Abbey Foregate Shrewsbury SY2 6LY
The foundation stone for the new building was laid by Sir Offley Wakeman, a former chairman of the county council, on 25 July 1964. It was designed by Ralph Crowe, the County Architect, in the Modernist style, built at a cost of £1.8 million and was completed in April 1966.
It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, on 17 March 1967.
The design for the six-storey building facing Abbey Foregate involved continuous bands of glazing with concrete panels above and below: it also included an unusual ovoid-shaped council chamber which jutted out to the south-west of the main building.
Pevsner described the building as – the major monument to post-war modernism in the county.
Shropshire Council initially backed a scheme drawn up by HLM Architects in 2017 to revamp Shirehall to provide modern working facilities as well as commercial opportunities. However this plan has not progressed and the local authority has said that making the building fit for purpose would require ‘a multi-million pound investment’.
in September 2020, the council indicated that it would rather sell the building and move to the town centre. Then in October 2020, following an application for a certificate of immunity from listing requested by the county council, English Heritage decided not to list County Hall as the building did not meet the criteria for listing post-1945 buildings.
In May 2021 the Twentieth Century Society placed the site on its Top 10 Buildings at Risk List.
The Shrewsbury Civic Society is fighting hard to prevent the demolition.
There is nothing else quite like it in the county, this is an excellent civic building, well-made and individual.
Owen Hatherley: Modern Buildings in Britain: A Gazetteer
I have previously visited Durham where the County Hall is also under threat, and Newcastle, where the Civic Centre seems to have a real future.
This what I saw on my recent visit to the site.
Modern Mooch 
I live near this thing. Its ugly and few would miss it. If it gets knocked down money could be raised by issuing raffle tickets to operate the demo charges. If its not knocked down Poplar trees should be planted around it to obscure it and provied some relief from the visual blight.
LikeLike
Personal taste is a matter of personal taste, carbon debt however, is a matter of carbon debt, and the ecological impact of demolishing buildings is immense. Better to repurpose and avoid accelerating climate change ever further and faster. Planting trees is always a good idea.
LikeLike
If this building represents Shropshire and its memory, is demolition a kind of cultural dementia? Demolition of heritage and identity doesn’t seem optimal. The carbon issue remains too, Shropshire Council have clear targets and I think it is likely that putting more money into the private sector via demolition and rebuilding is perhaps a higher priority for our struggling economy than addressing climate change, although I doubt anyone would admit to this?
LikeLike
It would seem that the costs of operating/modernising the building are high enough that the council want rid of it and no viable comercial operator wants it. I would rather not have my council tax paying for maintaining an empty building. Apparently some of the art installations have merit, if so move them somewhere the public can see them like the SM&AG . If the council cuts their losses by demolishing it then I’d be happier. Building houses/shops on the site might recover the cost of demolition. Perhaps expand the carpark there and run a shuttle bus from it to the town centre.
LikeLike
“is likely that putting more money into the private sector via demolition and rebuilding is perhaps a higher priority for our struggling economy than addressing climate change, although I doubt anyone would admit to this?”
I’ll admit it, I applaud it. I have no doubt the climate is changing, but i reckon efforts efforts to slow it down will be as effective as the flies squashed on my windscreen were at slowing my car. Might as well try to make ourselves rich enough that we can afford to mitigate some of climate changes effects. I think if you asked people honestly to show where they would put environmental concern on Maslows hierarchy of needs it would be rather high. Too high in fact to make it posible in our political system to consistantly win elections on a platform that placed long term concern for the environment over short medum term material needs and wants.
LikeLike
Everything counts in small amounts – climate change is a global issue and whilst short term wealth may ease the problems which Shropshire faces for some folks, the wider world may turn up on your doorstep as a consequence, along with food shortages, mass movement of peoples, civil unrest etc. The creative repurposing of existing buildings should be a priority, regardless of aesthetics. Drive slower anon, avoid flies – or better still walk cycle and use public transport.
LikeLike