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The Centre Cumbernauld

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31: 355: 988: 47: 1343: 54: 342:, it housed shops, a hotel, ice rink, bowling alley, health centre and penthouse apartments, as well as police, fire and ambulance stations. There was also a library and technical college. Historian Rosemary Wakeman called it a "colossal living vessel" intended to "elicit new codes of community behavior." According to an 315:
was first coined in 1964. Regarded at the time as a "milestone in urban design," the centre would be surrounded by high-density housing without shops or other amenities, with each neighbourhood connected to the structure by pathways so that residents could easily walk there. Architectural critic Wolf
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and into new towns to solve the city's overcrowding. Construction of its town centre began under contractors Duncan Logan, chief architect Leslie Hugh Wilson and architect Geoffrey Copcutt (until 1962 and 1963), and later Dudley Roberts Leaker, Philip Aitken and Neil Dadge.
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purchased the site in 1988 and maintained the "Red Balloon Cafe" that was widely implemented in Gateway stores. In the mid-70s the Golden Eagle Hotel closed and was later demolished after a vehicle crashed into the building. Phase 4 was completed in 1981.
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Leonardo da Vinci, nearly five hundred years ago, envisioned a city where all the vehicles move underground, leaving man to move freely in the sun. Leonardo might also have sketched Cumbernauld's town center, a soaring citadel surrounded by
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The structure was purchased by a shopping management group in 1996 when Cumbernauld Development Corporation was wound up. Phase 3 was demolished in 1996 and in 2001 the rear outdoor section of phase 1 was demolished. The new
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By 1971 the town centre contained the largest supermarket in Scotland and work on phase 2 had begun. The Corporation sought the building of a department store, completed in 1975 as phase 3. It was built for
480: 228:—to be a town centre consisting of "one huge multi-storey building," according to its preliminary planning report, housing shops, apartments, a hotel, ice rink, police station and other amenities. 346:
website, it was a "strange tribute to a moment when it was thought that old cities, with their narrow streets, haphazard layout, and confused, illogical centres were a thing of the past."
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In March 2022, North Lanarkshire Council announced that they had reached a deal with the building's owners to purchase and demolish it in the future; eight months later,
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and would have met their special interest criteria, but the decision had been taken not to list it due to the advanced stage of the redevelopment plans.
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was built on those sites in 2006. The centre, with 350,000 square feet (33,000 m) of retail space, was opened on 6 June 2007 by Princess Anne.
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The facility has been subject to harsh criticism over the years. It was voted "Britain's most hated building" in 2005, in a poll organised by
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style, to accommodate a town of 50,000–80,000 people, although architecture historian John R. Gold notes that the term
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he centre is topped by a rather unsightly block... Cumbernauld residents dubbed the 'Alien's Head', in homage to ET.
660: 279: 225: 400: 283: 584:"The making of a megastructure: architectural modernism, town planning and Cumbernauld’s central area, 1955-75" 1264: 964: 948: 384: 405: 1050: 1292: 1231: 1165: 265: 1188: 1121: 497: 354: 1116: 1060: 1287: 1155: 686: 1259: 623: 308: 252: 862: 842: 822: 802: 770: 611: 514: 1065: 867: 847: 827: 807: 775: 1409: 447: 318: 264:
as the "Alien's Head", due to local people observing a resemblance to fictional character
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Leslie Hugh Wilson, Dudley Roberts Leaker Geoffrey Copcutt, Philip Aitken, Neil Dadge
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In March 2022, North Lanarkshire Council announced plans to demolish the building.
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Phase 1 lasted from 1963 to 1967. The idea was to create a megastructure, in the
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The Practice of Modernism: Modern Architects and Urban Transformation, 1954–1972
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Phase 1 was completed between 1963 and 1967, and the centre was opened by
1308: 656: 481:"Town centre, Cumbernauld New Town: close-up of the megastructure facade" 367:
with two levels of underground parking, and was sold to Gateway in 1986.
