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City unveils plans for new £40m civic headquarters
11:03am Wednesday 5th March 2008
Comments (72)TAKE a look at York's new civic headquarters.
City of York Council has unveiled the first images of its landmark new £40 million offices at Hungate, in the east of the city centre.
At a media briefing yesterday, the authority's head of property services, Neil Hindhaugh, hailed the "iconic" building, which will house 1,400 employees.
The eco-friendly design includes a green roof, rainwater-harvesting system and a raft of other environmentally-friendly features.
Mr Hindhaugh said it was a challenge to come up with a building appropriate for York.
He said: "We wanted something iconic; a building special to York."
The building is designed by RMJM architects, who have previously worked on the Scottish Parliament, the University of York, and the world headquarters of Glaxo, in Brentford.
Chris Jones, the firm's project director, said the building was "incredibly successful as a piece of 21st-century architecture".
He hailed its open and eco-friendly lay-out, and said: "It's a building about people. It is customer focussed and has to be welcoming and accessible, but it also has to serve 1,400 staff."
A planning submission is due to be submitted within weeks, and it is hoped the building will be ready by 2010.
It will bring almost all council services under one roof, replacing 16 buildings around the city. Mr Hindhaugh said that no amount of money could make those buildings fit for purpose, and said relocating to a purpose-built headquarters was the only sensible long-term option.
The building will have five storeys, and will be about 20 metres high. There will also be a 28-metre, seven-storey bio-tower, encompassing various pieces of sustainable energy technology. Mr Hindhaugh said it was the modern-day equivalent of a bell-tower.
The main building will have a large open space in the centre, and is heavily glazed to create a transparent and light building, which will also offer spectacular panoramic views over the city.
Ceredig Jamieson-Ball, the council's executive member for corporate services, said the council would now consult with the public, before submitting a planning application later in the spring.
He said English Heritage and conservation groups had already been involved, and the building would meet the highest environmental standards.
GAVIN AITCHISON and JENNY BELL gauged reaction to the proposed new council offices
Phillip Thake, chief executive of York Conservation Trust, said: "I appreciate it's got to be something relatively modern, but you can still have modern and traditional - such as the Norwich Union building.
"This is just a square box. It looks extremely boring. I am gob-smacked by the blandness of it all - you expect more from a city like York.
"It is very large and imposing and at such a large scale that it will dwarf the surrounding buildings.
"I don't like it at all and I completely oppose it."
David Scott, leader of the Labour opposition on the council, said: "The design is not as spectacular as I would have hoped for."
But he said it was important to focus on getting a building that served its purpose while not exceeding the council's budget, adding: "I do not think people would want us spending twice as much as we have."
He said English Heritage loved the design.
Ceredig Jamieson-Ball, the council's executive member for corporate services said: "I think it's an impressive building that, when some of the comments are taken on board, the city can be proud of for years to come."
Councillor Janet Looker said: "With a lot of constraints, it has not done too badly as a modern building in a very, very tricky situation.
"You have listed buildings opposite, and the Black Swan next door, so it's got to fit into quite a complex area, but I think it's got some very positive things going for it."
Philip Crowe, who chairs the campaigning group York Tomorrow, but said he was speaking in a personal capacity, said: "My initial impression would be that it is not a very friendly building.
"It's essential that it appeals to the residents of York who will be coming to the building for advice and so on. I don't feel that this is the right way forward.
"Certainly the attempt to avoid any pastiche solution is to be applauded, but I do feel that a reconsideration of the massing of the building, particularly along the Stonebow frontage, would be worth considering."
Your Say YourYork Press
ataxidriver, york says...
11:11am Wed 5 Mar 08
marc, says...
11:15am Wed 5 Mar 08
AdmiralN, York Centre says...
11:18am Wed 5 Mar 08
hmmm we were a contractor on the scottish parliments building and the architects were well, lets just say that they didnt know there ar$e from their elbow!
Nomadic, York says...
11:19am Wed 5 Mar 08
Dave Taylor, Fishergate, York says...
11:21am Wed 5 Mar 08
I'm appalled that we don't seem to have moved on when the potential for exciting modern architecture is out there.
