Architectural failures - "nah, it'll hold." - The Something Awful Forums

The Something Awful Forums > Archives > Comedy Goldmine > Architectural failures - "nah, it'll hold."

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

Anyone from Ipswich?

BT (British Telecom) Adastral Park

This building is like an allegory for the state of broadband in the UK.

quote:

Initially research was carried out into postal sorting and delivery technology and telecommunications. After the Post Office was split apart prior to British Telecom's privatisation in the early 1980, the research concentrated on telecommunications.

In keeping with the stellar theme of the site name, buildings on site are named after stars or constellations (an example being the Main Laboratory Block now named the Orion building). The Orion building is easily recognisable from the nearby A12 road with its 200 ft. radio tower (now named Pegasus tower) dominating the skyline.

The change to the current name occurred in the late 1990s with the aim of turning the site into a high technology business park no longer exclusively for the use of BT. The name was created by Stewart Davies, the CEO of the BT business (BT Exact Technologies) headquartered at the site at that time. It is derived from the motto of the Royal Air Force � per ardua ad astra � through adversity to the stars. The Royal Air Force were prior residents of the site, as RAF Martlesham Heath. Experimental aircraft test flights flew from the airfield and the name was meant to reflect the history of experimentation and innovation which is the continuing focus for the Park. Fundamental to the successful growth and development of a technology community is the co-location and access to world class postgraduate research. In March 2001, University College London, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, chose Adastral Park to set up the first-ever postgraduate research and teaching centre on an industrial campus which existed until 2009.[1] During the transformation of the Park many of the old buildings were removed and during the landscaping, car parks were moved to the perimeter of the site with the centre being transformed with open park land and a water feature to provide a 'park' feel to the complex. The site accommodates approximately 4000 people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adastral_Park

If any of you have the misfortune of ever having to work here, PM me. I can recommend an awesome loving hotel.

# ¿ Mar 15, 2015 02:37

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# ¿ May 17, 2024 16:41

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

Question for brits, how does anyone manage to live in Sheffield without committing suicide?

# ¿ Mar 15, 2015 02:40

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

SybilVimes posted:

How can you post Sheffield, without posting park hill?

To be honest, I couldn't find a pic with a vantage point from Sheffield station which IMO is the most glorious view of this monstrosity.

# ¿ Mar 15, 2015 03:38

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

One of the most bizarre places I've ever visited. It's like they got some nerd in the 70s to design a secure building except he was obsessed with barbarella. This is SYGDC in Barnsley (what a loving shithole).

That huge tube on the left of the picture is a covered walkway leading into the building entrance. I presume they designed it like that so you can't drive a truck bomb into the the front door easily.

# ¿ Mar 15, 2015 22:34

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

strap on revenge posted:

edit

That car in the driveway is like :vince:

# ¿ Mar 16, 2015 05:24

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

The ROM is a pretty hilarious loving imitation. Canadian exceptionalism :rolleyes:

# ¿ Apr 1, 2015 14:16

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

I used to work in #1 poultry. Not much to say about it other than its actually hard to notice the architecture from the street.

One thing I will say about those old buildings in London: theyre terrible places to actually work in. See great ormond st hospital.

Also, city of London street names are amazing. Ropemaker st. Haberdasher st. Shepherdess walk. The highway.

namaste friends fucked around with this message at 20:21 on Apr 22, 2015

# ¿ Apr 22, 2015 20:18

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

Closet station lol

# ¿ Apr 30, 2015 06:52

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

I kinda like that steelcase pyramid.

# ¿ May 3, 2015 15:11

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

That's awesome

# ¿ May 3, 2015 23:18

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

Isn't Racine full of modernist architecture or something like that? Like flw gas stations and dinners and stuff.

# ¿ May 4, 2015 19:16

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

no you see you don't understand the 'context' so you can't appreciate brutlaism doop doop doop

# ¿ May 8, 2015 05:07

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

Nice drill bit.

# ¿ Jun 29, 2015 14:32

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

Hadid is a garbage architect and a garbage human.

# ¿ Jul 17, 2015 14:59

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

Michael Caine's place in children of men.

# ¿ Aug 24, 2015 02:49

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

This is the waiting room of my doctor's office:

imo, brutalism done right.

# ¿ Aug 27, 2015 05:54

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

Wow that is a really insulting place to send people with dementia.

# ¿ Aug 27, 2015 22:46

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

Dick Trauma posted:

While I was looking for something appropriate I found this non-architectural image that captures 1978 pretty well.

Holy poo poo

# ¿ Aug 29, 2015 14:33

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

Guys,

Frank Gehry's own house:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-21/how-frank-gehry-became-frank-gehry

# ¿ Sep 22, 2015 05:50

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

There's a whole bunch of anecdotes floating around the internets about how flw's houses were pretty lovely inside. Is that true? If so, why is he so highly respected?

# ¿ Oct 10, 2015 15:11

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

So uh, what's the point of architecture

# ¿ Oct 10, 2015 16:06

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

That's awesome. Design a house that's not fit for purpose and become lionized as an American icon.

# ¿ Oct 13, 2015 14:55

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

That is a dope looking building from the outside.

# ¿ Nov 7, 2015 05:41

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

I'm Crap posted:

zaha hadid is poo poo

# ¿ Nov 9, 2015 20:06

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

Fantastic. Another piece of brilliant looking architecture that's not fit for purpose. Like the original delorean. Or Montreal's Olympic stadium.

# ¿ Nov 29, 2015 17:50

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# ¿ May 17, 2024 16:41

namaste friends: Sep 18, 2004; by Smythe

That is a loving work of art.

# ¿ Jan 5, 2016 06:11

The Something Awful Forums > Archives > Comedy Goldmine > Architectural failures - "nah, it'll hold."