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was designated as a new town in December 1955, part of a plan, under the
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Practicing Utopia: An Intellectual History of the New Town Movement
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confirmed that the centre had been nominated and assessed for
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in May 1967. It was expanded in 2007 by the addition of the
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Wolf von Eckardt, "The Case for Building 350 New Towns,"
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Carbuncle-nauld". 590:, 21, April 2006 (109–131), 121–122. 891:, Open University, 26 November 2001. 712: 349: 687:"The heroic failure of Cumbernauld" 639:Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser 467: 177:Cumbernauld Development Corporation 13: 1425:Brutalist architecture in Scotland 875: 851:. 17 April 1962. pp. 236–237. 563:"Cumbernauld tops demolition poll" 14: 1436: 973: 1341: 961:Cumbernauld Town Centre decision 871:. 11 November 1966. p. 846. 831:. 2 July 1948. pp. 299–300. 779:. 13 December 1955. p. 746. 685:Kalder, Daniel (28 March 2022). 661:"What's it called? Cumbernauld!" 280:Megastructure (planning concept) 52: 45: 29: 1400:1967 establishments in Scotland 954: 938: 929: 916: 903: 894: 855: 835: 815: 795: 783: 763: 706: 678: 649: 629: 432: 423: 401:DoCoMoMo Key Scottish Monuments 284:New towns in the United Kingdom 617: 600: 536: 520: 1: 1265:East Kilbride Shopping Centre 965:Historic Environment Scotland 949:Historic Environment Scotland 744:David Leask (10 March 2022). 713:Moss, Chris (13 April 2022). 565:. BBC News. 11 December 2005. 461: 385:Historic Environment Scotland 358:Cumbernauld town centre, 2006 1415:Shopping centres in Scotland 406:List of brutalist structures 35:The Centre Cumbernauld, 2023 7: 1051:The Academy Shopping Centre 394: 10: 1441: 1293:Livingston Designer Outlet 1232:Motherwell Shopping Centre 1166:The Mercat Shopping Centre 811:. 9 May 1947. p. 189. 277: 273: 1337: 1301: 1278: 1255:New Cross Shopping Centre 1245: 1217: 1189:The Forge Shopping Centre 1174: 1146: 1097: 1074: 1035: 889:"Cumbernauld Town Centre" 596:10.1080/02665430600555255 186: 181: 173: 165: 160: 152: 144: 139: 131: 123: 115: 107: 99: 85: 74: 69: 40: 28: 23: 1319:Eastgate Shopping Centre 626:, BBC News, 25 May 2012. 533:(Glasgow), 12 July 2016. 416: 127:Belgate Estates, Glasgow 61:Location within Scotland 1156:Kingdom Shopping Centre 206:Cumbernauld town centre 161:Design and construction 1260:Regent Shopping Centre 1237:The Centre Cumbernauld 359: 329: 202:The Centre Cumbernauld 24:The Centre Cumbernauld 868:The Edinburgh Gazette 848:The Edinburgh Gazette 828:The Edinburgh Gazette 808:The Edinburgh Gazette 776:The Edinburgh Gazette 588:Planning Perspectives 438:Other new towns were 357: 324: 316:von Eckardt wrote in 191:.thecentrecumbernauld 1376:55.94683°N 3.99042°W 1117:Gyle Shopping Centre 665:Murder is Everywhere 642:. 21 November 2001. 108:Construction started 1372: /  1348:Scotland portal 659:(6 December 2013). 610:, Routledge, 2007, 75:Architectural style 70:General information 1381:55.94683; -3.99042 1324:Sterling Furniture 1184:Buchanan Galleries 967:, 23 November 2022 935:Wakeman 2016, 272. 909:Rosemary Wakeman, 517:, Belgate Estates. 360: 293:New Towns Act 1946 1355: 1354: 1204:Silverburn Centre 1056:Bon Accord Centre 924:Harper's Magazine 350:Later development 332:Princess Margaret 297:9 & 10 Geo. 6 233:Princess Margaret 210:commercial centre 199: 198: 166:Architecture firm 140:Technical details 1432: 1387: 1386: 1384: 1383: 1382: 1377: 1373: 1370: 1369: 1368: 1365: 1346: 1345: 1344: 1209:St. Enoch Centre 1161:Kingsgate Centre 1133:St James Quarter 1127:St. James Centre 1025:Shopping centres 1018: 1011: 1004: 995: 994: 990: 985: 984: 982:Official website 968: 958: 952: 942: 936: 933: 927: 920: 914: 907: 901: 898: 892: 886: 873: 872: 859: 853: 852: 839: 833: 832: 819: 813: 812: 799: 793: 787: 781: 780: 767: 761: 760: 758: 756: 741: 732: 731: 729: 727: 710: 704: 703: 701: 699: 682: 676: 675: 673: 671: 653: 647: 646: 633: 627: 621: 615: 604: 598: 580: 567: 566: 559: 550: 547:Cumbernauld News 540: 534: 524: 518: 512: 501: 500:, British Pathé. 