'It embodies hope and optimism': Shirehall fans visited town on day of a key announcement
A national group of modernists paid homage to Shrewsbury's Shirehall on the very day that the council announced the date its fate may be sealed, it has emerged.
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The Manchester-based Modernist Society says that the Shropshire Council headquarters 'embodies the hope and optimism of an age' and should be 'repurposed' instead of being demolished.
As it happens the group was visiting the town's 'finest modern buildings' last week on the very day that Shropshire Council put a date on when its plans for Shirehall will be revealed.
A sold-out walking tour lead by Stephen Marland of the Modernist Society dubbed the Shrewsbury Shuffle took in the town's former Granada Cinema, now a bingo hall, the Market Hall, designed by an award-winning architect as well as the Shirehall.
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Martina Chamberlain from Shrewsbury Civic Society, who joined the tour, said: “On a day that people have travelled across the country to see our Shirehall, the council has indicated the day the fate of the building may be sealed.
"I really hope these plans take account of its cultural significance for Shropshire, what it means to Salopians and many others, including bodies concerned about preserving high-quality modern architecture for the future."