It was a thundery spring, the year everyone moved into the new county hall above the city. The men tasked with the move, seconded from the cleaning team, stood under the crumbling doorway of the old building and waited for the torrential rain to stop so they could load another department onto the vans. A few days later, as the council met for the first time in their cantilevered, copper topped chamber, the storms rolled overhead. Hail hammered down, drowning out the speeches.

“The building was so modern after the old building and very advanced in technology.” (Facebook user)

Next year, Lys Kernow in Truro will mark its sixtieth birthday. Originally known as New County Hall it was renamed in Cornish in 2009. It’s one of several mid-century County Halls around the West Country but is the only one to have embraced modernism in its full concrete brut form.

This month, my deep dive looks at the ambitions of a team of young architects, and how the wildest west country responded to a modern municipal masterpiece emerging from the playing fields.

You can unlock this deep dive for £3 using the button below. As well as access to this article, you’ll also get occasional bonus material and will be contributing to the costs of producing these pieces.