Chav Pav. Aka Pavilion in the Park, Newbury

I beg you dear readers to go to the library before close of business Saturday and lodge your views and comments, view the model and read the blurb. Register you opinion.

For the benefit of the Architect who designed the "Chav Pav" for Victoria park, I suggested he visit the memorial wooden structure in Grosvenor Square, the 9/11 structure, which is neo classical and covered in flowers and plants. It is a place where young people sit and read, write poetry or strum the guitar. The place has an amazing vibe.

Apparently he believes that young people are put off by classical architecture.

A pavilion to me is a classical structure, it is not large and overwhelming or uber modern.

But DESPITE my objections to the design my main concern is that there should not be any taking away of green space, no building in the park.

He agreed with me that the new cinema was ugly. Really. As if his design was going to blend in with anything other than the BT building. And his pavilion is HUGE. What is with the wide screen? Do that many Royal Opera/Ballet /Proms lovers live in Newbury? I think not. It will be used to screen football and rugby to the beer swilling louts on the lawn. Perhaps for the occasional movie. And what big stars come to Newbury that need to be screened out doors?

But if we want a big screen for outdoor use, lets get one for the Corn Exchange, and have them use it as and when they need it. Put tables and chairs outside in the Market Square, like a Piazza and serve drinks at the tables and sit out doors in the square, how civilised. There is also no muddy grass!

We moved to Newbury because it was an historic market town. We wanted country life, a quiet life. We go to the West End or Covent Garden when we want Opera and Ballet.The point of the Proms is to be there,not watch it second hand. Dear Critics I have to tell you Opera and Ballet do not translate to the small stage.Or the big screen.

I thought the regeneration of the Wharf was meant to renovate and enhance the historic area, the museum, etc. The new bridge over the canal is hideous enough.

And what about the gallery in the old Museum building, it has just closed. As did the one before it.

People come to visit Newbury for the history.

Newbury is a market town, not a city.

The performance area/rehearsal space could be lodged in any number of vacant buildings in Newbury.

The Park is a Park. Let's keep it that way.

Definition from Wikipedia of Pavillion. (For the Architect's info, as he seems somewhat misguided). Although I do apologise for pissing on his dream and his life's work, (I know how that feels), it is simply not the right building for the location.

Free-standing structure

Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in its intended use. A pavilion built to take advantage of a view is referred to as a gazebo.

Such pavilions may be small garden outbuildings, similar to a summerhouse or a kiosk. These were particularly popular in the 18th century and can be equated to the Italian casina, usually rendered in English "casino". These often resembled small classical temples and follies. A poolhouse by a swimming pool may have sufficient character and charm to be called a pavilion. By contrast, a free-standing pavilion can also be a far larger building such as the Royal Pavilion at Brighton, which is in fact a large oriental style palace; however, like its smaller namesakes, the common factor is that it was built for pleasure and relaxation.

A sports pavilion is usually a building adjacent to a sports ground used for changing clothes and often partaking of refreshments. Often it has a verandah to provide protection from the sun for spectators. The term pavilion is also used in stadia, especially baseball parks, to distinguish a typically single-decked, covered seating area from the more expensive seating area of the main grandstand and the less expensive seating area of the uncovered bleachers.

[edit]Classical architecture

In its other main significance, in a symmetrical range of buildings in the classical styles, where there is a main central block—the corps de logis—the wings may end in pavilions that are emphasized in some fashion, in order to provide a full stop to the composition, like a period at the end of a sentence.

In the Place des Vosges, Paris (1605–12), twin pavilions mark the centers of the north and south sides of the square (illustration, left). They are named the Pavillon du Roi and the Pavillon de la Reine though no royal personage ever lived in the square. With their triple archways, they function like gatehouses that give access to the privileged space of the square. French gatehouses had been built in the form of such pavilions in the preceding century.

In the country, a Pavilion is an architectural place used for hunting. The "Pavillon de Galon" in Luberon (France) is a typical 18th century hunting aristocratic pavilion. The pavilion located on the place of an old Roman Villa includes some gardens "à la française" which was used by the guests for receptions.