Croydon Part One: The high-rise and fall

[@lolah6448]

wow, having watched this straight after the barbican video really puts into perspective what designers prioritise. Love these vids

[@IndigoJo]

I grew up in Croydon in the 80s and the Whitgift Centre was *not* an air-conditioned mall then. It was a two-level open mall although it was vehicle-free unlike the rest of Croydon (North End was not pedestrianised until the late 80s). This was long after James Marshall's era. There is plenty of photo footage of the Whitgift in the 70s and 80s; the "curly-wurly ramp" and the open space towards the south where the Forum pub stood.

[@incytrevable]

And now Croydon council is bankrupt. I grew up in Croydon and left in my late 20's. I'll never return.

[@chrismulhern82]

I came back after twenty years away. Not a lot has changed. I found it grim in the 80s & now it seems worse 😕

[@LJ07EBP]

Ikr.

[@LondonTom007]

Don't blame you 🤣

[@LJ07EBP]

@@LondonTom007 Same

[@damianclarke8056]

It's like a 3rd world country now. Horrible place

[@milehighclassics]

The shopping Center was open to the weather in the 70s and 80s wet cold but I loved living there

[@giovannanichols6878]

We have been very impressed by Mr Perry, the new mayor of Croydon, and his pledges to restore Croydon. We pray that he will be successful in putting into action his plans.

[@henryhill3014]

If you was born in mayday hospital and made it out you are a naturally blessed person 🙌 stand up if your born and Raised in Croydon!!

[@mrj.p.k8770]

Nice bit of history about where I grew up✌🏿❤️

[@usernameuser5573]

Very cool. I'm not British or anything but I appreciate this kind of architectural analysis from a social perspective. This sort of flashy but shortsighted development seems to be pretty much all that gets built in the US even today.

[@blade_warrior_blue]

Look up Milton Keynes. I live in a part of NY state thats pretty similar. Most of America is all the same cheap, ugly box structures that nothing but corporate franchises occupy. The architecture is hideous, basic and crumbles after 30 years.

[@misfit2022]

6.46 gotta love a dark subway, if you’re a mugger. I can find the good in a lot of places. I used to drink in Camberwell but Croydon is a hard place to like let alone love. Punk rock has an affinity with Croydon “With a red scrunchie for a birthday gift she scrapes her hair into a Croydon facelift”

[@tangerinedream7211]

Only been there twice, once in 1981 for a week, shopfitting in Allders and once in 1983 or 4 shopfitting in the then new Debenhams. We stayed at the aerodrome hotel which was nice and had a sense of history. Remember having a drink down the road at the local pub, the Propellor ?.

[@ThePogle]

croydon nice for me growing up 1962 too 1975 lived at 86 brighton road south croydon wnt to miss polly's 1966 then to purley oaks in1967 to 1974 then coulsdon manor old coulsdon

[@berniethekiwidragon4382]

I have lived in Croydon for a few years now. I have always wondered why something feels missing from Croydon.

[@CARLIN4737]

Life, Love, Hope? Many things are missing in Croydon.

[@spiritofsalt6780]

Some of the empty office spaces will probably be turned into inadequate housing.

[@PORRRIDGE_GUN]

And that will be left empty too, because nobody can afford the rents.

[@hogsbass4817]

I was born in Croydon in 1947, its horrible now the pits, I never go back now, its like a rundown town in foreign country how sad isn that

[@tomkent4656]

Croydon is prime example of bad planning.

[@annother3350]

As much as i like some of those 60s high rise buildings , they blatantly ruined Croydon during that time. There's no sense of community throughout most of it, and why would there be when there's such a mish mash of old and new with no thought about planning. Flyovers going over the old houses and a dual carriageway splitting the heart of the city. They killed it...

[@BillHosko]

Goodness... in Every, shot, you see many people about. Croydon will endure just fine...

[@NEBUKEDNEZZA]

Well Croydon was the pitz in 1760, what you're complaining about is a great advantage to Croydon. Grow a Brain !

[@annother3350]

@@NEBUKEDNEZZA Sure, when they build a motorway over your house -- what's the problem?!

