The City of London

A recent PhotoWalk in the city showed that there are two major office buildings nearing completion, both dominant but quite different from each other. One I like and one I hate.

The one that I hate is the so called ‘Talkie Talkie’ 20 Fenchurch Street by Rafael Vinoly. An ugly, overbearing building and recently the cause of problems with reflection from its concave face producing a heat ray causing damage to shops and vehicles nearby.

The other building is ‘The cheesegrater’ The Leadenhall Building by Richard Rogers. I really like the look of this wedge shape skyscraper, which will be the tallest building within The City of London. I look forward to its completion but already it’s looking good and complements the Lloyds Building also by Rogers on the other side of the road.

Another skyscraper that I like is The Heron Tower in Bishopsgate, completed in 2011 by Kohn Pedersen Fox. Clean lines and looks good with the sky and clouds reflected in the glazing, a successful design for a tall building.

The Leadenhall Building

Chichester & Winchester

Recent PhotoWalks in two historic cities, both sharing similar qualities with old buildings, a Cathedral, grand council offices, some 1960’s and 70’s intrusions and both having crosses as meeting places. I think that Winchester has a slight edge over Chichester but both are good places to visit.

In most towns it’s the Bank buildings that stand out in the High Streets and this is true in both these cities, right up to 1960 banks were proud to present an imposing frontage usually using columns to convey a classical face, or as in one Chichester bank a Gothic one. A previous Blog of mine covers the theme of Banks and columns.

Neither PhotoWalk ventured into the Cathedrals due to photography permit limitations but both are well worth a visit without a camera.

This is the entrance doorway to the Council Offices in Chichester. Doorway and bronze doors to County Hall, 1936 by C.G. Stillman, in neo-Georgian style.

Coventry

A return visit to Coventry to see what has happened in the last five years or so since I was there last. 

Firstly the Cathedral for an organ recital, a great organ in an inspiring setting. Then to The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum which has opened an interesting new extension which was being built when I looked in last time.

A few photos of an unusual 1976 Ferroconcrete cross, a replacement for a Tudor cross which once stood nearby. A walk around the town centre showed some improvements especially the removal of traffic around the square that has the statue of Lady Godiva. The square has two imposing bank buildings facing it, both are not listed (they should be) and probably post war, but still using Portland stone and columns to impose an image of security and permanence.

I quite like Coventry, both the reconstructions after the war and its surviving old bits, also the faux medieval buildings such as Wetherspoons The Flying Standard. Don’t pass Coventry by if you have the chance to visit.

M. Sleigh. Polypodphoto 

Alton (Hampshire)

Not having visited Alton for a number of years I was pleased to see when I visited on Market day that the town was busy and looked to be fairing well, with only a few empty shops. Thirty years ago a work colleague who lived in Alton called it a “One horse town where the horse had died” he also said it was the only place he knew where the cafes shut for lunch!

There was the aroma of brewing wafting over the town from the Coors Brewery (once owned by Courage) with the brewery chimney viewed from a number of town centre locations, pity that the original buildings have gone. Since my last visit a number of good local shops in the High Street have been lost, especially missed is the large ironmongers and hardware shop (Kingdoms I think) but generally the High Street is good for shopping.

There are some interesting buildings in Alton, mainly redbrick, some Georgian and one or two good Victorian buildings, especially the Assembly Rooms and Museum group. The Curtis Museum has exhibits on local matters and across the road is the Allen Gallery with an outstanding collection of ceramics and pottery, much more than one would expect to find in a local gallery – too much to take in on one visit.

Alton is at one end of The Watercress Line and nearby the station is a new Waitrose supermarket showing that the town has now ‘made the grade’.  A return visit with the camera I think will be worthwhile to get some considered shots when the town is not so busy.

© Michael Sleigh 2013

Charing Cross to Parliament Square

A bright morning and a walk starting from The Eleanor Memorial Cross (1863) by E M Barry with sculpture by Thomas Earp, interesting sculpture on the memorial if one stops and looks at it in detail.

