Twin Towers, Wembley
Twin Towers | |
---|---|
ferro-concrete | |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Sir Robert McAlpine |
Known for | Wembley Stadium |
The Twin Towers were part of the original Wembley Stadium in London, England. They were constructed in 1923 on the site of Watkin's Tower in Wembley, and came to be recognised as one of the iconic symbols of English football in general and of Wembley Stadium in particular. They became grade II listed buildings in 1976. They were demolished in 2003 to make way for the new Wembley Stadium.
Construction
The towers were designed by
The towers continued to remain a part of Wembley Stadium and they became a distinctive symbol of Wembley, framing the approach to the stadium from Wembley Park tube station to the north. They were world-famous as the landmark symbols of Wembley Stadium.[3]
The Twin Towers were granted Grade II listed status in 1976.[4] As they were originally built as temporary structures, and were "treated to resemble masonry", several alterations were required over the years to preserve the Twin Towers.[4]
Demolition
In 1994, there were rumours that Wembley Stadium would be redeveloped to build a new English
The Twin Towers were the last structure of Wembley to be demolished. Preliminary demolition work started in December 2002 with the concrete crowns being removed from the top of the flagpoles.[11] The towers were demolished in 2003 by a large Liebherr 974 crawler excavator referred to as "Goliath" and nicknamed "Alan the Shearer", made in Germany specifically for the task.[12] The original foundations of Watkin's Tower were rediscovered during the demolition.[13] The top of one of the towers was moved to be installed as a memorial at St Raphael's Estate, Neasden,[14] and the "iconic" tower flagpoles are now located at the late Sir William McAlpine's Fawley Hill estate.[15]
References
- ^ a b "Wembley Stadium – Old and New" (PDF). Brent London Borough Council. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ^ Paul Hirst (19 October 2013). "Scotsman who saved Wembley from being demolished". The Scotsman. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ^ "Final whistle for Wembley's towers". BBC News. 7 February 2003. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ^ a b "Olympic stadiums and Cultural heritage: on the nature and status of heritage values in large sport facilities" (PDF). University of Liège. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ^ "LAC Paper 1999" (PDF). Historic England. 30 July 1999. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ^ Guy Hodgson/Andrew Yates (13 March 1998). "FA infuriated by Arsenal's bid for Wembley". The Independent. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ^ "Twin towers facing demolition". BBC News. 11 November 1998. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ^ "Reprieve for Wembley's towers". BBC News. 11 November 1998. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ^ "Twin towers 'have to go'". BBC News. 7 December 1998. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ^ "Goodbye, twin towers". The Guardian. 29 July 1999. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ^ "Wembley twin towers' crowns removed". The Daily Telegraph. 6 December 2002. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ^ "Wembley falls to German giant". Construction News. 13 February 2003. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
- ^ Tim de Lisle (14 March 2006). "Tim de Lisle on the past and present of Wembley stadium". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ^ "Wembley Stadium architectural salvage to be auctioned by the Brooking Trust". SalvoNEWS. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ^ "The Honourable Sir William McAlpine Bt 1936 – 2018". SalvoNEWS. Retrieved 2 July 2018.