Byker Wall

The Byker Wall is the name given to a long unbroken block of 620 maisonettes in the Byker district of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The block was designed by the notable architect Ralph Erskine assisted by Vernon Gracie, and was built in the mid-1970s. Its Functionalist Romantic styling with textured, complex facades, colourful brick, wood and plastic panels, attention to context and relatively low-rise construction represented a major break with the Brutalist high-rise architectural orthodoxy of the time. [Egelius, Mats (1980) "Byker redevelopment, Byker area of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, 1969-82;architect: Ralph Erskine". Global architecture 1980, n.55, whole issue]

The Byker Wall was infamous as the home of "Ratboy" a juvenile delinquent who hid in its heating shafts when running from police during the 1990s. [cite web |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19970402/ai_n14116602 |date=1997-04-02 |title=Court traps 'Ratboy' after six-year crime spree |work=The Independent |accessdate=2007-05-13]

Its innovative and visionary design has earned it many awards notably the Civic Trust Award, the Eternit Award, the Ambrose Congreve Award for Housing (in 1980) and the Veronica Rudge Green Prize for Urban Design from Harvard University. The Wall has also been placed on UNESCO's list of outstanding twentieth century buildings.

In 2003 the UK Department of Culture, Media and Sport announced a proposal to award the Byker Estate, of which the Wall forms a part, a Grade II listed rating as an example of outstanding architecture. In 2007 the Estate became a grade II* listed building (grade two star).

The whole estate is currently being refurbished by [http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/yhn_home Your Homes Newcastle] , the social housing arm of Newcastle City Council. The work is being undertaken by [http://www.mansell.plc.uk Mansell] , a division of Balfour Beatty. The work involves careful reinstatement of original features and colour schemes, using modernised materials where possible, while retaining the look and feel of the 1970s design scheme. For example, a new coloured aluminium window frame has been designed to allow for improved security and insulation, without compromising the visual impact of the buildings.

References

ee also

*Karl-Marx-Hof, Vienna, Austria - The longest single residential building in the world.
*Prora, Rügen, Germany
*Park Hill, Sheffield, UK
*Falowiec, Gdansk, Poland
*Nonoalco-Tlatelolco, Mexico City, Mexico

External links

* [http://www.tim.jones7.freeuk.com/bykwall/index.htm Tim Pickford-Jones' Gallery of the Wall and Byker estate]
* [http://www.geocities.com/kaysgeography/byker.htm Kay's Geography guide to the Byker estate including current issues and photos]