A concrete vision of progress

David Peach sees Newcastle’s monumental Manors car park as a symbol of 1960s optimism

The Manors car park in Newcastle upon Tyne is a striking example of brutalist architecture. It was the first multi-storey car park built in the city and formed part of the 1963 Central East Motorway Plan.

This structure makes a strong statement about visionary architecture and bold plans. Newcastle’s motorway plan was imagined by the town planner Sir Wilfred Burns, who headed a newly created department in the city that sought to increase economic prosperity by catering for the growing needs of car users.

The car park’s unusual curved design creates a sense of motion. Its shape was dictated by the rail line on one side and the new motorway that swept in front and beneath.

To the right is a sweeping elevated walkway that soars over the motorway into the city centre. The walkway is now a thoroughfare for students at the new Northumbria University buildings to the east of the city, uniting the priorities of the past with the needs of a modern city.

The car park still forms a key part of the city’s infrastructure at a time when we are reimagining our relationship with both cars and cities.

It is interesting to note in the picture that the office building is barely lit even though it is about 6pm in the evening. It suggests our cities will still have some adapting to do post-COVID.

The brutalist style was developed in the UK in the 1950s and showcases the “bare bones” of the structure and the raw materials, typically a pre-dominance of poured concrete. The style fell out of favour in the 1970s and now divides opinion. But as a style that marked the confidence of a nation, brutalism still has a big story to tell.

David Peach is MD of Workflow Dynamics and business development director of The Parking Shop. He is also a creative photographer with an interest in urban landscapes.
www.davidpeachphotography.com
Instagram @davidpeachphotography