The Portsmouth Society - News
| News | Portsmouth Point | |
| Earlier news | There have been two applications in recent months to redevelop the Wightlink site at Portsmouth Point by Acanthus Mann architects. RIBA President Elect George Ferguson and Portsmouth trained Roger Goodliff came to present his designs for a Bristol developer who originally came from North End to members of the Society, but we had to tell him that we were very disappointed. He said his aim was to do much better than poorly detailed Gunwharf, but his design is fussy and unimpressive: the blocks on the Point have two pointless features which need to be unified to respond to the corner block on Gunwharf. The most annoying feature is a meaningless gap in the line of Broad Street three houses wide, which is said to be a response to the planning brief and a demand by people opposite for a view. Not to knit together the lost east side of Broad Street seems thoroughly reprehensible. The terraces of houses are rather dull and there are no buildings along the waterfront, just cars. It just doesn't work, overall or in detail. We hope the Development Control committee will insist on something better for a marvellous site, of the presence of the newish housing scheme on the water approach to Venice. Celia Clark |