The green roof, rainwater harvesting and heating/cooling mechanisms are to be welcomed, but York deserves better than another cruddy concrete box.
hustler, York says...
11:29am Wed 5 Mar 08
Lt.Dobie, York-ish says...
12:13pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Poor old Pub next door!
franky, york says...
12:19pm Wed 5 Mar 08
I would have preferred modern but a bit more sympathetic to the city - something more like the Norwich Union building near Lendal Bridge.
MichaelRutherford, York says...
12:22pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Sadly I think it would be easier to convert that building to being beautiful and modern than this new council one.
Maybe in reality with the upper bits of glass shining and looking less concretey it'll look better but I am sceptical.
Captain Jack Sparrow, Strensall says...
12:31pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Dave Taylor wrote:Good on you Dave.
Oh no! It looks like a Council building all right! It looks as deeply unattractive and impersonal as a Council building thrown up by joyless mordernists in the 1960s. Have the architects taken Stonebow House as their cue for the design? I'm appalled that we don't seem to have moved on when the potential for exciting modern architecture is out there. The green roof, rainwater harvesting and heating/cooling mechanisms are to be welcomed, but York deserves better than another cruddy concrete box.
How about my suggestion, scrap Hungate and move into the old Terry's buildings. The infrastructure is there as well as the parking? Can you put a motion forward?
All you'd need to do would be to subsidize a frequent bus service for customers from the centre of town up to Terry's.
This proposal is sensible and will save an awful lot of money.
Remember, these architects were responsible for the horrendous waste of money on the Scottish Parliament building - Hungate will be more than 38 million. The last thing York needs is a taxpayers revolt.
meme, york says...
12:35pm Wed 5 Mar 08
I would rather the Council blew the budget and created something York could really be proud of for many years to come rather than a dull 60s box that is a replica of the new council offices in Middlesbrough which are about to be replaced already
Its not right for York
I would also ike too know where the pedestrian Plaza has sprung up from The impression is taken from St saviourgate and thats a road and it will NEVER look like this
delboy, York says...
12:38pm Wed 5 Mar 08
BL, says...
12:38pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Lt.Dobie, Northallerton says...
12:41pm Wed 5 Mar 08
£38million could go to repairing the walls for example. How hard would it be to convert Terry's? Now that would be green...
delboy, York says...
12:44pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Stephen, York says...
12:45pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Its a replica of the Weymouth Borough Council offices built 30yrs ago.
Keep moving folks, nothing modern or outstandingly new here to see.
Jason, says...
12:54pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Peter, york says...
12:55pm Wed 5 Mar 08
oaklander, York says...
1:02pm Wed 5 Mar 08
I would like to see a break down of the costings of this monstrosity.
The council have turned down many planning aplications because the buildings dont fit with the historical suroundings of york of which everyone agrees stonebow house is the ugliest, un-energy efficient building in north yorkshire yet they style their headquarters on it???
Just shows how dull this council really is.
hmmmmm, York says...
1:11pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Stephen, York says...
1:26pm Wed 5 Mar 08
* Six in ten people do not feel they are given an adequate say on how local council services are run;
* More than 9 in 10 people believe accountability of councils could be improved;
* Nearly four in 10 people do not feel councillors are representative of their communities and six in 10 do not believe they adequately reflect their views.
David H, York says...
1:28pm Wed 5 Mar 08
DAVID BAKER, AYCLIFFE VILLAGE CO DURHAM says...
1:31pm Wed 5 Mar 08
The Voice of Reason, York says...
1:33pm Wed 5 Mar 08
the exile, York says...
1:35pm Wed 5 Mar 08
BL wrote:"I've been told...." by who??? You're talking absolute tosh! Just because the rent has been paid by DEFRA doesn't mean they'd let the council have it for nothing...they'll want to recoup some of their costs...and if the council accept their offer what do they do when they move out of DEFRA buildings? At some point they need to grasp the nettle and sort this out!
I've been told that they were offered one of the DEFRA buildings next to the site which will be unoccupied and will have already been refurbished. On top of that it would be rent free as the rent is already paid up for so many years. They wanted their own new building instead...
slornie, Birmingham/York says...
