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Old news-
...and it will probably never leave paper!
It's not old news, and is a current project, with regular updates from Merton Council and the project Trustee board members, with positive recent updates from the council and trustees.
Whilst in a major recent boost for the project, the Trust and Merton Council stated that the Concert Hall will be a new community focus for the town centre, building on the Council's Future Wimbledon plans.
The land at Hartfield Road in Winbledon has already been allocated for the project, and the project is moving forward, and will provide a much needed new home for the Philharmonia Orchestra, which is currently having to share residency at the RFH with the LPO.
Plans to build an international concert hall in Wimbledon town centre, have moved forward, following an agreement by Merton Council to work with Wimbledon Concert Hall Trust to develop the proposals.
Patrons of the Wimbledon Concert Hall Trust include Dame Darcey Bussell and pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy. The decision means a 12-month exclusivity period, during which the council will work with the trust on the proposals. The concert hall would be built on the site of Hartfield Road car park in the town.
As council leader, Mark Allison explained, the project reflects the needs to refocus the nature of the town to an arts and cultural destination. He said “Our shared ambition recognises the changing nature of our town centres and the desire for more cultural and social activities at the heart of our communities. Wimbledon may already be a global name thanks to the tennis championships; but the opportunity to develop an international cultural venue fits well with our plans to reinvigorate Wimbledon town centre.”
Old news-
...and it will probably never leave paper!
I think you are confusing the Wimbledon Hall with the LSO Centre for Music Scheme in the City of London.
The £300 million LSO scheme was scrapped, however this was mainly due to it relying on to other schemes in relation to the relocation of Smithfield and other city Markets and the Museum of London moving to Smithfield.
Currently projections in relation to the markets move, suggest a cost of over £1 Billion, whilst the projected cost of the Museum of London scheme is now over £500 million, and the chances are the LSO Concert Hall costs would also increase, leaving the City of London, with a £2 Billion post Covid Bill, and that's the real reason that scheme was scrapped.
The Centre for Music was not a Frank Gehry project, it's architects were New York based Diller, Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R), and as already stated it relied on a lot of other expensive projects.
I am fairly confident that the the City of London will eventually invest in a new concert hall for the internationally renowned LSO, but not until the current Museum of London and relocation of the markets in relation to New Spitalfields, Billingsgate and Smithfield Markets are complete.
In the meantime there are plans to refurbish the current Barbican Arts Centre facilities which is the current home of the LSO.
The Wimbledon Scheme is very different and does not rely on anything moving as it is to be built on the site of an old car park.
Last edited by Brave New World; 07-13-2023 at 08:52 AM..
It's not old news, and is a current project, with regular updates from Merton Council...
Last update- 2022. And it was just about parking.
And you apparently don't know Gehry very well. As rabbit lamented too. That's why I said that it will probably never leave paper. His designs have left some seriously soured mouths among taxpayers, and investors.
The designs maybe awe inspiring to some; but to others they are "Uber Gaudy", expensive, and use ridiculous materials that are "immaterial" for their intended purpose.
It's an almost 100% guarantee that the price will spiral out of control and be done before it begins- or maybe the Crown will divest a lot of property to foot the bill... yeah, right!!!
And you apparently don't know Gehry very well. As rabbit lamented too. That's why I said that it will probably never leave paper. His designs have left some seriously soured mouths among taxpayers, and investors.
The designs maybe awe inspiring to some; but to others they are "Uber Gaudy", expensive, and use ridiculous materials that are "immaterial" for their intended purpose.
It's an almost 100% guarantee that the price will spiral out of control and be done before it begins- or maybe the Crown will divest a lot of property to foot the bill... yeah, right!!!
The Gehry Concert Hall design in relation to Wimbledon, is not that controversial, as you can see from the initial design pictures, and it bears more resemblance to something like a larger version of Gehry's New World Center in Miami than the more controversial concert hall projects such as the Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles.
It's also worth noting that Gehry's Prospect Place, a far more controversial looking scheme at Battersea Power Station in London is now complete and the apartments are now up for sale.
As fore the Wimbledon Project it's not dependent on Gehry, and the project which include trustees such as Dame Darcey Bussell and pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy, could launch an architecture competition if the Trustees and partners are unhappy with Gehry's scheme or costings, however this does not seem to be the case.
Well, those who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like.
Bring the buckets!
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