[@inspirationalaries]

Interesting piece on Croydon. A rise in homelessness, very high crime and drug and alcohol dependency and deprivation sit by side with glass and steel apartment blocks and the Box Park entertainment park. It is a strange mixture of redevelopment and deprivation. The architecture featured here in generous language is in fact very brutal and depressing to live and work amongst on a daily basis. Don’t be fooled by flowery descriptions of it by officials and architectural commentators - the residents deserve better than its brutal and unsafe civic spaces.

[@thecollector5243]

I used to live there until 2002. A bit outside the center and I remember what I liked most was the quaint market style pedestrian shopping street, if you followed the tram past the library. But apart from that, what I remember most was the sorta grey soulless buildings from an era where architects were more interested in their design and less in the community that would have to live with these designs. I came back for a visit in 2013 - uff... town certainly took a turn for the worse.

[@CamstonIsland]

Part two is blocked by WMG. Will there ever be an edited version released so we can watch how modern Croydon Part Two: Unplanning the Future?

[@donaldtrump6491]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5bXkKWpYpyqeKM available in finland youll need vpn or use some other like tor

[@RCBGMK]

Only problem for me with Croydon is reputation for being a crime ridden part of London. I don’t if that’s really true. I’ve lived only in Southfields and that area fells really safe.

[@sirtrollalot7762]

its true, croydon is awful

[@christopheroyibo2230]

Ooo sweet home ....I don't think I can live anywhere else....been in Croydon for 11years

[@rw6391]

Come to Birmingham, loads of high rises, People treat you like suit because you live in them. IT'S NOT WHERE YOU LIVE IT'S HOW YOU LIVE!

[@benlotus2703]

BLM- shootings in Hackney, Brixton and Croydon rocked the capital

[@leandrodiaz4514]

Please talk about the rise and fall of Parque Central Urban Complex in Caracas, Venezuela.

[@phoenixkali]

I used to grow up here but now live in Ireland. No way will I go back they have lost all the green an the sky!

[@djla1231]

3 years later, we are having another commercial boom with skyscraper apartments being built all over. I have lived in Croydon since I was born and I am now 19. Its always been a depressing place just from the states and aesthetic of the buildings. They are trying to introduce color but its failing, just looks tacky

[@rippawallet]

Looks better than pure grey

[@daveloweuk]

Great video!

[@ivxxvii]

Interesting video, just like the Barbican one but Pleeease get rid of the "power thumb", it makes you look like a dishonest politician...

[@SP-lw7mr]

The demise of Croydon is entirely down to huge demographic change. People move away from trouble and that got gradually worse as inner city inhabitants and it’s associated crime moved farther out and the riots of 2011 drove business out of the area. Funnily enough it’s downward spiral appeared to be linked to Labours last term IMO. It is unrecognisable compared to the town bustling with shopping and nightlife during the majority of the ‘90s.

[@andrejmucic5003]

All I know is that Kate Moss is from Croydon, and that makes it all good!

[@robjn]

Great but get a compressor for the volume is all over the place

[@bartonseagrave9605]

It is so silly this trend of having the background out of focus.

[@montyandmaryv9340]

Now days Croydon is doing great with new skyscrapers tower blocks and boxpark

[@PORRRIDGE_GUN]

I don't agree. Boxpark is made of shipping containers! Buy expensive street food and sit on a bench in the middle? An absolutely shit idea. Should have been kicked into the long grass at the first suggestion of it.

[@berniethekiwidragon4382]

@@PORRRIDGE_GUN Didn't stop them replicating the idea elsewhere. I've seen at least one other Boxpark in London.

[@Mariathinking]

And crack heads too!!!

[@catearth8864]

The council went bust :(

[@sirtrollalot7762]

haha don't lie man, Croydon is a gangland shithole

[@redd605]

One thing about Croydon they should of done is run the tramline from West Croydon through the middle off the high street as well, past marks and Spencer,down to wear it pass Barclays Bank connecting to the line that goes to Wimbledon,and goes to Beckenham junction etc

[@nealogorman1810]

Jo Negrini.....emmm where is she now??

[@PORRRIDGE_GUN]

On 'gardening leave' e-mailing out her CV everywhere and hoping any prospective employer doesn't google her name, probably... I understand she is being paid her £225k salary until the end of September 2021.

[@DeeDerry]

Peed all the money up the wall, and left with a hugh salary 😐

[@spinynorman8217]

I lived there in the late 70s .... awful. Saying that, there were some nice modern buildings and then they went too far!