1:46pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Theyre intending on using a hot desk system, with each employee having a little wheeled set of drawers to pull to their chosen desk each day. This will prevent coherent team and department working , and needlessly complicate office practices!
The employees then waste time at the beginning and end of each day setting up (their set of drawers, their files, adjusting the computer/seat, etc) and clearing up (they have make sure the desk is clean for the next day's user).
As well as this, all files are set to be stored in one central location (rather than in each dept where theyre needed), where they have to be collected from and returned to each day, wasting even more time.
*I found this out from a council employee i know.
ouserower, york says...
1:47pm Wed 5 Mar 08
slornie, Birmingham/York says...
1:48pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Theyre intending on using a hot desk system, with each employee having a little wheeled set of drawers to pull to their chosen desk each day. This will prevent coherent team and department working , and needlessly complicate office practices!
The employees then waste time at the beginning and end of each day setting up (their set of drawers, their files, adjusting the computer/seat, etc) and clearing up (they have make sure the desk is clean for the next day's user).
As well as this, all files are set to be stored in one central location (rather than in each dept where theyre needed), where they have to be collected from and returned to each day, wasting even more time.
*I found this out from a council employee i know.
petethefeet, york says...
1:49pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Voice of reason, York says...
1:58pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Posted by: The Voice of Reason, York
Noted and reported.
Get an imagination please!
Captain Jack Sparrow, Strensall says...
2:20pm Wed 5 Mar 08
A campaign of civil disobedience with the aim of bringing the council to a grinding halt would do the trick. There are various ways we can do this - non/late payment of council tax, paying your council tax in pennies, laying bodies down in front of council vehicles etc. Stop the organisation from fuctioning and it's leaders will sit up and take notice. We need a local referendum on whether or not to proceed with Hungate.
We could also do with a national referendum on membership of the EU and the death penalty.
BL, says...
2:23pm Wed 5 Mar 08
"I've been told...." by who??? You're talking absolute tosh! Just because the rent has been paid by DEFRA doesn't mean they'd let the council have it for nothing...they'll want to recoup some of their costs...and if the council accept their offer what do they do when they move out of DEFRA buildings? At some point they need to grasp the nettle and sort this out!
By someone who works for DEFRA at the offices in question...
andyb2, york says...
2:24pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Voice of reason, York says...
2:41pm Wed 5 Mar 08
I'm as against the council as the next man most of the time, but more people should have had their say when they had the rare opportunity.
york1900, York says...
2:42pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Shiny_Dave, @ Work says...
2:45pm Wed 5 Mar 08
How could anyone think that it is appealing? It is as bad as the new apartments opposite Rowntree Wharf! I've seen pictures of Hungate when it was a slum that looked better!
Is it not time to employ a resident architect for the city who creates a style/ vision, accepted by the citizens, with which all buildings must conform too for a set period of time?
york1900, York says...
2:52pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Captain Jack Sparrow wrote:You can not do that you have to get rid of the councilors who have there own agenda to what they want and the only way to do that is to go out and vote
We should really put a stop to all of this Hungate Business for good. A campaign of civil disobedience with the aim of bringing the council to a grinding halt would do the trick. There are various ways we can do this - non/late payment of council tax, paying your council tax in pennies, laying bodies down in front of council vehicles etc. Stop the organisation from fuctioning and it's leaders will sit up and take notice. We need a local referendum on whether or not to proceed with Hungate. We could also do with a national referendum on membership of the EU and the death penalty.
untill then we have to suffer the rubbish they like even if it is the worsed of taste
TW, Wrong Planet says...
2:57pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Ceredig Jamieson-Ball, the council's executive member for corporate services said: "I think it's an impressive building that, when some of the comments are taken on board, the city can be proud of for years to come."
Not judging by these comments it can't
york1900, York says...
3:00pm Wed 5 Mar 08
they all look out of place with the other buildings in York
meme, york says...
3:14pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Galloway Out, says...
3:21pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Mark5691, York says...
