Things are getting ugly in Cumbernauld as residents call for Channel 4’s demolition men.
When RIBA and Channel 4 launched their search for the ugliest building in Britain – which they will demolish, on air, in the final episode of the series Demolition – they were expecting votes for 1960s tower blocks and other architectural eyesores. But before official voting had even begun, they received a nomination for an entire town – Cumbernauld, outside Glasgow.
A group of residents approached the programme makers en masse to demand that the town be flattened entirely, and build again from scratch. Built in 1956 to ease over-crowding in Glasgow, Cumbernauld was described in The Idler’s Book of Crap Towns as the place where “town-planning students visit to learn what not to do". While some regard its stark architecture as a classic example of its kind, others think it is simply a dump. Either way, it is unlikely that it will be flattened. In response to the call to raze a town to the ground for viewers’ pleasure, a Channel 4 spokesman said: “it’s a bit further than we want to go for the programme”.
Once all the nominations are received, a panel of experts will chose which building of the 10 shortlisted should be demolished. A new, sustainable building will then be constructed on the site.
To nominate a building, log on to www.channel4.com or call 0901 326 3200.
