GaryReggae

Ah yes, West Quay. A recent shopping development in Southampton although sadly a Pirelli factory, two 1960s office blocks and the rather grand 1950s Daily Echo building had to go to make way for it

Great photos!!! I'm glad you've got one of Brunel House!!! I don't know what it is but I've always kind of noticed the 'Homehights' building and been kind of interested by it. Anyway, Ill Tonkso has asked me to post some photos of Portsmouth's neighbouring city Southampton on here so I'll have a dig around the web and see what I can find (one day I'll actually do what you did and go for a walk around the city with the camera): Ordnance Survey HQ: National mapmaker Ordnance Survey is based in Southampton, on the outskirts of the city in Maybush. Their HQ was constructed in 1969 and while being a typically unremarkable government building, does feature a staff restaurant with a domed concrete shell roof and an intesting 1960s concrete mural (I'll take some photos next time I'm walking round the site). See also my 'Print Works' BAT. Southampton General Hospital, mostly buillt during the 1960s although currently undergoing construction of a new Cardiac Unit. Southampton's main shopping street, Above Bar (a few years ago): Image deleted, but link left. 800x600, please, Gary. That's all I can find for the moment. I'll go out with the camera at some point next week and take loads of photos.

This definitely isn't a BAT Request thread, just an architectural discussion which may lead to inspiration for BAT models. Well Portsmouth's Tricorn Centre was a very fine example of the style. Here's a photo, there are more Here The Tricorn was intended to be a 'market in the sky' with shops at ground level, a fruit and veg market on the 1st floor deck and multistorey parking above. It also featured a very large (for the time) supermarket, a department store, pub, nightclub and flats (which were never let). Despite the heroic architecture featuring minarets, spiral car park access ramps, castle-like slit windows and the innovative design, it never caught on and was demolished last year. London's Hayward Gallery is great as well: Smithfield Poultry Market, London, also threatened with demolition: The fantastic Gateshead Car Park, as featured in cult movie 'Get Carter' (actually designed by Owen Luder, the same architect that designed the Tricorn and ironically is almost certain to be demolished as well, tis a disgrace: Birmingham's old Bullring Centre, sadly no long with us. At the time it was the largest shopping centre in Europe but it's gone. Mersey Centre, Stockport, I've never been there but it looks interesting.: Manchester's M&S building: Image deleted, 800x600 please. -K.F. Brunel House, Portsmouth: Another building facing destruction but I really like this vacant office block. The arched entrance canopy reminds of St Peter's in Cardross! https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//brunel.jpg align=baseline> I am particularly iunterested in Brutalist retail buildings - especially shopping centres. If anyone has any photos of these, please post them here or send them to me!!! EDIT: Sorry, I messed up my image URLS! http://image05.webshots.com/5/9/66/93/64796693VNCrkm_ph.jpg> Cumbernauld%20Town%20Centre%20-%20an%20entire%20Butalist%20town%20centre!!! Great%20Yarmouth%20Observation%20Tower%20-%20although%20it's%20now%20been%20vandalised%20by%20postmodernists%20and%20looks%20hideous. Wyndham%20Court%20Southampton I%20am%20particularly%20interested%20in%201960s%20retail%20buildimngs,%20especially%20shopping%20centres,%20if%20anyone%20has%20any%20photos%20of%20these,%20please%20post%20'em%20here%20or%20send%20them%20to%20me!!!

Yes, The Tricorn is a sad loss. Here's a photo of it taken by my own fair hands last year, a few months before demolition: http://www.arthurflowers.co.uk/images/ruthberg/tricorn/Tricorn11.jpg align=baseline>

Nice work Ill Tonkso! Haven't you forgot your Spinnaker Tower though? I've BATTED another Portsmouth building, Clarence Pier: STEX - Clarence Pier Plus I'll be starting work on the infamous Tricorn Centre soon!

Wow, this is really good!

Oh my goodness, this is by far the best building you've done yet, it's absolutely amazing!!! I can't wait to see this on the STEX!

