Landmark, Eyesore, or Icon? New book captures Plymouth’s Civic Centre in liminal transition

Certain buildings become iconic and significant parts of a city’s identity, shaping its skyline and history. Plymouth’s Civic Centre, a post-war architectural masterpiece symbolizing optimism and civic ambition, is one such structure.

A new book called Civic, created by photographer Dom Moore and 51 Studio, captures the essence of the Civic Centre during a crucial period of transition. The 128-page hardback book offers a detailed portrayal of the building in a state of flux, neither fully abandoned nor revitalized.

Dom and Dave Tetley from 51 Studio embarked on this project out of a shared curiosity as Plymouth City Council prepared to vacate the premises. Dom was granted access to document the empty offices, worn-out signage, terrazzo hallways, and other overlooked details that had been essential to the city’s daily operations for decades.

The Civic Centre, completed in the early 1960s as part of Plymouth’s post-war redevelopment, has been a subject of debate among locals, with opinions ranging from admiration for its brutalist design to disdain for its imposing concrete structure.

Through Dom’s cinematic photography style, Civic captures the building’s essence without bias, focusing on its material beauty and historical significance during a period of transition. The book’s design, led by Dave, complements Dom’s images by incorporating typographic elements that reflect the building’s evolving purpose and fading grandeur.

Despite the Civic Centre’s uncertain future, the book serves as a poignant reminder of its cultural and historical importance, prompting readers to reflect on the significance of civic spaces and the stories they hold.

As plans for the building’s redevelopment evolve, the hope remains for a meaningful reinvention that preserves its legacy. Until then, Civic stands as a testament to the enduring value of public buildings as repositories of collective memory, deserving of documentation before they are lost to time.