3:24pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Do we the public get a chance to tell the council what we think of this disaster?
gaz_leeds, york says...
3:44pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Lt.Dobie, York-ish says...
3:47pm Wed 5 Mar 08
They can't ALL be visiting or even in visiting roles...
How often have councillors/ MPs really represented the community anyway? Own agendas get in their way.
franky, york says...
3:49pm Wed 5 Mar 08
gaz_leeds wrote:Aren't people allowed an opinion on how it looks to them Gaz? As ordinary people?
As ever on the evening press website, people who do not have a clue about anything to do with architecture, design, construction or development within York. Moaning and bickering and passing pathetic comments when 99% of you do not have the foggiest idea what when it come to this
Seems like you are a bit touchy on the subject, with bold print and all... any chance you were involved in this design?
Captain Jack Sparrow, Strensall says...
3:50pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Galloway Out wrote:
I dont see the problem with the building. Its a basic office block. If the council had come up with something flamboyant and artistic they would have been crucified for wasting money.
crucified for wasting money.
That's the point! Regardless of whether you like the design or not, it's a needless building.
How many jobs have been sacrificed in the council (we all know the recent cutbacks) to enable them to waste 38 million plus on this building???
It simply beggars belief. Here is a clear case of them putting the interests of the council first instead of the constituents they represent. It speaks volumes when councillors award themselve 11% pay rises. Your interests, not ours - the payers of local taxation.
Come the military Junta, most of you councillors will be sat in stocks on Marygate whence the public can happen upon you, help themselves to rotten fruit and veg, and launch the fetid stinking organics at your personages.
redp, Huntington says...
3:55pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Captain Jack Sparrow, Strensall says...
3:58pm Wed 5 Mar 08
gaz_leeds wrote:That's a bit presumptious.
As ever on the evening press website, people who do not have a clue about anything to do with architecture, design, construction or development within York. Moaning and bickering and passing pathetic comments when 99% of you do not have the foggiest idea what when it come to this
Am I to assume then that from the juxtaposition of your moniker and location that you are indeed, a cannibal residing in the armpit of Yorkshire that is known as Leeds?
gaz_leeds, york says...
4:09pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Captain Jack Sparrow wrote:You are correct Captain Jack, you are wrong to assume that i reside in the armpit of Yorkshire this been Leeds. York born and bread my good friend.
gaz_leeds wrote: As ever on the evening press website, people who do not have a clue about anything to do with architecture, design, construction or development within York. Moaning and bickering and passing pathetic comments when 99% of you do not have the foggiest idea what when it come to thisThat's a bit presumptious. Am I to assume then that from the juxtaposition of your moniker and location that you are indeed, a cannibal residing in the armpit of Yorkshire that is known as Leeds?
goangordon, India says...
4:21pm Wed 5 Mar 08
newsboy, York says...
4:51pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Mullarkian, York says...
4:55pm Wed 5 Mar 08
At least I suppose this building matches the telephone exchange nearby, more ironic than iconic!
hustler, York says...
5:00pm Wed 5 Mar 08
gaz_leeds wrote:I think the vast majority of contributers here have passed comment with regard to the aesthetic "look" of the building. Either that it looks out of place, or hails back to an era not looked back fondly on for its style of architecture. Surely we are entitled to our opinions, just as you are yours ?
As ever on the evening press website, people who do not have a clue about anything to do with architecture, design, construction or development within York. Moaning and bickering and passing pathetic comments when 99% of you do not have the foggiest idea what when it come to this
ALD, York says...
5:00pm Wed 5 Mar 08
read-all-about-it, Haxby says...
5:36pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Voice of reason wrote:Agree with you 'Voice of reason'.
Posted by: The Voice of Reason, YorkNoted and reported. Get an imagination please!
It's high time the Press sorted out and got rid of all the impersonators now freely operating on this site.
Including yours my friend!!
C H, york says...
5:43pm Wed 5 Mar 08
ouserower, york says...
6:04pm Wed 5 Mar 08
the Butler, Cowichan Bay B.C Canada says...
6:30pm Wed 5 Mar 08
an excellent building, ecco friendly for much less, even a leased unit,Modernized every ten years, This would also employ a York firm that has an excellent construction record..
jt, walmgate says...
