Brutalist architecture

http://darckr.com/photo?photoid=2940911958&width=1024&height=768&

Well, I'm sure it's not really the end of Brutalism, but this delightful staircase illustrates well the foibles of that architectural genre, don't you know. Lordy, that sounds all rather glam and fancy.

So... where is this delicious place as I'm sure you want to visit the disgarded cone, trolley and delicately positioned pile of rubbish above the second flight down.

Step forward Baynard House home to the Freaky Baby Sculpture Thing.

Designed by William Holford it is a classic example Brutalist architecture and was once described by George Ferguson of the Royal Institute of British Architects as "more akin to a car park than an office building" which illustrates how it's not exactly everyone's cup of tea. George disliked it so much that he wanted it included in the so-called "Grade X" listing of buildings which should be demolished.

Calm down dear!

The fact that he didn't want the beheamouth which is the Faraday Building opposite, which dwarfs St Pauls, demolished is curious to say the least as that building is the one which inspired the "no higher than three stories" legislation for buildings around the cathedral. Baynard House complies with this.

Anyway, the real claim to fame is that the building was home to the first System X telephone exchange which ran in tandem with an existing electro-mechanical exchange in the same building and switched between around 40 of London's telephone exchanges.

Revealed in 1979 in Geneva, System X went live on July 1st 1981 amid much fanfare which pretty much fell flat since the details had been known for two years already. A journalist of the time headlined the go-live with "System X is alive and Yellow" which was his lasting impression of the reveal - the yellow referring to the "off-custard" colour of the cabinets the equipment was in, which previously had been grey.

The building was also home to the defunct British Telecom Museum, which now only existing online here. More of that later, but I will reveal that this staircase leads up to the front door of the museum.

Personally I love Brutalist architecture and flick my bogey's at the like of George and Prince Charles when they openly rail against it. I love it as much as I love Victorian architecture, modern architecture and indeed any kind of design which stimulates the old brain and makes me think. The only architecture I don't like is the unispiring cookie-cutter designs of housing which is unfortunately in abundance across the UK.

So, as such, I like Baynard Castle and I'm particularly fond of the lighting which is hidden in the ceilings and casts a homely glow over the genteel decay.

Enjoy

Link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/another-partial-success/2940911958/