Man who oversaw construction of Wolverhampton landmark joins fight to stop it being demolished
The man who oversaw the construction of one of Wolverhampton's most familiar landmarks has joined a campaign to stop it being demolished.
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Brian Jones was chief engineer at Wilson Lovatt during the construction of Wolverhampton School of Art during the late 1960s.
He said he was 'horrified' when he read that Wolverhampton University was planning to demolish the Brutalist nine-storey building, saying it was surplus to requirements following a review of its campuses. And he warned that demolition would take up to two years and cost millions of pounds because of its location and robust design.
Announcing a shake-up of the univeristy's estates, vice-chancellor Ebrahim Adia also announced last month that its Telford campus would close next year, while the sports centre in Deanery Place, Wolverhampton, will also shut to make way for a new medical school.
But the plans to demolish the School of Art, officially opened in January 1970 by celebrated former student Sir Charles Wheeler, have sparked a backlash from admirers of its unusual design, with more than 6,000 people signing a petition to save it.