Down Whitehall passing the Old Admiralty Building with a front screen and ‘Seahorses’ (1761) by Robert Adam to Horse Guards (1750’s) and fighting off the tourists crossed over the road to take a longer view of the building, a good example of stylized Palladian architecture.

At least there is not a lot of traffic around on a Sunday morning which makes walking around and taking photos easier!

Behind 55 Whitehall is an extension of 1952 by the Ministry of Works which has a series of good allegorical sculptures along its facade by James Woodford (missed these last time I was in the area)

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Wandered along taking in the sights to Parliament Square, then a change in direction to catch a new ‘Boris Bus’. I was keen to see what they were like but I’m not sure about them and don’t expect that they are going to last over 50 years or have the same respect as the original Routemasters.


M.C.Sleigh. 2013

Charing Cross to Hyde Park Corner

In London to check out a new PhotoWalk route from Charing Cross to Hyde Park Corner via Horse Guards and Buckingham Palace. Starting at the Eleanor Memorial cross (1863), then down Whitehall passing the Old Admiralty Building (1726) to Horse Guards (1748) by William Kent.

Through into Horse Guards Parade and on the left a statue to Field Marshal Earl Roberts – Frederick Sleigh Roberts, then the very strange Cadiz Memorial (1814) with a mortar mounted on a dramatic Chinese dragon with a two headed dog.

Walking across towards The Mall the Citadel comes into view (can’t miss it) built as a bunker - fortress and air raid shelter in 1939, with pebble and flit aggregate block facing, the English Heritage listing calls it a “Massive Cubist fortress”.

Then up The Mall, looking at The Duke of York's column and round the outside of St James’s Palace coming out at the front of Buckingham Palace and having to fight the crowds of tourists watching the changing of the guard. Could not get near to the Victoria Memorial (1911) by Sir Aston Webb but instead looked at the impressive ‘Canadian’ gates with gilded crests.

Nothing much to see along Constitution Hill until the Wellington Arch comes into view. 1829 by Decimus Burton topped with the Quadriga sculpture of 1912 by Adrian Jones. The orientation of the arch was altered in 1883 with the original massive statue of the Duke of Wellington on horseback being moved to Aldershot. It’s worth going into the arch for the views that can be had from the top and English Heritage exhibitions held in the Quadriga Gallery.

Delving into one of the subways put in by the London County Council I came out by the Hyde Park Screen (1829) by Burton, originally the entrance to Hyde Park. Finally Apsley House (1778) by Robert Adam, remodelled and enlarged by Wyatt in 1830. Known as ‘No1 London’ the house of The Duke of Wellington, is worth a look inside – good interiors and fantastic silverware and ceramics.

Altogether an interesting day even if it was dull, windy and a bit wet, with no good photos taken but the basis for another PhotoWalk in The City of Westminster.

City to City

The City of London to The City of Westminster ‘PhotoWalk’

A depressingly dull and windy day last Sunday for the walk starting at Blackfriars Station, not good for taking photos so concentrated on looking at details and aspects of buildings on the itinerary. It’s surprising what can be missed or passed by if you don’t stop and look properly!

Found new things to include on future walks and discovered enough animal carvings and mythical beasts plus heads and figures on buildings to make an interesting future photo project.

I see that Bush House in Aldwich, built 1935 (ex BBC) is currently undergoing refurbishment, it has some good stonework and unusual column capitals and carvings. Looked into St Mary Le Strand, 1717 by James Gibbs and arrived just after their service had finished so ended up talking to their clergy, it sounded as if they had not had many people turning up.

Then across to Somerset House and a visit to the exhibition on Nicholas Hawksmoor http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/visual-arts/nicholas-hawksmoor-methodical-imaginings                    

Hawksmoor is one of my favourite architects and this exhibition has some good photos of his churches but I was particularly impressed by the ‘Digitally conceived and fabricated resin models’ of his towers.

Hawksmoor’s St Mary Woolnoth, 1727 is one of the most interesting churches in the city, in the way it fits its site and is an ‘exceptionally original design’.

Finally a quick look at the old Whitehall Police Station a 1930’s stone faced building on Victoria Embankment which is to become the new home of Scotland Yard. 

Michael Sleigh 2013 www.polypodphoto.co.uk