Second Wallpaper* Magazine feature this month with images from a shoot of Dior’s Paris-inspired pop-up takeover of Harrods with a giant ‘Plan de Paris’ motif featured across the facade and several popup spaces for the arrival of MariaGrazia Chiuri’s AW 2023 womenswear collection.

My Images from a recent shoot of Celine’s new Parfumerie installation in Harrods can be seen in Wallpaper* Magazine.

This June’s issue of Wallpaper* Magazine features a glossy double page spread image from my photography of David Collins Studio’s Velvet cocktail bar in the luxury Corinthia London Hotel.

Proceeding on from my previous blog entry, with the chasm in between filled by 382 rising and retreating motions of the sun, those disposed to pick up on such details - most notably Google’s search algorithms, which have undoubtedly interpreted my dormant blog as a measure of irrelevance and relegated me to the basement of search results for architectural photographers - might be led to deduce an extended period of inertia on my part. But for any of those visitors venturing beyond this blog you may have noticed the incremental addition of new photographs to my portfolio of projects. So, to dispel any of these notions and to once again court favour with those omnipotent search algorithms I will endeavour to follow up some of these projects with brief write ups on my blog, starting with my photography of Orms architects Britton Street office development.

Architectural photography of the 17-18 Britton Street office development, more recently named The Stock House, was commissioned by London based architectural practice Orms, for whom I had previously captured images of their 3 Broadgate project. The Stock House is a small 5-storey office development located in the Clerkenwell conservation area of Farringdon, London. The photography predominately focuses on the interior spaces with one of the key features being the elegant, curved white balustrade which greets anyone visiting via the main entrance. Throughout attention to details and materials are evident with teal coloured walls and gold trimming adding a sense of refinement to the space.

A brief history of the office and it’s location can be found on the developers website:

“Laid out and built up between 1718 and 1724, Britton Street was originally called Red Lion Street after the Tavern of the same name on the street. Built in 1914–16, No. 18 and 19 are believed to have been a five-storey warehouse o factory of yellow brick. In a nod to this -the building is named after the original yellow London stock brick.”

Moving on from this It’s latest refurbishment by Orms architects was carried out on what was essentially a 1980’s office building. The entire façade was replaced and reconstructed using handmade clay bricks from the Petersen brickworks in Denmark. Internally on the main office floor plates exposed steel and concrete soffits and columns still hint at the buildings industrial past.

For a wider selection of images from my architectural photography of The Stock House please visit the projects section of my portfolio. Now with the completion of this latest photography update I will endeavour not to let such an expanse of time pass before the next one, as I have a number of exciting projects to share with you.

In the early autumn of 2020, when normality, accompanied by a faithful companion complacency, appeared to have tentatively returned to our daily lives. A time when workers were finally jettisoning their ‘work from home’ attire - lower-body: pyjamas, upper-body: vaguely presentable shirt - and relinquishing the prospect of conducting any further business meetings through a pixelated portal from the comfort of their beds, I was commissioned by Sheppard Robson architects to photograph the new office spaces their interior design team, ID:SR, had created for a prestigious international client. The offices were located across several floors of the recently completed 100 Bishopsgate tower in the City of London financial district, where the workers were set to return.

The tower itself, a mixed use development rising over 172 meters, with 40-storeys of office space, was designed by Allies and Morrison architects. With each occupant having different requirements for their work spaces, the interior design work was to be taken up by a design team chosen at the tenants discretion. As regular visitors to my blog will know - or visitor - I have worked with Sheppard Robson on a number of architectural photography projects. With previous commercial commissions, such as the offices at One Creechurch Place, the individual floors plates are usually austere shells awaiting the clients before they are fitted out, so in this case it was nice to be able to focus my camera on the interior design work and not solely the structural details.

Before elaborating any further on the particulars of the building and extolling the qualities of the interior design, I feel obligated to draw your attention to one, not so inconspicuous fact. It might soon, if not already, have come to the perceptive viewers attention, that several of the people in the photographs reappear throughout the various settings. This was neither a coincidence nor the result of several office workers clamouring for stardom before the lens by following me from one location to the next. No, this was the result of an entirely different set of circumstances, ones which necessitate the artifice behind much architectural photography. While I favour capturing a space in an uncontrived as possible manner sometimes it is just not practical to do so.

The office was still several days from being fully occupied and with interior photography it is often optimal to begin the work before such an occasion occurs, for in a matter of minuets a neat and orderly office can descend into a cacophony of hurried bodies and out of place furniture. Once clear shelves become a cascade of spilled pages, desktops submerge beneath mounds of spreadsheets, all precariously crowned with a slightly broken, but faithful office mug. So in some cases it is therefore preferable to enlist the help of models - in this case several of the interior architects whom worked on the project.

The first significant change ID:SR made to the original floor plates was the installation of staircases connecting the company offices at each level, saving employees from having to make repeated trips in the lift. Personal offices with glazed fronts surround the perimeter of the space, each with amazing views looking out onto the emerging cluster of skyscrapers. Moving inward towards the buildings core are a variety of private consultation rooms, collaborative work spaces and meeting rooms. Amongst these are kitchen and dining areas and less-specified seating areas where work or relaxation can take place individually or collaboratively. Notable is how the architects have made each space feel both distinct but also part of a cohesive whole and the variety of work spaces offer flexibility of use eschewing the conformity of old.