Thanks for the comments folks! Date: 6/19/2005 3:14:38 PM Author: ILL Tonkso That was a nice building, how could youquote> Sorry!!! I did want to keep Castleman House but in order to make it realistic, it had to go!!! There seems to be a vendetta against 60s architecture at the moment so my CJ reflected this. I was going to knock down the Tricornesque car park as well but I really couldn't make myself do that. Anyway, Castleman House will be released on the STEX as soon as I get time to update it a bit, it's one of my older buildings so doesn't have jobs or nightlights or anything but *cough* it's available on the offical SC4 Exchange.

Good evening folks, The year is now 2004. A lot of changes have taken place in the city of Itchenham in the last few years. In a recent poll, most city residents rated the city as much better than it was ten years previously. A change in council leadership brought around most of these changes. First of all, the council moved from their draughty, crumbling 1960s monolithic office block, Castleman House to a new purpose built structure (below) Castleman House was hated by most residents. The area around it was fairly run down as well. The council decided drastic action was on the cards. Large crowds gathered to witness the blowdown of the building. However, it was very expensive due to the large amount of asbestos that needed to be stripped from the building before it could be demolished by controlled explosion. The rubble from Castleman House plus hardcore from the motorway upgrade project was deposited in the river to create a small but pleasant riverside park. However, not many people liked to sit there and admire the view as the river was brown with filth from the factories on the other side of the river. This didn't last long as the highly polluting industries gradually closed down due to high taxation on air emissions and the cheaper labour abroad. The old industrial land was cleaned up and used for housing. However, many of the plots have not sold yet due to developers being apprehensive about the soil being contaminated. Many of the old Victorian terraced houses have been abandoned as their occupands became unemployed as they all worked in the factories nearby. The water is much cleaner now the factories are gone though! This area was where the old Railway Works was. The council were hoping for a prestigious office development however there is simply not the demand at the moment. A few large retail operations have opened up including no less than four Debenhams stores!!! This previously undeveloped shoreline area has been snapped up for luxurious high-rise apartment blocks with a smashing view. The outer bypass motorway upgrade project has now been completed. There is also one of many new housing estates here. Driving to work is the only option for residents here as there is no bus service or railway station within walking distance. Due to major traffic problems and the construction of a new motorway to the East of the Itchen county, the Inner Ring Road has been reconfigured in Highfield, the area near the University. Here is where the new M32 Eastway link road joins onto the outer ring road/bypass. And finally, a shot of the CBD. Somehow, the 1960s multistorey car park has survived, the council have not yet demolished it due to the inconvenience that would be caused during redevelopment works. Also, Itchenham Cross Square has been refurbished with new paving to replace the stark, grey 1960s layout. An aerial photo: Transport map:

Date: 6/13/2005 3:32:01 PM Author: zxo_drifter i would really like to see an english style walkup.im tryin to get an urban city with alot of character and thought a change in building style could help make it look more realistic.let me know if anyone is willing to do this.quote> Hmmn, sounds interesting. By a walk-up, do you mean a block of flats where there is no lift? Such as the typical 1960s medium rise ( >6 floors) or this type of building? If so, I have a few such buildings planned as such architecture is my speciality although I have a few other projects to finish first. If that's not what you meant then what did you have in mind?

It looks quite Victorian and run down, it would go very well with the Maxis Chicago style tenanaments. I think the balconies (if that's what they are) need to be more consistent, on a building of this kind, either all the windows would have them or none, not just a few of them. It's a great start though.

Thanks for the comments folks! There will be an update hopefully later this week (although I am busy designing some new high street shops at the moment) otherwise not for a couple of weeks as I am going on holiday. Kaze Progressa: Yes, I was wondering when someone would spot the place names plagiarised from Southampton! I really should be a bit more original! Kwakelaar: Yes, things are going to get a lot better in the 1990s in Itchen although the concrete car park is not going to go without a fight! Gascooker Thanks, your terraced and suburban semi houses have really helperd with this although I wish the suburban semis would develop more, I want to grow a whole neighbourhood full of them and develop a massive suburban estate! SkyTearer: Yes, the water is kind of green, it's one of the water texture MODS available on the STEX (can't remember who did it, might have been PEG?). It's actually a dark blue but when mixed with the pollution, it looks more like the river Thames (yuck!). It's a very realistic water texture though, it looks so much better than the MAXIS bright blue! Here in the UK the water always looks brown!!!

23821: I strongly suspect it is a LOD issue. Try resetting the LODs (in the BAT panel under parameters there is a 'Reset LODs' button.