EUROPE - BRITAIN : BIG CITY RENAISSANCE
by Bob Barton



A hundred years after Queen Victoria’s death, Britain’s cities are undergoing their biggest makeover since Victorian times.

The ornate civic buildings, superb museums and galleries that characterised the confidence of 19th century Britain are still to be seen. A stroll around many cities also reveals equally dramatic modern architecture: the transformation of derelict docks into stylish waterside developments; multi-million pound 'hands-on' visitor attractions; and imaginative dining and shopping centres.

Open-air works of art, wide piazzas and a vibrant café and bar culture complete the renaissance, giving these places a new, youthful – but distinctively British – feel.

In Manchester, for example, imposing Victorian buildings such as the Gothic Town Hall rub shoulders with an impressive range of modern restaurants, bars, and hedonistic quarters such as Canal Street – the most successful gay quarter outside London. The Lowry Centre, a new (April 2000) world-class art gallery and theatre--built of stainless steel and glass – rises beside the waters of the Manchester Ship Canal. Across the water is the Trafford Centre, an 'indoor city' containing 280 shops and eateries along three miles of boulevards.

Either side of Manchester are two cities which tell a similar story. To the west, Liverpool has transformed its Albert Docks into a concentration of museums, including the Tate Gallery of the North and the popular Beatles Story, shops, bars and restaurants. More are to be found in and around Mathew Street, with its reconstructed Cavern Club and other memories from the Beatles era.

Leeds, north-east of Manchester, has also developed its waterfront area, this time to house a magnificent collection of arms and armour, the Royal Armouries Museum - complete with jousting demonstrations - formerly at the Tower of London. The Victorian glass-domed Corn Exchange now contains a pleasing array of upmarket shops, while other shopping opportunities can be enjoyed in splendidly restored covered arcades.

Farther north, Newcastle upon Tyne – home of the friendly 'Geordies' – had as its main icon a collection of bridges spanning the River Tyne. Now this focal point has been upstaged: two years ago, a massive work of art, the Angel of the North, was unveiled. The female figure, with outstretched wings almost as wide as a Boeing 747, sits on a hill beside the A1 road at Gateshead. Outdoor modern art is as much a feature of today's cities as statues were in Victorian times.

Taking shape nearby, in a towering former flour-mill beside the River Tyne, is the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. It will open in September 2001 as one of the most ambitious visual arts projects in Europe.

Another city whose grand Victorian architecture was built as an expression of wealth and confidence is Glasgow in Scotland. It is renowned as home to Britain’s greatest concentration of Art Nouveau, thanks to the work of architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928). In June 1999 one of the original Mackintosh buildings reopened as The Lighthouse – Scotland’s centre for architecture, design and the city.

Another recent addition is the Gallery of Modern Art and the Glasgow Science Centre is a stunning new landmark. Dominated by its 100-metre tall tower giving amazing views over the city, it also boasts an IMAX theatre and titanium-clad exhibition gallery.

Not content with making changes here and there, Birmingham, the major city in the Heart of England, is undergoing a massive transformation. The unpopular 1970s Bull Ring development at its heart is being rebuilt as part of Europe’s largest city centre retail regeneration scheme. Other new shopping, dining and leisure developments are making attractive use of Birmingham’s extensive canal network. The best of the old will remain as the ‘new city’ rises up – including conservation of the 19th century Jewellery Quarter, a thriving manufacturing community where jewellers and other craftsmen still use traditional skills.

In Wales is Europe’s youngest capital city, Cardiff. A redevelopment of the former docks, now called Cardiff Bay – and the Millennium Stadium, opened in June 1999 in time for the Rugby World Cup, are examples of the city’s recent makeover. The Bay has museums, a cultural centre and Mermaid Quay – a £20 million complex of speciality shops and restaurants – nearing completion.

The St. David’s Hotel and Spa, and Hilton Cardiff, have both brought five-star luxury to town. Cardiff's mainly Victorian castle – inside, an ornate fantasy – stands in the centre of a city combining the best of old and new.

Across the border in England, the adjacent cities of Bristol and Bath also have new attractions. They are only 13 miles apart, and an easy ride for cyclists using the new National Cycle Network.

Bath, founded as a spa by the Romans and turned into today’s elegant city of crescents and squares in the 18th century, is creating a 21st century health spa in a sleek contemporary building. The Bath Spa Project opens in spring 2002.

Bristol, which built its wealth on its maritime trading, has turned its waterfront into an area of galleries, floating restaurants, bars, cafes and open-air art. In summer 2000 it opened @ Bristol on the harbourside. This three-in-one attraction comprises a hands-on science centre; another devoted to the natural world, including a walk-through ‘rainforest’ filled with birds and butterflies; and an IMAX theatre.

Belfast, in Northern Ireland, is emerging from its troubled past with a new confidence. There are big new hotel developments, a conference centre and new attractions with pride of place going to the multi-million pound Odyssey Project beside the River Lagan. It includes an arena hosting concerts, ice-skating, sports and exhibitions; and an interactive science centre.



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