[@thornbird6768]

Cool building behind him at the start 👍🏻

[@christopherboxall46]

There used to be a really old house in the grounds of that building. The old lady that lived there refused to sell up and move so the NLA tower as it was then called was built next to the house. I remember sitting on the top deck of the 54 bus that went around it and would think how strange to have a old house right next to that modern building

[@PORRRIDGE_GUN]

NLA Tower. Still discussed worldwide by architecture students and enthusiasts. If it isn't listed, it bloody well should be.

[@nodramaplease6663]

Croydon is a nice area, coming from the 3rd would to Croydon is a big improvement, sadly Croydon is now 3rd world 🤦🏼

[@richardclarke376]

LOL after Croydon Council went bankrupt, Jo "Negreedy" left with a 400,000 quid payoff. Marvellous.

[@Dev1nci]

The Croydon Massiv will never rival the West-Stains Massiv.

[@egemensentin]

Ali G in da house

[@johnhetherington8830]

No Alders arcade?

[@stefanrashev4829]

Hello.

[@foundatlantis]

ive been to croydon. its not for me.

[@LJ07EBP]

2017 Croydon got worse 2016 downwards it was calm.

[@blade_warrior_blue]

Croydon is the Milton Keynes of south London.

[@chrimbo90]

3:03 politics always ruins the mood...

[@yidarmy8487]

Croydon is a great place

[@southlondon86]

For chavs and thieves, yes.

[@PORRRIDGE_GUN]

@@southlondon86 Great posting for lazy coppers. Crime up by 39% DURING A LOCKDOWN! The Metropolitan Police Service: London's biggest self-licking lollipop.

[@jamessullivan9992]

Tax the hell out of auto's and petrol until cities are built for people instead of cars.

[@PORRRIDGE_GUN]

I'd be wary of that. Its rarely done properly or fairly, particularly in Croydon. It will only drive car owners, who are by definition more affluent into out of town shopping warehouse like the Purley Way. The centre will go into decline. Retail will not be adequately replaced by leisure, and the British were, even pre-pandemic the most indoor leisure nation in Europe. Got netflix, amazon prime, wi-fi and work from home you could go for months without ever stepping outside.

[@CelticAngel555]

Some great descriptions here of the inhospitable environment that we see too often these days. The builders of these monolithic landscapes ignored any esthetic values. Hopefully we'll learn not to allow this in future. ^j^

[@PORRRIDGE_GUN]

Actually, if you want to see rubbish 60s architecture that is pedestrian-hostile, go to Crawley. It's much worse than Croydon.

[@oswald2358]

👍

[@BillHosko]

Lessons learned, but Croydon will survive, residential growth will, come forth, great public places and spaces do exist, min. 9, the blanket assessment prior that it is an unhospitable place is biased.

[@bettybloch3025]

I THINK every city has such districts, and lives with them, some of them swallow a good part of migrating people either now at work, or have living space, one can even go to a bookstore maybe on a Sunday afternoon there, and have in a most local coffeeshop a certain clientele, while all the way business invest in show rooms and business space. and often not too many people working there, what astonishes, but has to do with the background lawfulness of business which own cheap - relatively cheap storage spaces or showroom spaces or office spaces...not much hunted either... but if you decide for atelier space for artists designers the same place or a universal edition a music label studio there, then people will always frequent it a bit, maybe as well furniture exibitions or carpet industry or even newspapers which leave the place for other places behind... or whatever, I mean you can settle there small interest groups which love the place...nearby a small river or walking path, or...so that people ignore often the cold wide space the concrete the awfulness...of abandoned investment which is dead and alive the same time...ungoing..

[@justing1474]

Class prejudice derogatory slurs like the Croydon facelift? dude all classes know this slur, no class involved, I’m working class from london, and we all know this term, usually when we talk about Kate moss lol

[@vincentrenz58]

Croydon housing getting expensive again

[@riverhuntingdon6659]

Built Environment, Brought together professionals from across the built enviroment, Renewed Focus, Critical intersection of Architecture and politics, meaningful change on policy and pratice ? Issues ? Do you mean problems ? Do what ? Sounds like Wankspeak to me and many others.

[@annother3350]

Sounds like someone has some issues and it ain't me...

[@PORRRIDGE_GUN]

Neo-Marxist Oxbridge bullshit.

[@vladnickul]

The sad thing is . those buildings are much better quality then the average "british house" .

