Civic Centre's rise and demise

PLYMOUTH LANDMARK HAS HAD TURBULENT HISTORY BUT SEEMS SET FOR NEW DAWN

- SARAH ELMES DANIEL CLARK

THE Civic Centre, once a symbol of Plymouth’s post-war development, has seen many changes over the years. The 14-storey building was a crucial part of the city’s reconstruction, born from the ruins of the Blitz.

Now it could be set to come back to life, having been an empty shell for more than a decade. The Grade II-listed building is set to be turned into a City College Plymouth campus, as well as accommodation.

Decades of neglect, both of the tower block and its surroundings, have severely compromised its attractiveness and its impact. So, this is the story of the Civic Centre.

THE BEGINNING

Six months after the centre of Plymouth was destroyed, the city council decided in September 1941 that a redevelopment plan should be made. By June 1950, a location was chosen and a study was done to determine how much office space was needed. Contracts were signed in 1957, with construction beginning in August 1958.

The neighbouring Council House began construction in November 1959. Guildhall Square was designed by the renowned landscape gardener, Geoffrey Jellicoe, who, as a member of the Royal Fine Art Commission, had approved city architect Hector Stirling’s original design for the Civic Centre.

Stirling originally designed the Civic Centre to be a glass-clad structure. However, Jellicoe and Allan Ballantyne revised his designs, using panels with Devon granite aggregate and Delabole slate ‘to give it a more local context.’.

Despite the changes, the Civic Centre was the first major building in Britain to showcase a predominantly glass facade. It was also the tallest building in the city at the time. To mark its significance, Queen Elizabeth II officially opened it on July 26, 1962.