Structures such as a rollercoaster, a Bauhaus department store, and a Brutalist football stand have been included in the most recent 'Endangered Buildings' survey.

Spotlighting Endangered Architecture

Get a peek at the latest Buildings at Risk List from the Twentieth Century Society (C20), an intriguing medley of Modernist gems, sports architecture from pre-Premier League football, and the pioneering designs of the Millennium.

Sunwin House department store, Bradford's contribution to the streets, boasts Bauhaus flair and dates back to 1936. Although empty for a staggering 14 years, it battles against 'creeping neglect.' C20, hoping Bradford's 2025 UK City of Culture status will ignite interest, maintains that the store inhabits much of its original interior detailing, including flamboyant Art Deco brass handrails.

Traveling to Lancashire, one finds the Grand National Rollercoaster (1935), one of the last and most invigorating pre-war wooden rollercoasters, under threat of demolition. Newcastle United's iconic 1970s Brutalist east stand at St James' Park also endures the risk of redevelopment or replacement.

Moving on to Merseyside, the National Wildflower Centre, a symbol of Millennium-era optimism when it opened in 2000, now finds itself without an alternate purpose. As a result, the council is pushing for its demolition; C20's director, Catherine Croft, describes it as "the product of an era where unprecedented public funding delivered some ambitious and extraordinary projects."

Nevertheless, there's a glimmer of hope as we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, marking Historic England's award of Grade II-listed status to Brighton and Hove Reform Synagogue. Previously, C20 had championed the building, with its stunning stained glass windows, which the National Portrait Gallery's chief curator, Alison Smith, declares as "one of the great religious artworks of the 20th century."

Unleash the charm of unique houses, the beauty of untouched Nature, and secrets to enriching your life right in your inbox.

Jack WatkinsBorn in Somerset, raised in Sussex, basking in the glow of the South Downs from his bedroom window, Jack's freelance journalistic debut was penning the financially ailing West Pier for The Telegraph. A devotee of the Racing Post (exclusively in print), he's contributed pieces to The Independent and The Guardian as well as major publications in the farming industry. Versatile in writing, he's also your go-to expert on Bill Haley, vintage rock and soul, otherworldly apparitions, and the hidden gems of Lost London.

Enrichment Insights:

Sunwin House Department Store, Bradford

Current Status: Vulnerable due to neglect
Architectural Style: Bauhaus-inspired
Important Features: Brass Art Deco handrails and potential for revitalization with Bradford's 2025 UK City of Culture

Other Structures on the Buildings at Risk List

Grand National Rollercoaster, Blackpool
Current Status: Threatened with demolition
Architectural Significance: A unique pre-war wooden rollercoaster, built in 1935
Newcastle United's East Stand at St James' Park
Current Status: At risk due to redevelopment plans
Architectural Style: Brutalist, 1970s football stadium
National Wildflower Centre, Knowsley
Current Status: Scheduled for demolition due to lack of alternative use
Significance: A prime example of Millennium-era optimism in architectural innovation
Brighton and Hove Reform Synagogue
Current Status: No longer at risk, awarded Grade II-listed status
Architectural Significance: A notable post-war synagogue, featuring exceptional stained glass windows
Additional Structures
Halifax Pool and Murals: Still at risk
Derby Assembly Rooms: Retrofit plans under development (2023)
Swansea Civic Centre: Retrofit plans under development (2023)
Former London Electricity Board HQ: Still at risk
The Lawns, University of Hull: Still at risk
Oasis Leisure Centre, Swindon: Grade II listed since December 2021

Football enthusiasts might find interest in the 1970s Brutalist east stand at St James' Park, Newcastle United's iconic structure, as it faces the risk of redevelopment or replacement. Also, a glance at the pre-Premier League sports architecture era uncovers the Grand National Rollercoaster (1935), one of the last and most invigorating pre-war wooden rollercoasters built in Blackpool, now under threat of demolition.

Structures such as a rollercoaster, a Bauhaus department store, and a Brutalist football stand have been included in the most recent 'Endangered Buildings' survey.