Derwent Tower

Derwent Tower (also known as the Dunston Rocket) is a 29 storey residential apartment building in Dunston, United Kingdom. Due to the tower block's unusual shape, the building was nick-named the "Dunston Rocket" during construction (even before its official Derwent Tower title) and the name has remained with locals throughout its life.

The tower was designed by the Owen Luder Partnership on behalf of Whickham Council who at the time controlled the Dunston area of Gateshead. The original brief was to design 3 high rise blocks of at least 22 storeys, but due to the adverse ground conditions on the site it was decided to build one tower, with the rest of the properties being low rise blocks of 2, 3 and 5 storey. The construction of the tower foundation began in February 1968, and completed in March 1971.

The construction of the tower was complex because of the very poor ground conditions on the site. The foundations were based on a sunken concrete cassion that was built above ground then sunk over a period of time. Cassion foundations are often found in harbour construction, to find this foundation being used in the 60's for a local authority tower block was a first, the cassion below the tower was put to use as an underground garage area for residents. The tower itself has a striking appaerance, unlike any other tower block in the UK. Derwent Tower is of a Brutalist design and retains lots of design features and similaritys with the Gateshead Trinity centre complex, most noted for its "Get Carter car park" which was also a product of the Owen Luder Partnership. It also has similaritys with the Tricorn, designed by Rodney Gordon (of Owen Luder Partneship at the time). The building houses 2 bedroom flats up to the 10th floor, 1 bedroom flats from floor 11 to 29. The unusual features af Derwent Tower are:

Height

Design

Plan form change between 10th and 11th floor

Flying butresses form the ground, to 5th floor to assist foundations

Unusual Foundations

Complexity of construction

In 2007 Gateshead Council decided to relocate residents of the Derwent Tower amid health and safety concerns. The block now stands empty while its fate is to be decided.

--James Brown (talk) 12:40, 7 May 2009 (UTC)