derby QUAD Tuesday 2 March 2010 at 7pm to announce the project. Very excited. I have just looked through the other competition entries they are very interesting and extremely good graphics in some images.

[BarcelonAl]

Congrats Mike, hope it goes well. You'll soon have a penthouse appartment in the city centre at this rate!

[mr_e]

Nicely done, Mike. The pink windows in the first image shocked me a bit!

The variety of approaches on display is amazing, will be interesting to see if they go with the more conservative designs or the crazier ones.

[johnriley1uk]

Actually Mike, your interpretation is quite sensitive to the mouldering ruin. I like that. Great potential, you stand a very good chance of being shortlisted!

Some comments from the Soodles and Myself regarding a handful of the others:

Lucio Ross - Ugh....
Gordon Duffy - Looks like an Oxygen tent.
Vincenzo Casali - More like it, not bad.
Steffion Bradley - Not sensitive to the structure.
Ben Allen et al - Drawn by children?
Charles F Pigott - Overpowering, so no, no no!

[Mike]

Andreas was a good scheme with nice images.
Design Spine had a very nice sketch.

These were my two favourites (mine excluded obviously!).

I am amazed that johnriley1uk did not comment on this image.

PS Thanks for the compliments people, muchly appreciated.

[mr_e]

Oh my, hadn't spotted that last image! Looks like Independence Day where they have the alien ships hovering over major landmarks...

Looking back on my comment, it may come across as slightly critical but I do quite like your scheme (especially after looking at some of the other entries!). Although it does leave me curious as to what you envisage the courtyard area looking like.

[Mike]

I did not read your comment badly mr_e! No offense here old bean. Ultimately they will have to go with a conservative or realistic design. I don't think that the artistic conceptuals are likely to get sufficient funding to build. My entry is more conservative than many of the examples but I don't think that Is any bad thing.

The central courtyard will either be timber or exposed ruined brick. It needs a lot of development to be honest. We will have to see what happens next - it's only a call for ideas at this stage as far as I know.