Sunderland Civic Centre - Soon to be Demolished

This video covers the history, design and future of sunderlands's civic centre. Designed by Jack Bonnington during the 20th century its simple material palette and use of terraces handles a tricky site suprisingly well. Another brutlaist icon within tyne and wear which is due to be lost in future years and the site redeveloped for housing. Sunderland civic centre will move to the sunderland riverside regeneration area.
Music:
Autumn 2011 by Loxbeats spoti.fi/34tPBBO
Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported - CC BY 3.0
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[@barrylangford3276]

Whilst l appreciate your admiration for this building, I for one will shed no tears over its demolition. I recall the disbelief felt by us locals at the hideousness of the place upon its opening. It was an eyesore in 1970 and is an even bigger one now. Sheer vandalism was the demolition of the superb old town hall, a jewel of the town centre. I am certain that if you ask anyone old enough to remember the glorious buildings Sunderland has lost over the years how they feel about the civic centre going, the answer will be "couldn't care less".

[@MartinHannett_]

Are we sort of repeating that past by demolishing a bit of history though? Many people back then thought what was there was dated.

[@johnmurray5573]

​@@MartinHannett_no. The old building was built using classic architecture and building techniques and represented the best of the Victorian era. The new building is a template used for several civic buildings very similar to Gateshead and looked shabby after 20 years and in less than 50 was scheduled for demolition correctly

[@ChrisBrown-px1oy]

​@johnmurray5573 Gateshead (albeit judging from photographs, whereas I have visited the Sunderland civic centre) has none of the subtle care, nimbleness or attention to detail of Bonnington's design. And what about the old town hall on Fawcett Street was not to a "template"? I'm not arguing that it deserved demolition either, but the civic centre was unique - unlike the new city hall or, it seems, the housing that will replace it.

[@Mr_Cholmondley_Warner]

Absolutely criminal that they demolished the old Sunderland town hall, what a beautiful building. Local councils caused far more damaged after the war than the Germans did during the war.

[@JordanReeve]

The lack of respect for historic buildings back then was shocking

[@themanftheworld8439]

@@JordanReeve it continued into the 80s and 90s when many of Sunderlands old Victorian schools were demolished.

[@spiderrock215]

@@themanftheworld8439 Lot of people I talk to still feel it continues now with some of the buildings they demolish. Not so much the civic centre, most call it an eye sore.

[@malckie]

We treat buildiings like fast fashion with little consideration to the environmental impact of demolition of a young building. The Civic Centre is an architecturally interesting building and was ambitious in its outlook. It could easily be retrofitted and continue to serve a purpose.

[@JordanReeve]

Couldn’t agree more, we need to preserve more of these buildings

[@salus1231]

It was a 1970's slice of dreck.

[@johnmurray5573]

The main thing driving this design was fashion. Don't defy the architect by treating it as more than that. It was dated and impractical by the 1990s

[@hexusG4Z]

Yeah, I do have some memories of the civic centre in Sunderland as well, my mother used to work there and I remember often parking in that car park. I seem to recall that hexagonal motif was also carried through to the now demolished Crowtree leisure centre, which I seem to recall was quite a striking building to my child like eyes.

[@JordanReeve]

Thats super intersting, where was the leisure centre? on an adjoining site?

[@hexusG4Z]

@@JordanReeve It was part of the Bridges shopping centre, not sure when it was demolished must have been fairly recent. www.google.com/maps/@54.9059967,-1.3866131,3a,60y,196.44h,91.74t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sAf-Rb8cIiABLXtYVZoepKg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e1

[@themanftheworld8439]

channels demolished about 5 years ago after it was run into the ground by Blunderland Labiur council.Still a wasteland but the seagulls and pigeons love it.

[@royfontaine5526]

An interesting building, with merit that the simple people can never see. So shortsighted to demolish it.

[@JordanReeve]

Couldn’t agree more Roy

[@anthonypurvis8619]

No one in Sunderland will miss this building. To be honest most of us wish the criminal Labour councillors would go with it.

[@themanftheworld8439]

Agree with the last part.

[@phildavis42]

Really well presented and I can see your passion for the building,well any building with character, personally I think the civic centre was a fantastic design and big thumbs up to the architect but for me it is a lumbering dinosaur with so many problems with flat roofs and sprawling areas where you have to walk 300m to get to the next office, maintenance would have been a losing game especially with millions of tiles falling off after 20 years but I will be pleased to see it gone. The city needsd more open spaces and trees planted now

[@salus1231]

They knocked down that old town hall to build that in it's place ? What utter vandalism Did they get a 'thank you ' card from ex Luftwaffe pilots who missed it in the war ?

