Like it or loath it, a 21st century take on a museum for transport.
Glasgow’s new Riverside Museum, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects was built to re‐house Glasgow’s much‐loved Museum of Transport. Behind the museum’s entrance façade defined by five peaked roof ridges is a twisted metallic shed clad in zinc. Lying at the confluence of the Kelvin and Clyde Rivers where one of the busiest ports in the world once operated it’s something of a desolate spot until other developments come forward. A series of glass reinforced gypsum panels turn the roof’s folding underside into a smooth surface tinted in a pistachio green colour, which although initially jarring, sets off the exhibits remarkably well. The collection is made up of a plethora of different vehicles, from model ships to massive Glasgow‐built railway locomotives. They are crammed into the space across the floor, arranged up the walls and occasionally hung from the ceiling. Fortunately derelict setting is helped at the water’s edge by the moored tall ship Glenlee. Zaha Hadid Architects have an interesting portfolio of work that ranges from Cardiff Bay Opera House, the Galaxy Soho office, retail and entertainment centre in Beijing, to a High Speed Train Station as a gateway to Naples.
December 2011 Next meeting: Ian Harrabin of Complex Developments on the latest news from
Monday, December 12 at 7.30pm Holy Trinity Centre, Priory Row Seasonal refreshments Visitors welcome
In recent years towns and cities throughout the country have experimented with de‐cluttering and shared surfaces. Inspired by the work of the late Hans Monderman in the Netherlands, schemes like High Street Kensington, Ashford Ring Road and New Road Brighton have proved that streets can be safer if they look more dangerous and break with the strict separation between pedestrian and motorist. However, until recently ‘car‐city’ Coventry had a reputation for being somewhat conventional when it came to the design of streets. All that has changed with the decision to remove traffic lights from the area inside the ring road and in particular with the design of the new junction where Cox Street meets Jordan Well, Whitefriars Street and Gosford Street. The diagonal box across the junction is deliberately intended to unnerve both motorists and pedestrian so that they slow down, make eye contact and negotiate priorities. And anyone who has stood awhile and observed will see that it certainly seems to be working. One word of caution, just as they say you cannot jump a chasm in two steps, and that you cannot be half pregnant, similarly you cannot have semi‐shared space. We have seen this at Millennium Place where insistence on putting rows of planters to create a ‘virtual guardrail’ has encouraged buses to go faster and make that ‘shared space’ crossing more dangerous. It was therefore somewhat worrying to hear Cabinet Member Lindsley Harvard say: “These junctions are based on shared space principles, but are not shared spaces as such. They remain roads, and we will closely monitor how both pedestrians and motorists use them.” The Coventry Society would have liked to see the whole area within the ring road become a pedestrian priority zone, where cars have to give way to people, but for now we applaud this great leap forward for street design in the city. David Tittle Coventry Society 123 Upper Spon Street, Coventry CV1 3BQ Tel: 07855 113973 Email: campaigns@coventrysociety.org.uk
More news and views on our website: www.coventrysociety.org.uk
Do you know where this mural is? Thousands of people in emigrated to Britain and took up a new life which included Coventry would have been within a few metres of it and not converting to Christianity and painting murals in churches known. However, if you have listened to recent coverage on around the country. As far as we know, the one at St. Mark’s is BBC Coventry and Warwickshire Radio or read the Coventry the only one in the Midlands. Feibusch died in 1998 at the age of 99 years. Telegraph account, you will know it is located in St. Mark’s Church near to the Swanswell Pool. Worship at St Mark’s, a Grade 2 Listed building, ceased in 1972 The mural is now recognised as being of international and the church was for many years used as the Outpatients importance. It was painted in 1963 by Hans Feibusch a German department of the Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital. Jew who had to leave Germany in the 1930s when his paintings When the church was converted for hospital use, the mural was were described by Joseph Goebbels as “degenerate”. Most of retained in a small chapel at the end of the building. The his work was destroyed by the Third Reich and Feibusch sanctuary was only occasionally used and normally locked away from the many visitors using the building. The existence of the mural was brought back to the attention of the city by Coventry Society member John Payne. John says: “I was told about the mural by a local resident when Area Co‐ordinator for Hillfields in the 1990s. I never got the chance to visit it then, but was reminded about the mural when I saw another work by Feibusch at an art exhibition this summer. I didn’t know if the mural still existed but thought it would be good to find out. I approached the Coventry Diocese and they were kind enough to give me entry to the church. What I saw astounded me and I realised straightaway that this is an important find for Coventry.” John took some photos and put them online, but no one could guess where they were from. Even people who had used the Outpatients Dept didn’t know. BBC Coventry and Warwickshire Radio picked up the baton and asked Dr. Jenny Alexander of Warwick University for an opinion. She said that the mural was of international importance and confirmed it was an important find for Coventry. Coventry Diocese has asked its Divine Inspiration Team to look at ways of getting the mural open for public viewing and the Coventry Society has offered its support with this. You can see John’s photos on the BBC Coventry and Warwickshire Radio website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk‐england‐coventry‐ warwickshire‐15855938 and more about the mural at http://www.divine‐inspiration.org.uk/ The mural: by Hans Feibusch, now recognised as being of international importance
David’s latest
Coventry Society member David Fry and colleague Albert Smith, both members of the Heart of England Postcard Club, have published their latest The Divine Inspiration project is run by book in their series "The Coventry We Have Lost". Coventry Diocese and is committed to This publication highlights the history of the opening up Anglican Churches throughout suburbs of Earlsdon and Chapelfields. Coventry and Warwickshire for heritage, While previous works concentrated on historic education, culture and leisure purposes. postcards, the current book includes new It is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and research about these two suburbs with many Project Worker Helen McGowan can be historic maps and photographs. The book contacted at the Diocese Office at Hill Top recounts the history of both suburbs from first on 024 7653 1346 plans through to recent years and is a fascinating or E mail helen.mcgowan@divine‐ account of an important part of Coventry's inspiration.org.uk history. The book is published by Simanda Press in You can find out more about the project on Berkeswell and retails for £8.95 but Coventry its website at http://www.divine‐ Society members are offered a discount if the inspiration.org.uk/ book is purchased at society meetings.
Divine Inspiration