Recent Developments
Under the Labour run council since 1990, Croydon has witnessed a new period of construction. Prompted by the regeneration of the centre of Croydon. It features mainly office buildings designed by separate architects. Many of the new buildings in the past couple of years have been mainly low-rise. The Beddington Zero Energy Development in Beddington was designed by Bill Dunster. The project was conducted as a partnership between the BioRegional Development Group, the Peabody Trust, Bill Dunster Architects, Arup, and Gardiner and Theobald as cost consultants. The project is designed to use only energy from renewable sources generated on site. In addition to 777m² of solar panels, tree waste fuels the development's cogeneration plant (downdraft gasifier) to provide district heating and electricity.
Other large-scale projects include the major Centrale shopping centre development by The Birmingham Alliance, which replaced the former C&A store and the 1980s Drummond Centre which had fallen out of favour with the public. The new shopping centre was completed in 2004 and is managed by St Martins Property Group. The building has been designed to maximise the view of West Croydon from the eastern windows including the IKEA Towers landmarks on Purley Way. The building also has solar panels on the roof. The shopping centre features the high-end retailer House of Fraser which takes up most of the southern side of the centre. In Croydon, the College Green area has seen the construction of a new building for the Croydon Sixth Form College, Croydon Skills and Enterprise College and the Croydon Higher Education College. Many large scale projects are proposed as part of the Croydon Vision 2020 regeneration plan.
One of the most recent buildings to be constructed and opened within the northern half of the borough is Penoyre & Prasad's £25m Ashburton Learning Village at Woodside which was partially opened in September 2006. The flagship building is home to Ashburton Community School, the Croydon Music Service, Ashburton Library and the Continuing Education and Training Service (CETS). Special features of the complex praised by energy minister Malcolm Wicks, include the building having the largest solar panels to be installed in any building inside the United Kingdom. The former Formula One world champion, John Surtees who was a former student of the school joined architect Greg Penoyre, who designed the flagship building and the Mayor of Croydon at an open day to officially launch the complex.
Another recently built building is East Croydon station, one of the busiest in Greater London. The present East Croydon station building was opened on 19 August 1992. It consists of a large steel and glass frame suspended from a lightweight steel structure that straddles the track and platforms to a much greater extent than was possible with its Victorian predecessor. Four steel ladder masts anchor the glass box and the whole gives the impression of a suspension bridge that stretches into the distance. External canopies cover the entrances, a cafes open-air seating area and the approaches to the tram station. 440 m² of glass were used in the roof and 800 m² for the wall glazing. The architects were Alan Brookes Associates, who also made the close by NLA Tower, and the structural engineers YRM Anthony Hunt Associates.
Being a key destination in the south for entertainment, Croydon recently opened the Croydon Grants. The Grants, towering over Surrey Street Market and in the shadow of the Croydon Clocktower. Inside the main attraction is a 10-screen Vue cinema, which was formerly a Warner Village. Although there are many other attractions, including a Reflex 80's Bar, Virgin Active, Nandos, Tiger Tiger and Lloyds No.1 Bar. The building is situated on five floors, with the top two being used by the cinema.
Read more about this topic: Architecture Of Croydon
Famous quotes containing the word developments:
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Freedom from labor itself is not new; it once belonged among the most firmly established privileges of the few. In this instance, it seems as though scientific progress and technical developments had been only taken advantage of to achieve something about which all former ages dreamed but which none had been able to realize.”
—Hannah Arendt (1906–1975)
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—C. Vann Woodward (b. 1908)