Bath interchange reverts to glass

It's nothing like as good as the building it is to replace, Churchill House, for which the people of Bath have been campaigning to retain It isn't that people in Bath struggle with modern architecture - it's the fact they know banality when they see it, don't go along with every fad (this time glass) in architecture, and also the fact this will fit in with its surroundings like the proverbial sore thumb. Add to this the awful design for the Dyson Academy which makes a mockery of the recent listing of the Newark Works - Wilkinson Eyre's legacy to Bath will be not a be a great one.

Yes once again, it's steel and glass for Bath! .As one of the members of the Save Churchill House campaign, I have been closely involved with this issue. I was at the meeting held by the developers at which all interested parties were told, "You're getting the 'Busometer' with no alterations" even though this design has a hat on. The alternative (if you can believe it ) was worse - it resembled an Atlantic Wall flak tower! This is what amounts to a kit Bus Station, available from "Termini R Us". If you want a building which says 'Welcome to Bath' this is not it. The only building in this area of any worth they are, at present, turning to dust. It makes no sense to pull down an ugly modern shopping centre and replace it with a neo-classical design and across the road pull down a building of neo-classical design and replace it with a ugly modern architecture. A new design award called "Bad Taste of Bath" should be introduced.

I reaaly think it was a mistake to grant this building planning permission. I don't think It's not very nice at all and I'm a yound trainee architect.

The Urban Regeneration Panel is wrong to assume that people in Bath struggle with modern architecture. What they object to is faddish tat. Bath has many ages of architecture, from a few remaining medieval buildings, the Georgian legacy, the Victorian additions, the Edwardian suburbs, some splendid inter-war additions, up to Crest Nicholson's splendid Horstmann Court which was completed last year. What these have in common is a sense of classical proportion even though their detailing reflects the age in which they were built. It is the completeness of this use of classical proportion that led to Bath being granted World Heritage status, and views down the Georgian streets at Wilkinson Eyre's fripperies will destroy the atmosphere that has taken centuries to create. I can only assume that anyone who thinks such dramatically bad taste should be build right opposite a brand new classical proportioned shopping centre needs a guide dog! Thank goodness it is not going to be built to last.

Get real! Why has anyone got to make a statement? It's a bus station! Since when did anyone else make the bus station in their city a statement! I doubt the aptly named BURP (although they've dropped the "Bath" now that they've realised the acronym) will use it.. They think they're doing us all a massive favour. Is anyone in their right mind going to park the Rolls and get on the bus? . Look at your niche market - school kids, students, elderly people, jaykie bams (ask people from Edinburgh what this means), chavs and other poor devils lower down the food chain without a car. Are they really caring about your "statement"? No - it's just a way of getting from A to B. You'll be that worried about whether the bus is going to turn up without worrying about the architecture. "Transport interchange". What other transport is there? I don't see any ships, planes, flying saucers, etc so that narrows it down to the train. How many people get off the train and then get on the bus? "Transport interchange" - it's a bus station! I've only just seen the plans for the stone clad one that they kept under wraps - looks a lot better. In fact, so much better, that people mistakenly thought from the plans it was Churchill House. So they sneaked that one past us and now we've got to live with the 'Busometer'. Well done lads! Wise up from now on though, we're on to you!

On the same note, I could never forgive myself if I didn't nominate this monstrosity for the "Carbuncle Cup" when the last bolt goes in! Watch this space!

I wonder why there is so much desire to have glass buildings: they're hot, the seagulls in the area will love it, vandals, too, will enjoy breaking it...(see Bath Spa buidling....). I suppose it's too late now, but I really do think building design in Bath requires more empathy than is currently on offer.

Here we go again - a vain architect intent on self glorification, bowled over by the fashion for metal and glass structures, regardless of the city in which his design will be placed. Why should we have this horrible and dominating bus station foisted on us? A beautiful building using classical proportions and an ecologically sound and locally available material - Bath stone - could so easily have been designed instead.