📞 Good news in the neighbourhood: The brutalist Hayes North Telephone Exchange has been added to the London Borough of Hillingdon’s local list, recognising it as a building of architectural and historical significance. Designed 1964-68 and constructed in 1970-72, the exchange is an exemplar of public building works by the Property Services Agency (PSA: successor to the Ministry of Public Building and Works) and Gray Associates. It’s notable for the involvement of George Reginald Yeats, senior PSA architect, who is best known as the senior architect for the BT Tower (1961-65). The complex massing and unashamed sculptural pre-cast concrete also echoes the works of Kenzo Tange, Kisho Kurokawa and the Japanese Metabolism movement. Following a six-week public consultation by the London Borough of Hillingdon earlier in the year, an overwhelming 68% of respondents supported the inclusion. The council’s Cabinet requested further investigation into the buildings redevelopment potential if it was added to the list and after completing a review, it was formally approved last month. C20 Society enthusiastically supported the local listing and believes the building would be well suited to future conversion and adaptive reuse. Image © Orlando Britain (Insta: @exploring_urban_wastelands) (fb)

🌿 NEWS: We're thrilled that The Garden of Cosmic Speculation in Dumfries has become a designated landscape, following assessment by Historic Environment Scotland and support from C20 Society. Developed gradually between 1988 and 2012, the garden is a work of outstanding artistic importance by the internationally renowned landscape designer and theorist of postmodernism Charles Jencks (1936–2019), in collaboration with his wife Maggie Keswick Jencks (1941-95) and members of their close family. The designation is the latest to arise from the pioneering Designed Landscapes of the Recent Past project. Led by Historic Environment Scotland and running from 2021-25, it sought to identify, record and champion Scotland’s modern garden and designed landscape heritage; ensuring sites dating from 1945 to the early 21st century are better understood, valued and protected. After receiving public nominations for sites to consider through an online survey, a selection of gardens and designed landscapes was prioritised for assessment. Those designated or amended on the National Record of the Historic Environment as a result of the project include: Crawick Multiverse,(Charles Jencks, 2011-17) - the first 21st century designation of any description in the UK; Glenwhan Gardens (Tessa Knott-Sinclair, 1979 - present day), Piper Alpha Memorial Garden (Sue Jane Taylor, 1990-91) and Little Sparta (Ian Hamilton Finlay, 1966-2006). Please note that The Garden of Cosmic Speculation is private and only accessible on an annual open days as part of Scotland's Garden Scheme, check for details: https://scotlandsgardens.org/portrack-news/ Images © Jencks Foundation and The Garden of Cosmic Speculation (fb)