Continuity of character -new buildings in Crown Square (bottom)
Quality in materials -The
Commercial Union building in Mosley Street
T h e r e a r e some v e r y straightforward and simple warehouse buildings of considerable strength and dignity together with a considerable amount of work that is of no architectural value whatsoever. T h e emphasis has been on individual buildings and the lack of any substantial a r e a s of continuous o r coherent architectural treatment r e m o v e s inhibitions in the design of new work and a t the s a m e time emphasises the need for a m o r e unified c h a r a c t e r when renewal takes place. 44. T h e City Architect who i s responsible f o r advising on the architectural t r e a t m e n t of buildings, in general h a s encouraged the u s e of mono -chromatic materials, self cleaning where possible and this is a l r e a d y leading to a m o r e recognisable relationship amongst the buildings most recently constructed. Where a continuity of architectural c h a r a c t e r and the u s e of s i m i l a r m a t e r i a l s within an a r e a i s accepted a s a self -imposed objective by a r c h i t e c t s , the r e s u l t s tend to speak for themselves; successful exarnples of this approach may b e seen in the Civic A r e a and in the m o r e r e c e n t development of the Institute of Science and Technology. T h e r e a r e few r u l e s which c a n be e x p r e s s e d in sufficiently finite t e r m s to r e a l l y help the designer without imposing undue r e s t r i c t i o n s on his freedom, and sensitivity i s required in the selection of finishes which a r e in sympathy with neighbouring buildings and the c h a r a c t e r of the surrounding a r e a .
45. In the new situation where pedestrian r o u t e s will f o r m an integral p a r t of development, it is n e c e s s a r y to pay m o r e attention to paving treatments, the choice of s t r e e t furniture and artificial lighting s o that t h e r e will be a m o r e complete relationsl-tip between public and private w o r k s . It is also d e s i r a b l e that new development should b e CO -0rdinated wherever possible with general iuzprovements in environment, including the introduction of traffic f r e e a r e a s , s o that the rllaxirnuill benefit rnay be derived from new building in transfortrling the image of the City
46. Lighting, in particular, a s s u m e s