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American Express Building Demolition.



Jack Straw

I look nothing like him!
Jul 7, 2003
6,847
Brighton. NOT KEMPTOWN!

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whitelion

New member
Dec 16, 2003
12,828
Southwick
I'm surprised that it wasn't demolished with explosives.

Used to work in their bar back in the eighties.
 












whitelion

New member
Dec 16, 2003
12,828
Southwick
Iconic building, should not have been demolished.

I'm sure I've read somewhere that a conservation group tried to save it.

It was the Regency Society

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news...ition_of__Brighton_s_best_post_war_building_/

THE DEMOLITION of “Brighton’s best post-war building” is unjustified and wasteful, a leading conservation group has claimed.

A temporary fence was built up around the old Amex House in Eastern Road, Brighton, to signal the start of interior demolition work on the site with exterior work set to begin this summer.

The Regency Society has objected to the levelling of the iconic Wedding Cake offices and warned that its replacement could be an unworthy successor.

American Express said the demolition of the building, which opened in 1977 at a cost of up to £15 million, was required as part of the planning permission for the construction of the firm’s state-of-the-art HQ next door.


Under the 2009 s106 agreement for the new offices, demolition must begin on The Wedding Cake within six years of the start of construction of the new Amex offices which began in 2010.

The financial services giant launched a tender process for the sale of the Amex House site at the start of the year as part of redevelopment plans.

Under the City Plan, it is proposed the Edward Street Quarter would add up to 20,000 square metres of “high quality” office space, a minimum of 65 homes and cafes and restaurants.

A planning brief for the Edward Street Quarter, published in February 13, put the limit of any future buildings at seven storeys.

The Regency Society said they were unimpressed with initial proposals for The Wedding Cake’s replacement because it offers less employment space, supplies just 65 units of housing and its proposed green spaces would be “drab and unpleasant” in the shadow of tall buildings around them.

A society spokeswoman said The Wedding Cake’s demolition would be an “extravagant waste of environmental resources” considering the 45,000 tons of concrete and 4,000 tons of steel that went into its construction and 100,000 tonnes of chalk that had to be excavated for its foundations.

She added: “Our position has always been that there is no justification for its demolition.


“It is, arguably, Brighton’s best post-war building and offers a splash of style in Edward Street’s jumble of mediocrity.

“No reason has been offered for its demolition other than the original section 106 agreement.

An American Express spokeswoman said: “To meet timeframes required by the s106 agreement, American Express can confirm it has entered into a contract for the site clearance and subsequent demolition of Amex House.

“Work on the interior has commenced. Exterior works are expected to commence early summer this year.”
 






pearl

Well-known member
May 3, 2016
12,714
Behind My Eyes
When did it start being demolished as I was at Sussex County recently and it looked to be still being used. They are always saying they need student accommodation could it not have been converted from offices to bedrooms in a hostel for student?

think it's been empty over a year at least
 




5mins-from-amex

New member
Sep 1, 2011
1,547
coldean

In my opinion yes, look at the way people viewed art deco buildings from the 1920s and 1930s in the not to distant past. many were either demolished or fell into rack and ruin only to be miss years down the line.

Much like the buildings from the 60s that are now revered at the Sussex university, I view the amex building the same way.
 




whitelion

New member
Dec 16, 2003
12,828
Southwick
When did it start being demolished as I was at Sussex County recently and it looked to be still being used. They are always saying they need student accommodation could it not have been converted from offices to bedrooms in a hostel for student?

See my post above yours - it was part of the original agreement to demolish it.
 


BensGrandad

New member
Jul 13, 2003
72,015
Haywards Heath
See my post above yours - it was part of the original agreement to demolish it.

I didnt see that when I posted but have read it now and it seems complete waste of a useful building Are the council or its members employees of the demolition company or builders as it seems a ridiculous decision to insist on demolition.
 


Lincoln Imp

Well-known member
Feb 2, 2009
5,964
All in the eye I suppose. The only good thing about it for me is that it is more interestingly revolting than most of the other drab excuses demeaning the city centre. The City Library in Jubilee Street shows how it should be done but even that only happened after people complained about the original proposals (which included 'wave' references along its facade, as on Kings West). Keep-it-simple should be the architects' motto, as the wedding cake's harmless replacement shows.
 




Giraffe

VERY part time moderator
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patreon
Aug 8, 2005
26,456
What is going there instead? Another set of apartments?
 


CHAPPERS

DISCO SPENG
Jul 5, 2003
44,757
New buildings are good, old buildings are bad. Bet that place wasn't exactly energy efficient.
 


Jack Straw

I look nothing like him!
Jul 7, 2003
6,847
Brighton. NOT KEMPTOWN!

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