[@JordanReeve]

Ahaha yeah it was definitely an interesting choice to loose the old town hall

[@stephenwalker7870]

Sunderland council have a history of demolishing beautiful buildings the old town hall was a magnificent structure like the old station building yes it was in need of restoration work upgrading to meet the needs of the future but some of the decisions of past councils in Sunderland like today the destruction of buildings lack of vision is unforgivable maybes they had some connections to the German Luftwaffe to finish the job off ...shameful

[@edturnbull8858]

Well, that was an interesting take on a highly controversial building. But I think if you were to ask, say, 100 Sunderland residents about the Civic Centre (full disclosure: I was born & raised in Sunderland, but have been furth of that fair town for nigh on 40 years) you’d find the majority would be channeling the spirit of Ellen Ripley: “We need to take off & nuke the site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure”. I think you’ll find more love for Sunderland Civic Centre in places like Hampstead or Islington, where the lentil-reading, Guardian-munching classes roam free. Chin chin 🥃.

[@JordanReeve]

aha didnt realise the civic centre was still that controversial, but I agree if this was Hampstead of Islington there would be an uproar about its demolition

[@edturnbull8858]

@@JordanReeve I think, from reading the sentiments expressed in the various Sunderland historical groups on FB to which I belong, that the animus toward the CC derives less from a dislike of the building itself and more from the still felt outrage at the demolition of the old Town Hall. The powers that be in Sunderland (whether that be the council, British Rail, or whomever else) have shown a consistent tendency to needlessly destroy the old. In addition to the Town Hall I offer the examples of the 1879 Central Station and Palmer's Arcade. There are many others (the 16th century Customs House springs to mind). It's almost like a 'Year Zero' policy is being pursued, and I fully understand the consequent umbrage felt by the citizenry. I struggle to think of another town or city in the UK that's shown such utter disregard toward its architectural heritage. I recognise that WWII bombing damaged much of Sunderland's built environment to the extent that repair / conservation would've been impossible. But that didn't apply to the examples I've given above, the obliteration of which is hard to explain without considering that the decision making process was based on the horrendous idea of 'creative destruction'. I'm not against 60s Brutalism per se: done properly I believe it can exude a certain charm. For example, I actually rather liked Sunderland's 1960s Market Square (a truly controversial opinion on Wearside!) - it had character. Okay, most days it could amplify a gentle breeze, from whatever direction, into a howling gale; but viewed from a 21st century perspective (and whilst wearing my 'spectacles of wry humour') can we not say it was an early example of carbon-neutral air conditioning? The transformation of the Market Square into The Bridges in the 80s was, IMO, a retrograde step - the interesting had been slain by the bland. Sic transit and all that. Anyway, I enjoy your content. Cheers.

[@markmooch]

I was shocked to learn of some of the beautiful old buildings that sunderland has destroyed in the past, like the old town hall. The city would be far better looking and perhaps more enjoyed today with them. Also perhaps one of the reasons people don’t think highly of the civic centre is because it was built in the 70’s, only a generation ago, so still ‘modern’ and is also made out of bricks which could be seen as common, just a guess.

[@hexusG4Z]

Ahhh heaton, I used to live right over the road from Sids shop there when I was a student :D

[@JordanReeve]

Student heaven

[@royfontaine5526]

I had a feeling you might live in Heaton - then I see Warwick Street from the Number 1 bus I presume? My old stomping ground 🙂

[@hexusG4Z]

@@royfontaine5526 I hated that bus man, went right past my window waking me up every day.

[@simonpaterson84]

A very interesting looking building and certainly unique. I was born in the 80s so have always known it to be there. Used to walk through this area at times through my childhood so I will be sad to see it go. Having said that it has been seriously neglected for many years and it was only a matter of time till its closure and pending demolition. As others have mentioned many other buildings in Sunderland have suffered a similiar fate, even if they are well used and well liked - like Crowtree Leisure Centre and the Seaburn Centre. I've come to the conclusion that if the council no longer want a building and they want something else there then they will allow it to rot and say it's "financially unviable" to keep open and then it's torn down. What was strange about the Civic was they spent around £10,000 renovating the staff canteen two years before it closed and when the new City Hall was being built!

[@boredsund]

The lower level car park is similar to the upper levels in style and layout, only dingier and more claustrophobic. Narrow spaces, low roofs, poorly lit.

[@georgeedwardscott7159]

love it.

[@katcroft6887]

They pulled a better building down to put this concrete monstrosity up hope they don’t make the same mistake again

[@johnwillis9534]

Sunderland council sure know how to spend & waste taxpayers money.

