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Architecture on 3
Best Loved Buildings
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Write a review of your best-loved building in Britain. We want to find out what qualities make buildings truly loved, rather than simply admired from a distance, so tell us about a building that you know really well – preferably inside out! Browse our gallery below to read about other listeners’ choices.

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Gallery
Maiden LaneFormer South of Scotland Central Technical College building
Maiden Lane, Camden, London
"..some of the maisonettes have double-height living rooms .."
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Former South of Scotland Technical College, Galashiels
".a symbol of all that was strong in the Scottish tweed industry.."
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Laban CentreTower Building, Water Street, Liverpool
Laban Centre for Movement and Dance
"..the Dance School I will shortly attend .."
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Tower Building, Water Street, Liverpool
"..I worked in this building for many years.."
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Broadway TowerSkating rink, Oxford
Broadway Tower
"..probably the greatest, most whimsical folly of all .."
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Ice Rink, Oxford
"..construction and details.."
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Radio City Tower LiverpoolFulwell Mill, Sunderland
Radio City Tower, Liverpool
"..it lights the city up like a giant disco ball.."
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Fulwell Mill, Sunderland
"..like a shard of Heaven gleaming in the dust.."
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Spitbank FortThe New Art Gallery, Walsall
Spitbank Fort
"It reminds me of an era when England really had power."
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New Art Gallery, Walsall
"Proves that regeneration can be kick-started by culture."
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Bexhill Pavilion. Photo: Andrew YaleWren Library, Cambridge
Bexhill Pavilion
"There's an air of faded dreams about it."
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Wren Library
"A structure that is more heavenly than earthly."
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Barber InstituteSainsbury Centre for Visual Arts
Barber Institute
"the scene of many musical discoveries for me"
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Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts
"An ambience of space and freedom, serenity and awe."
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Wycoller HallCue Building, Horniman Museum
Wycoller Hall
"An inspirational modern intervention."
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Horniman Museum
"I feel very proud to have been involved with this project"
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Paddington StationLawn Road flats
Paddington Station
"An example of how engineering and architecture are the same thing."
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Lawn Road flats
"I first heard about them on Swedish radio"
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Piece Hall, HalifaxCoventry University Lanchester Library
Piece Hall, Halifax
"Every time I walk through the gates I feel my spirits lift - even if it's raining"
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Coventry University Lanchester Library
"The towering ventilation shafts..cast the most extraordinary shadows"
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Marine Gate, BrightonCanary Wharf
Marine Gate, Brighton
"It even has portholes to add to the nautical feel"
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Canary Wharf
"The stainless steel is a wonderful reflector"
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Former national centre for popular music, SheffieldStatue of reconciliation, at Coventry Cathedral
Former national centre for popular music, Sheffield
"it is friendly and inviting"
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Coventry Cathedral
"It was built to establish bridges"
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The Tricorn, PortsmouthFounders
Tricorn
"It was once a great building, now sadly ridiculed"
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Founders Building Royal Holloway University of London
"Wonderful Gothic architecture, similar to a french chateau"
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Sheffield Millenium GalleriesSurrey House
Sheffield Winter Gardens and Millenium Galleries
"Neither building makes any assumptions as to what the visitor should do"
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Surrey House, Norwich
"my jaw dropped at the splendour of the marble interior"
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Winchester CathedralPortcullis House
Winchester Cathedral
"Clearly Winchester had it in for Norman architecture"
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Portcullis House
"My first response was one of outrage!"
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Beccles municipal water towerSenate House
Beccles Water Tower, Suffolk
"Although drab, I find its purity of form quite beautiful"
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Senate House, University College, London
"It is far more macho than most art deco buildings"
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The Midland Grand HotelThe Natural History Museum
The Midland Grand Hotel
"An icon that is stunning to look at."
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The Natural History Museum
"Such a magnificent space, but not overpowering."
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The Millennium DomeThe Walker Art Gallery
The Millennium Dome
"Buildings become memorable because they have made a visible profound statement."
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The Walker Art Gallery
"A great legacy which survived bombings and recession."
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St. Albans AbbeyCarreg Cennen Castle
St. Albans Abbey
"Its old brick structure means it has a Byzantine feel to it, crusaders brought back ideas from Constantinople. ."
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Carreg Cennen Castle
"The castles we could see from our windows represented a dreamscape."
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Listen Again
Listen to...Night Waves Debate: "This house believes that Prince Charles has been good for architecture"
(Broadcast 28/06/04)


Listen to...Night Waves Debate: The Value of Architecture (Broadcast 12/06/03)
Architecture Walks
submit your walk
find a walk
recommended walk
night waves walks

Best Loved Buildings
best loved buildings gallery
submit your building

Programme Archive
Browse the programme archive for interviews and features on architecture

Rising Stars
Night Waves profiles the potential Architectural talent of the future.
Elsewhere on BBCi
Visit our BBC Architecture links page to find other sites of architectural interest on BBCi
Elsewhere on the Web
Visit our 'Architecture on the Web'links page to find other sites of architectural interest on the internet


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