| A Brief History of the Tricorn Shopping
Centre 1964 - March 2nd, work starts on the new Tricorn centre, called the ‘Casbah’. The site is leased for 99 years. 1964 - September - The Tricorn wins an architectural design award. 1966 - May 19th - The first stage opens. The Lord Mayor says “it looks horrible from the outside”. 1966 - December - Users of the new wholesale market in the Tricorn complain about conditions in the building. 1967 - The Tricorn wins the Civic Trust Award for its “exciting visual composition.” 1968 - 50 shops remain empty. The building wins an award as the 4th ugliest in Britain. 1978 - Cascades centre is planned to include refurbishing or demolishing the Tricorn. Designers say it is going to be hard to refurbish and expensive to knock down. 1995 - January - Demolition plans are finally announced for the Tricorn - £20m replacement planned. 1995 - October - Only 3 shops remain in the Tricorn. 1997 - April - Original date of demolition. 1997 - July - The Tricorn Festival is suppressed, but Proles for Modernism and FreeArt Collective stage the Commercial Road ‘Working’ to protect the Tricorn. 1997 - Oct - Demolition delayed again. 1998 - January - Demolition delayed once more. 1999 - January - Demolition delayed yet again (oh dear). 2000 - April - Proles for Modernism reinforce their psychic devices with appropriate upgrades. 2001 - August - The Tricorn is voted 'Britain's most hated building' by listeners of BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 28.83% of listeners who expressed an opinion disliked the Tricorn the most. Heathrow Airport was 2nd (25.7%) and Buckingham Palace 3rd (17.62%). The best-loved building was Durham Cathedral (51% of the pro vote). One result of this poll was the creation of an instant ley line between the Tricorn and Durham cathedral which are, in reality, two aspects of one building. There are many ancient churches and car parks on this line, thus proving it to be of prehistoric provenance. 2001 - September - The Tricorn still stands prettily! |
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