[@mikemines2931]

People make slums. Any other reason is just an excuse for bad behavior.

[@kevinlongman007]

They ruined Croydon Town Centre in the 1960's.

[@spiritofsalt6780]

Yes personally I think many of the planners, architects and councillors should have been imprisoned for what they did to Croydon.

[@PORRRIDGE_GUN]

Disagree. They tried and succeeded in parts. They are comprehensively ruining it now and on a grand scale!

[@kevinlongman007]

@@PORRRIDGE_GUN The ugly Tower Blocks went up in the 1960's as well as the Whitgift Centre.

[@PORRRIDGE_GUN]

@@kevinlongman007 I preferred the Whitgift Centre of old to the current one.

[@TIMBOWERMAN]

So we get a remark at 3:10 that Croydon is like New York! Trash there is one place that is like New York and that is New York.

[@barryparsons4326]

Modem croydon is even worst. Around the council building is awful. Limited transport to get to town if your not coming from North. Parking cost £9 for 3 hrs. Just won't bother next time. Use to like the night life, that's gone. Council is terrible and bo idea how to run a town.

[@reni8413]

I agree that croydon is over ambitious. It’s been years and over a billion pounds invested for Westfield Croydon but still no word after promises ...

[@PORRRIDGE_GUN]

Westfield will not happen now. Retail died of Coronavirus. I expect an Amazon warehouse will go up on the Purley Way soon.

[@DeeDerry]

@@PORRRIDGE_GUN There's one they already lol

[@reni8413]

@@PORRRIDGE_GUN yes I figured no Westfield again. No point really of it anymore

[@michaelgeorge1737]

Looks a lot like bad parts of Eastern Europe.

[@lionsbite5728]

It isn't getting any better. The latest crop of badly designed buildings will continue the deminishment Croydon.

[@PORRRIDGE_GUN]

That purple shard thing? Saffron Place. Ghastly! Looks like the architect was blind or has some catastrophic brain injury.

[@massivelymusic6006]

Haha this guy has watched way too much nick Robinson from the bbc

[@WAKE-UP-BRITAIN]

It's a young Karl Pilkington init lol I don't care what anyone says it's home...Croydon town centre has died yea, there's alot more decent places it ain't a war zone, just stay away from everyone simple lol 80s 90s Croydon was a good place to grow up, in addiscombe

[@jackyblue67same10]

They call that art I call it ugly

[@Truthseeker1515]

God, the monstrosity.

[@jonesconrad1]

Croydon is not a city

[@riverhuntingdon6659]

What the heck is a "Placemaking Team Leader ?" or a "Director of Place ?" Sounds like yet more politcally correct rubbish non-jobs to me.

[@coltsuperocean10]

then what is it?

[@jonesconrad1]

coltsuperocean10 Croydon is a large town in south London, England, 9.5 miles south of Charing Cross. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croydon Westminster and the city of London are cities inside London the metropolitan area Croydon is a town like most other areas in London.

[@2000mk1]

Actually, Croydon is in Surrey, not South London.

[@jamesreindeer]

Croydon is officially designated as a town, and situated in the county of Surrey, but incorporated as a London Borough

[@michaelhay8712]

Labour run & bankrupt.

[@Y34HN0]

Terrible editing and sound mixing, sorry.

[@stevenharris2230]

Peep Show

[@benlotus2703]

BLM : shootings in Hackney, Brixton and Croydon rocked the capital last nite

[@sj-bg4up]

what does that have to do with BLM

[@aldofhister6859]

I don't care what anybody says English people have the worst taste in architecture I have ever seen ! Whether it is one year old 50 years old or 200 years old

[@alexverdigris9939]

Not all, but your average Englishman is psychotically obsessed by the Victorian aesthetic to the extent that even when they attempt anything different they're bound to fail. If it's clad in red brick, the Englishman will have it - anything else doesn't matter a jot.

[@TruckOnTyke1]

@@alexverdigris9939that’s because that aesthetic actually adds something to the quality of life and looks good. They’ve tried all manner of new designs in Croydon and they’re all bad.

[@theconversation9103]

We're pretty patchy but when we do things right we do them well: see our Victorian terraces aka Stoke Newington, our Georgian terraces aka Islington and our Regency homes aka Hove and Notting Hill - all beautiful