Originally Posted by
RoddersUK
Thats just a stereotypical view of architects in my experience. Architects can only build what the clients wants. It's a bit naive to think that clients are prepared to hand over millions of their hard earned money for a building they dont like or does not meet their needs.
Times change, to build to the quality and detail level of the three grace would take an eccentric billionaire as a client.
If we took the attitude that all new buildings have to match the existing then we would still be living in caves.
They do have to work within framework, however many have a lot of slack within that and came up with rubbish.
When the Three Graces were built there was no English Heritage etc. They built what they liked. But after these buildings, was the demise of Liverpool architecture as no building could be built higher than them. This stifled the city, when it need a free reign.
The city needs high quality architecture - modern architecture. The Liver Buildings is American architecture. Take the towers off and it looks like anything in NY or Chicago at the time. The two others are Italianate - very different.
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The city rejected a tall 50 floor buildings was proposed for Canning Place in 1951 - ended as up as the Pan-Am building in NY. The city rejected the Brunswick Quay Tower,a world-class designed building recently. The city has been annaly-retentive, which acted against its progress, so much the city declined rapidly like no other.
The city needs to move with the time, however keep and value what it has. The decimation of Central Docks may ensue - the UN gave it World Heritage Status.
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