Concrete carbuncles or a bold vision for the future? Shropshire's 1960s era public buildings standing at a crossroads

Is it a cold, ugly block of concrete - or a bold and ambitious vision for what might have once been the future of Britain's civic buildings?

The quaint, chocolate box heritage-feel of Shrewsbury's wooden-framed Tudor buildings is a justifiable source of pride for many in Shropshire, and doubtless an attraction for tourists from across the UK.

But it's our modern structures that are now presenting the county with its biggest architectural identity crisis, and as the post-war constructions of the 1960s and 1970s begin to creak and groan, new uses must be found for some of them while others will disappear under the developers' wrecking ball.

Many of these buildings were designed and built at a cross-roads for modern Britain, when the country was hopeful and forward looking, and eager to shed some of the emotional baggage of the early 20th century. 

Built in an era when architects were trying to do things differently, using modern materials and techniques to change the way we lived and worked, characterised by its rejection of ornamentation, favouring function over form, clean lines and simplicity over decoration and aesthetics.

Modernism and its use of cheaper pre-cast concrete and steel was embraced across the world - notably by the former Soviet block countries - but the designs and their remnants have remained controversial in the UK.

And while the county of Shropshire may not be known as a hotspot for groundbreaking modern building design, it has not been immune to the challenges presented by repurposing some of these old, often unloved structures as they near the end of their initial useful life.

No modernist building in the county has caused more soul-searching than the former administrative base for Shropshire Council, Shirehall.

Built in 1964 under the watchful eye of county architect Ralph Crowe for a cost of £1.8 million, the futuristic Shirehall replaced an Italianate 19th century former Shirehall in the middle of Shrewsbury, after the county council decided the older building no longer met its needs.

The "new" Shirehall is often derided as a classic 1960s concrete carbuncle (the council chamber is, in fact, clad in Portland stone), but Crowe's design included some extremely thoughtful details.

The beautiful, curved chamber sits proudly in front of the main administrative building to denote its priority over the administration, while the building's numerous courtyards were intended to encourage collaborative working between teams who could meet in the middle of their respective departments to share ideas.