SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Nice project here:http://www.cityliving.co.uk/blog/articl ... /comparing the same sites 100 years on.

Geordie-exile wrote: Nice project here:http://www.cityliving.co.uk/blog/articl ... /comparing the same sites 100 years on. Extremely interesting, some comparisons have hardly changed. I think perhaps the town centre being spared war-time bombing has gone someway towards the centre of the city keeping its basic shape, thank goodness.

Hmmm...Would have been even better if someone could have taken the trouble to actually take the modern photo from the same place as the original, rather than just the vague vicinity.

I think the biggest difference is just how much more colourful things are these days.

anthonydna wrote: I think the biggest difference is just how much more colourful things are these days. Hi anthonydna It depends on how you look at things we have lost a lot of historic buildings in Leeds.I for one dont think this is a good thing its allright haveing modern buildings but to me some of them dont do a thing for the city.When an old building is cleaned up it has got something that the new builds will never have.    

Nothing we build today ages gracefully like the old Victorian buildings we have. The new builds just look tatty and shabby like the Merrion and Bond street areas. They get refurbished after 20 years because they are so dirty and out of date looking.    

Phill_dvsn wrote: Nothing we build today ages gracefully like the old Victorian buildings we have. The new builds just look tatty and shabby like the Merrion and Bond street areas. They get refurbished after 20 years because they are so dirty and out of date looking.     Very True Phill....next time you go past No1 City Square(Norwich Union building),take a look at the marble cladding.It's filthy in places and the light hues have taken on a much darker appearance already.Most unsightly in the cold light of day.The building is beginning to look a little shabby.

Phill_dvsn wrote: Nothing we build today ages gracefully like the old Victorian buildings we have. The new builds just look tatty and shabby like the Merrion and Bond street areas. They get refurbished after 20 years because they are so dirty and out of date looking.     Spot on.South Parade has a some nice (?) 30's build.Lewis's was good 'built environment', inside and out. The Headrow junction Cookridge St (former Leeds Perm with road behind/now Light) also near perfect, not sure about any other "new". It is as though, since the 50's, freeholders have been hedging their bets with their land-footprint and building shorter life products.Curiously, I quite like the Merrion, (more since Blakey explained it's weird 'bus route'!). Good independant Camera shop on the balcony.    

I do think that after some of the sixties concrete horrors which were inflicted upon us that architects have been making more effort with their designs. And I think Prince Charles' 'monstrous carbuncle' speech did a lot to raise awareness [about the only thing I'd praise him for!]. We have to understand that there just isn't the money anymore to build extravagant buildings as [for example] banks used to do back in the day. But there are wonderful examples of striking and aesthetically pleasing builds around us. The reverse is also true, of course.My biggest beef is with shop frontages. If you walked around Leeds with your eyes at first floor level you'd think it was wonderful. But at ground level in most cases the shop front has no sympathy with the building above. Planners!    

And worseVicar Lane 13 April 1937 Workman was cementing into position in the wall of a new building on the lane, the old North Bar stone which was taken from the former building on the site - the old Leeds Workhouse - before it was demolished.Current view