Founding architect of Milton Keynes wants twin towers built in city centre

An architect who helped design the city centre has come up with a new icon for Milton Keynes '“ in the form of twin towers 35 storeys high.
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The huge structures should be built on Elder Gate, opposite Station square, says Ken Baker.

“They will provide the iconic image for a great city at the heart of the Oxford Cambridge arc,” he said.

Ken, who came to work for MK Development Corporation in the 1970s, is the subject of a free talk, film and exhibition next Thursday, September 27.

He will display his twin tower drawings and argue that the MK should be known in future by this new icon rather than concrete cows and roundabouts.

The event is free and will be held at Milton Keynes Gallery.

It will show how Ken’s team of architects, led by Stuart Mosscrop, were tasked with designing the city centre.

Armed with only a written vision from the original master plan, they created the infrastructure of development blocks each edged with 1000 car parking spaces,laid out to be served by three tree-lined boulevards.

“This city centre with a step-free accessible framework continues to support the growth of the city centre today,” said Ken, who is finally leaving MK to live closer to his family.

A film of his ‘legacy walk’ through CMK has been produced by Living Archive and will be shown during the exhibition evening.

Doors open at 5.30 pm for the event. The film will start at 6.15pm followed by a question and answer session before a formal handing over of Ken’s legacy to the MK Council.