Queensgate Market: it’s another Acropolis says student ... and he’s Greek!

Jul 23 2008 by Andrew Baldwin, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Huddersfield’s Queensgate Market Hall stands comparison to the Parthenon in Athens says a Greek student of interior design ... who believes it could become a major tourist attraction. ANDREW BALDWIN reports

VISITORS have marvelled for years at the artistry and majesty of the famous Parthenon in Athens.

The 5th century BC temple is a magnificent symbol of classical Greece and one of the world’s most recognised landmarks.

Have we got something to rival it in Huddersfield?

Gregory Lazarou believes so; and he’s Greek.

What has won his admiration is the town’s Queensgate Market, with its dramatic interior and acclaimed ceramic sculpture.

“I was so astonished by its beauty,” he says.

Gregory came to Huddersfield to study the building for his third-year project as an interior design student at Kingston University in London.

He describes himself as incredibly lucky when he found the market through a website devoted to buildings at risk.

Awe is the word he uses about his first sight of the building.

He came to believe that the market, library and town hall could be promoted as a remarkable “cultural triangle’’ which would form a major tourism attraction.

Gregory says: “As a Greek, and an Athenian, I assert that Queensgate Market is another Acropolis in its own right.

“And one wouldn’t think of taking down one-third of the Parthenon in order to make shops.

“Huddersfield is just two-and-a-half hours away from the international train station of King’s Cross/St Pancras.

“I can foresee architecture students, teachers, architects, artists and visitors from over the world getting that train.

“Supporting this is the example of Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, a not so well known city in Spain, that people fly all over the world to visit.”

Powerful stuff and some might claim it’s over-egging it.

But the comments have been seized on by people fighting to save the market from massive changes.

Kirklees Council’s suggested £200m Queensgate Revival scheme would result in the building being butchered, say campaigners.

More than a third of the listed market hall would be demolished to make way for a shopping mall.

Opponents say the market would be pushed upstairs on to an unsuitable first floor site above new shops in changes that would carve up the noted mushroom-like roof structures, called hyperbolic paraboloid shells.

Gregory says: “When I saw the drawings of the Queensgate Revival planning application I had a feeling that in both inception and design the designers and architects failed to show a clear understanding of the market building’s significance.

“I am not convinced that a thorough investigation of the building, its remarkable history and meaning for the local people has been made.

“Therefore the final proposal does not seem to take advantage of the building’s remarkable features.”

The 1970 building was listed grade II in August, 2005, and was awarded a Concrete Society certificate of excellence for a mature structure last November.

Gregory adds: “The proposed scheme could be found anywhere. It is not designed for this building, this town or this area. Frankly, that is quite frightening.”

His words have been welcomed by Huddersfield Gem, which says Queensgate Market is a spectacular combination of architecture, engineering and art.

Christ Marsden, the group’s co-ordinator, says: “All the stakeholders should look for regeneration proposals that celebrate and make best use of this unique and beautiful structure.”

He says that, architecturally, the Queensgate Revival proposals are unsatisfying, with no attempt to consider the potential redesign of the public space in order to improve the setting of the Town Hall.

The Queensgate project covers the market hall, multi-storey car park and the former Co-op store and adjoining buildings on New Street and the car park behind them at Alfred Street.

It proposes a new market hall, new library, art gallery and information centre, a three-storey department store and other shops.

Also planned are a 100-bed hotel, flats, bars and restaurants and up to 900 parking spaces.

A proposal for a new library, with the old one being kept for commercial and leisure purposes, dooms the listed library to unsympathetic use, says Huddersfield Gem.

On the huge scheme as a whole Mr Marsden says: “Everything is pared down to the lowest common denominator, shopping.”

Planning permission has yet to be granted, and the arguments could run and run.