[@1258-Eckhart]

As so often, I completely agree with your view on this. There is of course a hidden political element in that local authorities ought to be strengthened and better funded, but the reverse seems to be happening. I suspect that Sunderland made a pre-Covid land deal with a developer involving the sale of the existing site. The development plan will as you say include offices. Here Covid has radically changed expectations, because it has forced an earnest examining of the potential of home office working. I don't see the pre-Covid demand for office space in city centres recovering. A similar change is occurring in retail, this time not (mainly) to do with Covid but with the shift to online merchandising and home delivery. So that could become a difficult site to redevelop.

[@JordanReeve]

Im holding out hope that city centre offices recover, As someone early in their career working from home isnt really ideal, I would much prefer to have more experienced colleagues who are accesible!

[@1258-Eckhart]

@@JordanReeve I tried to start an initiative here in Munich in June last year: We have a large dearth of living accommodation and an excess of office space, which as I said above will largely remain empty (ie the excess will, not the space as such). I had an RICS colleague, a city councillor and a clear route to investors in hand. Longstory short, the city councillor jumped ship when he sniffed "hard work", the investors said "what is the added value over the appreciating property value (of empty offices)?", and with such negativity, I gave up. My RICS colleague had already realised such conversion projects himself - all a bit frustrating. Sorry about the downer, but property professionals are a difficult number.

[@themanftheworld8439]

Many years of Labour mis rule and govt neglect have killed a once proud town-city.As affluent Newcastle is Sunderland is deprived.

[@BonkersAboutAlice]

I worked there and hated it. The underground section was rotten and decrepit. The outer tiles were always under repair by men who seemed to (and fairly) consider it punishment duty.

[@PeaceDroneAerialVideo]

Enjoyed this footage, just done a video of it myself on my KZbin Channel.

[@JordanReeve]

I saw your video, great shots!

[@gpo746]

I grew up literally 2 mins walk from there and I would cut through the Civic center to walk over the bridge to go into mowbray park. It was horrible then ! I didn't like the place , seemed alien and cold , didn't have a good or welcome feeling . Damned place looked run down in the 80's , those red/ brown tiles were breaking off and cracked then. The office windows would be piled up with stuff and the metal blinds were usually bent up , twisted or askew . Just looked a mess . I would want to get through there as quickly as possible . Completely out of place for the buildings that surround it . West Park homes were demolished to make way for this monstrosity , typical of the 60's architects who IMO were vandals . Laughably, their 'Brutalist' work has not stood the test of time unlike their predecessors . No doubt the housing that will go back there will not reflect the area . I would be highly delighted to see good quality homes built there .

[@MartinHannett_]

That new thing they are building is more Legoland crap. They are not learning the lesson of the past. They are demolishing something that has a small growing appreciation to build something with zero character whatsoever.

[@bengvideos572]

hi mate. do you do abandoned building ? if so , could you give me some tips where good places are in the north east area?

[@JordanReeve]

Hi I don’t really cover abandoned stuff but I’d recommend searching the forum called 28 days later

[@ianwalton5156]

Where do you get the figure for the new Town Hall of £42 Million? It's actually costing over £100 Million.

[@JordanReeve]

I believe it was from the Sunderland echo

[@ZG0002]

The building itself did cost £42 million. The £100 million was part of a larger investment into the city centre (ie the other new buildings in the area)

[@ianwalton5156]

@ZG0002 absolute bullshit, a 30 year lease inflation linked starting at £2.49 Million, given current inflation rates means the maximum +5% interest rate per annum & that adds up to substantially more than you're quoting. It was also part of the deal that Gentoo took up office space there thus reducing the rent but that hasn't happened either, if you're going to lie at least do it about something you know about

[@ZG0002]

@ianwalton5156 Calm yourself fella, you can't lie about something you didn't know about it's called ignorance of the facts. Facts I'd like to see in black and white before believing some angry man online. We won't see eye to eye you being so heavly involved in ukip. I can sense the complete hate for the current council from a mile off! for what it's worth. I think they are completely usless also.

[@ianwalton5156]

@ZG0002 it's not anger, it's fact. £2.49 Million a year for rent to start with a minimum guaranteed inflation adjustment of 1% per annum rising to a maximum of 5% depending of course on inflation itself & that's for 35 years after which SCC can buy the building for a nominal £1. Do the maths

[@mnilsson2704]

Remember when it was new. Ugly building. I was seven in 1970. And I hated the place then. Sunderland is a disaster.

[@2011littlejohn1]

They pulled down my old school to build this. My only objection is why spend more money building another one? Spend the money on some sort of employment initiative.

[@quatz1981]

The Civic is a god awful building and always was. The new civic isn't much better to be honest.