495: 484: 478: 455: 436: 430: 427: 340:dual carriageway 258:Carbuncle Awards 195: 192: 190: 56: 55: 49: 33: 21: 20: 1440: 1439: 1435: 1434: 1433: 1431: 1430: 1429: 1390: 1389: 1380: 1378: 1374: 1371: 1366: 1363: 1361: 1359: 1358: 1356: 1351: 1342: 1340: 1333: 1329:Thistles Centre 1297: 1274: 1241: 1227:Antonine Centre 1213: 1170: 1142: 1138:Waverley Market 1093: 1089:Wellgate Centre 1084:Overgate Centre 1070: 1045:Aberdeen Market 1031: 1022: 980: 979: 976: 971: 959: 955: 943: 939: 934: 930: 921: 917: 908: 904: 900:Gold 2007, 172. 899: 895: 887: 876: 860: 856: 840: 836: 820: 816: 800: 796: 788: 784: 768: 764: 754: 752: 742: 735: 725: 723: 711: 707: 697: 695: 683: 679: 669: 667: 654: 650: 635: 634: 630: 622: 618: 605: 601: 581: 570: 561: 560: 553: 549:, 28 July 2016. 541: 537: 525: 521: 513: 504: 496: 487: 479: 468: 464: 459: 458: 437: 433: 428: 424: 419: 397: 378:Antonine Centre 352: 344:Open University 286: 276: 241:Antonine Centre 187: 174:Main contractor 100:Current tenants 65: 64: 63: 62: 59: 58: 57: 36: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1438: 1428: 1427: 1422: 1417: 1412: 1407: 1402: 1353: 1352: 1338: 1335: 1334: 1332: 1331: 1326: 1321: 1316: 1311: 1305: 1303: 1299: 1298: 1296: 1295: 1290: 1284: 1282: 1276: 1275: 1273: 1272: 1270:Kingsgate (EK) 1267: 1262: 1257: 1251: 1249: 1247:S. Lanarkshire 1243: 1242: 1240: 1239: 1234: 1229: 1223: 1221: 1219:N. Lanarkshire 1215: 1214: 1212: 1211: 1206: 1201: 1199:Princes Square 1196: 1191: 1186: 1180: 1178: 1172: 1171: 1169: 1168: 1163: 1158: 1152: 1150: 1144: 1143: 1141: 1140: 1135: 1130: 1124: 1122:Ocean Terminal 1119: 1114: 1109: 1103: 1101: 1095: 1094: 1092: 1091: 1086: 1080: 1078: 1072: 1071: 1069: 1068: 1063: 1061:Trinity Centre 1058: 1053: 1048: 1041: 1039: 1033: 1032: 1021: 1020: 1013: 1006: 998: 992: 991: 975: 974:External links 972: 970: 969: 953: 937: 928: 915: 902: 893: 874: 854: 834: 814: 794: 782: 762: 750:HeraldScotland 733: 705: 677: 648: 628: 616: 606:John R. Gold, 599: 582:John R. 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Retrieved 664: 651: 643: 637: 631: 619: 607: 602: 587: 546: 538: 530: 522: 434: 425: 382: 374: 361: 336:Lord Snowden 330: 325: 317: 312: 306: 287: 269: 251: 245: 237:Lord Snowdon 230: 205: 201: 200: 18: 1410:Cumbernauld 1379: / 1309:Ayr Central 863:"No. 18509" 843:"No. 18025" 823:"No. 16556" 803:"No. 16436" 771:"No. 17351" 657:Caro Ramsay 624:Cumbernauld 450:(1962) and 289:Cumbernauld 262:Caro Ramsay 218:Cumbernauld 145:Floor count 119:25 May 1967 90:Cumbernauld 1394:Categories 1364:55°56′49″N 1288:The Centre 670:9 February 462:References 448:Livingston 444:Glenrothes 278:See also: 253:Demolition 204:(formerly 153:Floor area 103:75 tenants 81:(formerly) 1367:3°59′26″W 1302:Elsewhere 1099:Edinburgh 790:Gold 2006 322:in 1965: 309:brutalist 248:Channel 4 208:) is the 79:Brutalism 1314:Braehead 1129:(closed) 1047:(closed) 1037:Aberdeen 1029:Scotland 755:10 March 726:15 April 698:15 April 446:(1948), 442:(1947), 395:See also 327:meadow." 319:Harper's 222:Scotland 214:new town 132:Landlord 94:Scotland 86:Location 1176:Glasgow 454:(1966). 301:Glasgow 274:History 212:of the 182:Website 1076:Dundee 692:UnHerd 452:Irvine 365:Woolco 116:Opened 429:See: 417:Notes 148:Eight 124:Owner 1148:Fife 757:2022 728:2022 700:2022 672:2014 369:Asda 334:and 282:and 266:E.T. 235:and 193:.com 111:1963 1027:in 612:173 592:doi 216:of 189:www 1396:: 963:, 947:, 877:^ 865:. 845:. 825:. 805:. 773:. 748:. 736:^ 717:. 689:. 663:. 586:, 571:^ 554:^ 545:, 529:, 505:^ 488:^ 469:^ 220:, 92:, 1017:e 1010:t 1003:v 792:. 759:. 730:. 702:. 674:. 614:. 594:: 295:(

Index

photograph
map
Brutalism
Cumbernauld
Scotland
www.thecentrecumbernauld.com
commercial centre
new town
Cumbernauld
Scotland
megastructure
Princess Margaret
Lord Snowdon
Antonine Centre
Channel 4
Demolition
Carbuncle Awards
Caro Ramsay
E.T.
Megastructure (planning concept)
New towns in the United Kingdom
Cumbernauld
New Towns Act 1946
9 & 10 Geo. 6
Glasgow
brutalist
Harper's
Princess Margaret
Lord Snowden
dual carriageway

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