Proposals for the Harris Museum and Art Gallery have been branded as ‘barbarism’ by Private Eye.
AdvertisementA major lottery bid is due for the Harris and plans show how a new entrance could be created at the front of the grade-I listed building.
The Eye’s ‘Nooks and Corners’ column takes aim a Preston City Council’s proposals and says the James Hibbert-designed building would be ‘trivialised and mutilated’.
It accuses the city council of ‘pretentious, bogus populism’ and urges Historic England to say no ‘gratuitous brutality’.
Nooks and Corners is also deeply unhappy about the upcoming Martin Creed exhibition which will see a neon sign stating Everything Is Going To Be Alright beaming down into the Flag Market.
The Harris plans, part of the Re-imagining the Harris Project headed up by Jon Finch, would cost around £15m.
Read more: What Prestonians said on seeing the new Harris plans
A joint statement from the city council and Lancashire County Council about the plans said: “Of course, as one of Preston’s most important, historic and listed buildings we have to be sensitive to the architecture and history. But time and time again, people have been telling us they want to see the Harris open up and talk about the huge success of the Harris Flights a few years ago.
“Now with this major bid for lottery funding we have the chance to be bold and ambitious in a way we’ve never been able to before. It’s time to seize the moment and unlock the true potential of the Harris for this and future generations to come.”
Read more: Jon Finch quizzed on the Harris plans
Here’s how Preston voted on a poll about the Harris plans
It is understood further proposals for the Harris are due to be outlined before Christmas.
What do you think of Private Eye’s comments? What are your feelings regarding the Harris? Let us know in the comments below