Colwyn Bay Waterfront Redevelopment

[stewbow]

I find it so sad that so many people pathetically gripe about this construction. I didn't take a good look at it until it was finished, and I have to say I am very impressed
You sad moning oil codgers will never be able to appreciate it because you have lodged your opinions too early and will not be able to stomachs the thought of being wrong.
The restaurant will be open in three months, I certainly will give it a chance, you lot will probably be looking for lipstick on the champagne glasses.
So please, if you have a misserable face, stay away from the place because lots of people are having a great time there.
Face upto the fact that the Victorian Era was over a century ago!!!!!!!!!  Out with old , in with the new

Stuart

[Yorkie]

I find it so sad that so many people pathetically gripe about this construction. I didn't take a good look at it until it was finished, and I have to say I am very impressed
You sad moning oil codgers will never be able to appreciate it because you have lodged your opinions too early and will not be able to stomachs the thought of being wrong.
The restaurant will be open in three months, I certainly will give it a chance, you lot will probably be looking for lipstick on the champagne glasses.
So please, if you have a misserable face, stay away from the place because lots of people are having a great time there.
Face upto the fact that the Victorian Era was over a century ago!!!!!!!!!  Out with old , in with the new

Stuart

On this Forum everyone is entitled to their opinion, even you!   We are not all old codgers, we are people with many years of experience in various industries and professions, but mainly we have passed through the University of Life and gained our Honours!

I will certainly visit the Restauant, and I will certainly be checking for the cleanliness, the quality of the food and service and that will include the drinking vessels be they galss or pottery.

I think there is one point you should take on board - if it were not for people criticising or complaining about products or services, standards would decline - maybe that is your preference, certainly not mine!

If you enjoy the experience, that's fine, some people set their sights above basic and accordingly may call for improvements.
 ZXZ

[Merddin Emrys]

Interesting to have the other point of view, but I'm not old, just retired early! I've had a good look around it several times inside and out and I stand by my totally valid opinions of it. It was an opportunity to build a stunning modern building and it has failed badly in so many ways. Those of us who are local council tax payers are entitled to complain about it just as you are free to praise it. I would be delighted to be proved wrong on it, the beach and sea wall are great, lots of tourists enjoying the sea and sand, shame they cannot yet enjoy a cafe! I never drink champagne by the way, you will have to check for lipstick yourself! Yes I and others love the Victorian architecture but as this was a new build and not replacing a Victorian building then it was a great opportunity to impress us, sadly it has not!

[DaveR]

I find it so sad that so many people pathetically gripe about this construction.

Nearly as bad as you pathetically griping about people pathetically griping, eh? 

[Merddin Emrys]

 L0L

[Yorkie]

 

[Ian]

I find it so sad that so many people pathetically gripe about this construction.

Does that include Architects?  And a little more courtesy in future wouldn't come amiss. And you could improve your grasp on English.

[BMD]

I find it so sad that so many people pathetically gripe about this construction. [...] You sad moning oil codgers...
Stuart

If only it were merely "gripes from old codgers", Stuart. Sadly it goes well beyond that. There are some serious and quite legitimate public grievances when £5m is spent on a building which appears to be a disastrous bargain-basement version of what was originally planned. Anyone who looks back over this forum thread at all the useful links and references (and valid points made, photographic comparisons, etc) will see why this building has provoked so many negative responses - culminating in (amonst other things) a nomination for the 2013 Carbuncle Cup and a full-page Daily Post article titled "Is this the ugliest building in the UK?"

Those who claim to be impressed by the design seem to be in a small minority, and I wonder how informed they are about the "development" of the design from the glass-clad, ambitious competition-winning entry to the zinc-walled compromise that we've been left with?


Daily Post, 27/6/2013

[Fester]

I am a moning (moaning?) old codger.   I routinely like to moan about everything.

In fact I have decided to moan about the new building without even seeing it.   

Stuart, I assume that you are the architect?  Or the CCBC planning official who allowed it to be built?

Whichever it is, it would explain an awful lot.

[stewbow]

The Eiffel Tower and The New Wembley Stadium, two examples of structures that were hated on completion but are now seen as treasures.

Modern day architecture has probably always caused mass discussion and resentment.

The rebuild of the pier next door was probably condemned in 1933 and now we want £5 million to restore it??

Let's face it, it ain't going nowhere, I'm not the designer or a councillor, but I'm more p****d off about our roadside trees being mutilated each year.

AS for the tabloid newspapers?     tomorrow's chip paper!!!!!!!!   oh no, sorry, there are H&S issues about that now     

[DaveR]

Personally, I'm not against modern architecture, as long as it's done properly. The HQ Building in Chester is one of my favourites, for example:


Chester HQ Building by [davidrobertsphotography], on Flickr

The problem with Porth Eirias is that the original design (which was ok) has been watered down due to cost cutting and is now a pale shadow of the intended design. It's just a mess - a building with a confused sense of purpose. Why take up so much of the interior space with offices? Why have a large reception desk - who is being received there? Why is the restaurant not even close to opening two years after it was advertised as being available to lease? Why are all the plants in the landscaping dying already?

When £5m of OUR money gets spent, I think we are entitled to hold the Council to account. The people are the masters, after all. 

[stewbow]

Dave, the reception desk will be the serving counter with the kitchen behind it.

It has been illegal to start work on the restaurant and the shops due to permission being applied for because of the crown land issue.

[DaveR]

Dave, the reception desk will be the serving counter with the kitchen behind it.

It has been illegal to start work on the restaurant and the shops due to permission being applied for because of the crown land issue.

No, I mean the large circular reception desk in the middle of the building, not the serving hatch in the wall.

I think you're missing the point slightly. Construction started on Porth Eirias over 3 years ago. Why was permission from Crown Estates not applied for back then? The point is that those of us who work in the private sector cannot afford to get away with such incompetence, yet we are all apparently supposed to just shrug our shoulders as yet more of our money gets wasted. How much money has been lost this Summer because of the facilities not being ready? 

Have you done any work on this building, btw?

[Yorkie]

One point that gets my goat, is that locals are not allowed to park on the upper level, especially at weeks ends, as two men from CCBC reserve the parking area for cars with trailers.  Yet last Sunday, even with the brilliant weather, it had plenty of spare parking spaces that no one was allowed to use.  Contacted the Harbour Meister but, quite frankly, he is just on the side of the water-sport fraternity!

The previous HM was just the same, only interested in his own sporting interests.     

[stewbow]

So now it's a bad place because there is no reserved parking for locals only on hot days places,

I know the feeling, it's a struggle to oark in LLandudno today because if all the God Damn Holiday Makers.

No Dave, I didn't work in the project, I first went in a couple of weeks ago and was pleasantly supprised, I'm sure the minor problems will soon be ironed out.

As for  government money being wasted, well I'm afraid it's the way of the world. health and safety gobbles up most of it