Member Article

'Ugly' walls come tumbling down

The demolition of one of the country’s ugliest buildings will be completed next month. Westgate House in Newcastle’s Grainger Town has regularly been voted among the most unattractive buildings in the UK. The final stage of demolition is now ready to begin with the removal of the first floor “arch” over Westgate Road, currently shrouded in scaffolding.

John Holmes, Director of Regeneration and Tourism at One Northeast, who led the demolition campaign, said: “The removal of Westgate House is a major success story in the continuing regeneration of Newcastle. It has been a blight on Grainger Town – the historic heart of the city and, like everyone, One NorthEast is delighted to see it removed.

“The demolition has been an extremely sensitive process due to its close proximity to surrounding buildings Westgate House could not be brought down with controlled explosions so has had to be removed piece by piece from the top down. This was obviously more time consuming but delays on surrounding roads have been kept to a minimum and the building has been enclosed in scaffolding to minimise noise and sound pollution. “The removal of this building means the architectural delights of Collingwood Street and the Union Rooms are there for all to see.

Westgate House was completed around 1972 and was the home for various Government agencies until the last occupants, the Citizens Advice Bureau, moved out from the ground floor six years ago. It has stood empty since and was recently identified in a national poll organised by Channel 4 as one of the most ugly and hated buildings in the country.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .