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'Trinity Centre Multi-Storey Car Park' is an iconic concrete structure in Gateshead, north-east England. Designed by Owen Luder, it is a prime example of Brutalist architecture. The structure has a prominent role in the 1971 film ''Get Carter'', so is often referred to informally as the "Get Carter Car Park".

Contents

Description

Depiction in ''Get Carter''

Decline

Demolition Plans

Description

The car park was designed in 1962, when Brutalism was regarded as the cutting edge of architecture, but by the time that it opened in 1969, interest in the movement had begun to decline. The building's raw concrete weathered poorly, and by the time ''Get Carter'' was filmed the following year, the car park had already become an emblem for decline.
The Multi-storey car park has seven tiers of parking decks. These are raised above the adjoining shopping centre by a "forest" of piloti columns. The decks on the north face have a slight curve creating a wave effect. There are two supporting towers containing stair access. Each level of car park is therefore uninterrupted, so that when viewed from a distance the sky is visible through the structure. A cafe unit in a contrasting box structure sits above the top tier of the car park connected to the access towers by an expressed glazed 'bridge' and an open walkway. The cafe has large windows providing views across the Tyne Valley.
The developer was E. Alec Colman Investments Ltd, who had also used Luder for their Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth, and construction was by the firm of Robert McAlpine. The Consulting Structural Engineer was Gordon Rose, Rose Associates. The car park was commissioned as part of the redevelopment of the established market square of Gateshead's town centre, and hence is also referred to as the Inner Market Car Park. However the landscaping ultimately created an exposed and unattractive shopping precinct on two levels with poor access. While construction of the car park was in progress subsidence was noticed due to mineworkings, but this was overcome. At the same time nearby Newcastle upon Tyne had begun the covered Eldon Square Shopping Centre and this further undermined the development. The roof top cafe failed to find a tenant and was never opened.

Depiction in ''Get Carter''

The car park is the location of several key scenes in ''Get Carter'' and is often seen in the distance. Corrupt local businessman Cliff Brumby (Bryan Mosley) gives Jack Carter (Michael Caine) a tour of the incomplete roof top cafe, stating that he is in the process of developing it into a restaurant. Carter later confronts Brumby at the same location.

Decline

With the development of the MetroCentre, commercial interest in Gateshead town centre continued to decline in the 1980s, and changes to the local transport infrastructure made the already-derelict car park largely redundant, and the upper levels were closed. During the 1980s and 1990s there were various proposals to redevelop the Car Park as a contemporary art gallery or events venue (and in 1983 Charlie Hooker and the Newcastle-based ''Basement Group'' organised ''Mainbeam - a ballet for vehicles'' there), but as the structure was regarded as a civic white elephant, these all met with local resistance. The building remains unlisted, and in the late 1990s Tesco acquired an interest in the site and have submitted proposals to clear the whole site and develop it as a hypermarket. However this proposal did not fit with Gateshead Council's aspirations. The building was featured in the Channel 4 series ''Demolition'' in 2005. At the same time general interest in the Car Park has increased, partly as a reflection of the recognition of ''Get Carter'' as a classic of British cinema, with Sylvester Stallone lending his not inconsiderable weight to the calls for it to be preserved as a cinematic landmark.

Demolition Plans

According to the Twentieth Century Society, planning permission to demolish the structure was initially given in the year 2000, but later expired. However, it looks like permission has once again been granted. On June 13, 2007, a joint press conference between Gateshead Council and the owners of the site, supermarket giant Tesco confirmed the demolition of the car park. If plans move at planned speed then the car park will be demolished in November 2007. Tesco will rebuild their current supermarket on the site and new public spaces and a cinema are amongst the plans for the redevelopment of Gateshead.
The upper floors of the building are deemed unsafe even for guided tours, so presumably restoration work would sooner or later be required to keep it standing in the long term, however it is now likely to be demolished like its sister building the Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth.