STONEBOW House's resurrection nears completion with the opening of a new Co-Op store fronting on to Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate.
Our photo from the Press archives today takes us back 57 years to 1964 with the opening of Stonebow House - some nine years after the laying on the new Stonebow link road through York.
The stark Sixties building proved controversial from the start.
The Guardian labelled it as “hideous” and in 1965 Ian Nairn in the Observer referred to the building as “sheer visual misery to the passer-by”.
However, the building has had a modern refit, repurposing it for 21st century life.
The £17m redevelopment scheme has seen Stonebow House stripped back to its core and remodelled to include 13 apartments, four duplex penthouses and 31,500 sq. ft of retail and leisure space including Supersonic Gym and Café.
All accommodation is fully occupied.
The Co-op has become the latest tenant for the revitalised development, with the opening of its new 4,000 sq. ft store at the base.
The name of the street comes from an old medieval street on the same site, called Le Stainbowe or Stonebow Lane.
Stonebow itself was opened on October 14, 1955. It was part of a slum clearance programme and featured many new buildings, many made of concrete, which struck an off note with many who sought to preserve York's historic character.
Love it or hate it? What do you think of Stonebow House? Share your views by joining our lively nostalgia page on Facebook, Why We Love York - Memories. Click here to join in today!
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