Merrion Centre – Leeds
Construction: 1964
Architect: Gillinson, Barnett & Partners
First opened in 1964, the Merrion Centre recently celebrated its 50th birthday. The photos are of the large office block that rises above the complex. Not a huge amount has changed since the opening, but one of the most obvious things is the shocking plastic cladding which can be seen intruding in the bottom right of the first photo. I just don’t know what people are trying to achieve with plastic cladding of this kind. It ruins the original vision of the building, but surely it isn’t fooling anyone into thinking that this isn’t a huge brutalist beast. While vast concrete blocks aren’t to everyone’s taste, vast concrete blocks with plastic panels stuck to them aren’t to anyone’s taste. Anyway, here’s a charming story about the opening of the centre from the Yorkshire Post:
Brutalist Constructions 