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We are engaged in a last minute battle to save the Tricorn. The council's official view is that its demolition is an essential first step in their plan to revitalise the northern part of the city centre. Rodney Gordon, the original architect who designed it in partnership with Owen Luder, has been in touch with the City Centre North developers and ascertained from them what their requirements are from a new building.
He maintains that he can give them everything they want while retaining the essential features of the existing building and extending it; and he would save them the estimated £2 million cost of demolition and save the city the terrible disruption which demolition must entail. Key features would be reclad in stainless steel.
The Tricorn would be extended on the north side to include the new museum building which the city wants, eastwards to link with Commercial Road and provide an uninterrupted shopping street, and show a shopping front to Market Way.
A particular advantage of reusing the existing building is that shops which would occupy the ground floor could be serviced from above from the first floor which used to house the wholesale vegetable market and which is strong enough to take heavy servicing lorries. This would save the space which the developers - in their scheme are having to devote to internal access servicing.
We realise and so does he that we have an uphill struggle to get him listened to. All three political parties have announced the importance for them of getting the Tricorn down. It is of course a matter of image. The building has suffered from a relentless battering in the News as an eyesore and a load of elephant droppings.
On the other side what we fear is what the developers are likely to propose - the same as everywhere else, a scaled down Southampton West Quay. One thing that an enlarged Tricorn will not be is the same as everywhere else! Mr Gordon will be explaining his ideas to us at our November meeting - Wednesday November 5.
RJ