Now the Owen Street development, those tall towers on the edge of the city centre is moving slowly to its conclusion.
And so, has Andy Robertson’s project to record each stage of the construction of the towers.
I must admit that I didn’t fully comprehend the scale of that development or Andy’s tenacity in recording the progress of the build.
But now we have a comprehensive chronicle of everything starting from when the builders first broke ground to this image taken yesterday.
And what was two is now four.
Like the Beetham Tower and more developments to follow the Owen Street two generated a considerable amount of discussion, and in between those who admire them as examples of the future there are set those who see them as a build too far.
I tend to slide into the second camp, seeing them not as a development to be applauded but rather a project which does nothing for the city.
And I base that, not on economic considerations or safety ones but purely because they are too big.
They soar into the sky and dwarf all of us that pass by, and for me a building that reduces human beings to ants is not good design.
Urban living offers a lot and that is why the Ancients gravitated to cities, but as magnificent as their buildings were, they had a unity with their citizens, who might marvel at their construction, feel impressed at their sheer size and grandeur, but never felt insignificant in their shadow.
I am not sure that can be said of the Owen Towers.
We shall see.
Location; Manchester
Picture; Owen Street development, 2018, from the collection of Andy Robertson
I must admit that I didn’t fully comprehend the scale of that development or Andy’s tenacity in recording the progress of the build.
But now we have a comprehensive chronicle of everything starting from when the builders first broke ground to this image taken yesterday.
And what was two is now four.
Like the Beetham Tower and more developments to follow the Owen Street two generated a considerable amount of discussion, and in between those who admire them as examples of the future there are set those who see them as a build too far.
I tend to slide into the second camp, seeing them not as a development to be applauded but rather a project which does nothing for the city.
They soar into the sky and dwarf all of us that pass by, and for me a building that reduces human beings to ants is not good design.
Urban living offers a lot and that is why the Ancients gravitated to cities, but as magnificent as their buildings were, they had a unity with their citizens, who might marvel at their construction, feel impressed at their sheer size and grandeur, but never felt insignificant in their shadow.
I am not sure that can be said of the Owen Towers.
We shall see.
Location; Manchester
Picture; Owen Street development, 2018, from the collection of Andy Robertson
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