6:30pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Voice of reason, York says...
7:45pm Wed 5 Mar 08
York born and bread my good friend.
Looks like we've found our illiterate grafitti artist from the story last week!!
ghost of oscar deutsch, says...
8:00pm Wed 5 Mar 08
This isn't a remotely exciting piece of architecture and is totally out of scale with the surrounding area.
How long before its announced that it will be costing closer to £100 million.
Galloway must be picking out his corner luxury office as we speak.
I can just imagine the tour buses going past in the future and the guides saying " And on your left we have centre of local government, as shiny and useless as the people it houses".
York is becoming a hole.
selmabolatoin, York says...
8:11pm Wed 5 Mar 08
How about we get the French guy who did the stunning coloured light tracery on the Minster a while back to come and design changeable laser light projections for the façades? We could have Roman, Viking, Tudor, Georgian, Victorian etc. projections to suit all tastes in turn. I suspect the scorn and bile poured onto this proposal are largely due to the fact it is, all said and done, a municipal building. Have a look at the residential developments on Heworth Green and then say this is a proposal we dont deserve. The word for both is timid.
selmabolatoin, York says...
9:42pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Please share with us your contribution to society, just so we can be assured you're not equally as useless.
Harvey, York says...
10:28pm Wed 5 Mar 08
Harvey, York says...
11:00pm Wed 5 Mar 08
mivvi, near York says...
1:41am Thu 6 Mar 08
the authority's head of property services, Neil Hindhaugh, hailed the "iconic" building".
...after which he was handed back his white cane.
Mr Hindhaugh said it was a challenge to come up with a building appropriate for York. ...We wanted a building special to York.
A challenge not met then? Though it will certainly be special to York - for all the wrong reasons.
The main building will....also offer spectacular panoramic views over the city.
It's not about what the inside is like, it's about what it looks like outside - and it's hideous. Forget the environmental, eco-friendly & sustainable cr@p; any building can have those. This one is ugly and out of place and is 'iconic' only in the same way as Stonebow House is. It's difficult to argue against the basic premise for relocation and consolidation, but surely a site at Monk's Cross or similar would provide easier access and parking for both staff and customers. I sometimes wonder if the Council has forgotten that it serves us, its tax-paying customers, & not itself. How do we stop this monstrosity?
ouserower, york says...
7:33am Thu 6 Mar 08
oli4uk, York says...
9:32am Thu 6 Mar 08
The council has been offered many alternative locations but they are blundering ahead with this disaster.
Cant wait to see how the maintenance cost on this hits our council tax.
yorkshi!e, york says...
9:01am Sat 8 Mar 08
i notice the press didnt show the picture of the big agricultural grain store out back! wonder what it is for? maybe a feed silo for galloway and his chums
Dave McBridge, York says...
4:49pm Sat 8 Mar 08
Modern city developments can work (bullring in birmingham, city sq. leeds) but hungate's not a big area, and that building just looks too imposing.....but i suppose it'll take my eyes off the stonebow!
J Castle, Acomb says...
6:20pm Sat 15 Mar 08
Amid all the clamour surrounding the new council building why is it necessary to throw up such a smoke screen by reeling off all the building's supposedly green credentials. They should apply to any new building these days. Perhaps it's an attempt to hide the real properties of the place and that is that it's a total bore that a two year old child could have bettered. Why on earth our leaders should even consider something like this and allow it to reach the design stage is beyond me. A plea to our councillors, please use a bit of imagination and not just nod through a poor imitation a Lego cube at the planning stage. Even the nearby Defra and Telecoms buildings, which we are told it has to blend in with, offer a more pleasing appearance and that says something.
Please use the Norwich Union buiding as an example of what can be achieved.
Yours etc
J Castle
City of York Council's head of property services, describes the new HQ as "iconic"
A model of the new council headquarters on display in the Mansion House
Artists impression of the proposed City of York offices in Hungate
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Stephen, York says...
11:09am Wed 5 Mar 08
ndly features."
Just another palacial hot air harvestor.