Colours, materials and furniture vary throughout, but each distinct area of use often replicates similar design features distinguishing their intended purpose, even if size and layout differ slightly. Having spent a considerable amount of time exploring the building and photographing each space I came to the conclusion that I could happily take up residence in one of the private offices overlooking the City, whether I could get much work done while gazing out upon the urban vista is another matter entirely. With the current situation still ongoing it sadly may be some time before these sophisticated, well designed offices are fully occupied. So for now they remain a fragment of hope in the minds of workers relegated to their kitchen table desks and daily zoom briefings. For readers wishing to see the complete set of interior photographs of 100 Bishopsgate, they can be found in the projects section of my portfolio.

While trying to stifle the ever encroaching sense of ennui which was permeating my inner being during the final stages of the first lockdown, and before an existential crisis peaked, I decided to pick-up my camera, mount a Boris bike and venture out into the last days of what had been a wonderful summer (in terms of weather). Heading for Hackney with a friend, we decided to seek out some of the local, off the beaten path, architecture. Browsing through the latest architectural and design publications you would be forgiven for coming to the conclusion that every London street is punctuated by a bespoke home designed by an award winning architect. In reality they are much harder to come by and need some carefully planned research to locate - or a architect friend who is willing to put in the hard work for you. Hackney, being the vibrant, bohemian borough that it is, offered up plenty of architectural curiosities for our expedition.

First up on our tour was the Mole House design by recipient of the 2020 RIBA Royal Gold Medal David Adjaye. Deriving its name from the locally infamous, burrowing engineer, whom had a penchant for tunneling beneath his own home, the property came with a unique story; perfect foundations on which Adjaye Associates could build. The house conspicuously assimilates it’s imperfections; distressed and eroding materials; layers of history evidencing the dilapidation that once nearly concluded its existence. Exposed concrete smooths over the scared surface of the buildings original fabric, while not completely consuming it, creating a satisfying contrast between what was and what is. The project was commissioned by and is now home to artist Sue Webster.

Next up, and only a short stroll away, was another David Adjaye designed home - somewhat discrediting my earlier statement regarding the proliferation of bespoke London homes - this one dating from 2007 and known as the Sunken House. The partially submerged three-storey home is clad with dark-stained cedar. The form, materials and minimal aesthetic are an aberration in the familiar brick townhouses and Jacobethan style architecture of De Beauvoir Town, Hackney. The property is home to luxury brand, design and architectural photographer Ed Reeve who commissioned David Adjaye back in 2003 to design the property. The home also functions as a space to hire out for photo and video shoots for those interested in exploring beyond the walled perimeter.

The final destination to conclude our architectural expedition - cut short due to the stifling heat - was the Colville Estate in Hackney, home to two hexagonal towers designed by David Chipperfield Architects in collaboration with Karakusevic Carson Architects; the team responsible for the redevelopment of the entire estate. The two Hoxton Press Towers, while similar in form are differentiated in both height and brick colour -handmade, water-struck Belgian bricks no less - one being clad in red the other a dark grey. Both are austere and minimal in form as one expects from David Chipperfield’s practice, but at the same time, are executed in a manner that utilises restraint and a limited palette to great effect.

Under normal conditions it’s often the architectural photographers aim to capture a building with a limited number of people in the frame; just enough to offer some context, sense of scale and suggestion of how the space is navigated, without it looking overcrowded and compositionally unsatisfying. Ironically with lockdown in place and new photography commissions dwindling due to restrictions, it was becoming difficult to find even a solitary figure to take on this unwitting role. The lone figures that did emerge into the frame, if only briefly, were a reminder of the new mode of existence that had enveloped the city.

Inner cities under the lock-down quickly transformed into spectral voids of human activity. With the actors gone, only the stage was left, the props and backdrops to life patiently awaiting the next act. With the gradual easing of restrictions, people cautiously reemerged back into the spaces they once inhabited, only to find the buildings they frequented now existing as no more than architectural sculptures; without utility. No longer possessing a familiar function, an unconscious dérive began to take place - a re-purposing of space and changing relation to the urban environment.

As an architectural photographer often working in central London, this opened up opportunities to photograph the city as it is rarely seen. Normally, photographing buildings amidst the hustle and bustle of city life can often be a challenge; just as you have your subject perfectly aligned within the frame, a passerby in situ, the afternoon sun deploying it’s architecture enhancing rays, a large white van, or citizen, unconcerned with the evanescent nature of the decisive moment, will pass before the lens rendering what could have been a moment of eternal beauty into a fragment of memory and rising sensation of ire.

So it was with this rare opportunity, on a trip through London to photograph several projects for a client, that i decided to direct my camera towards some of London’s iconic architecture. Working just a short walk from the Tate Modern, a building which I have photographed a number of times, I came across a roller skater skillfully traversing the vast empty space near the rear entrance. It was a similar story along its western elevation, where crowds usually descend into the Turbine Hall, that on this occasion, only a lone cyclist, replete with wicker basket and red helmet passed by. Admittedly the tranquillity of these images belie the true nature of events, as the riverside entrance was teaming with life; kids dangling from the steel cables of Foster’s Millennium Bridge, skateboarders leaping down staircases and sunbathers huddled in socially distanced groups, soaking up the summer heat.

At a time when visiting a restaurant seems like a distant memory and the sound of the Ocado van pulling up outside is about as close to a culinary rush of euphoria that we can expect, what better than to reminisce over the settings of an opulent fine dining experience. The interior photography I completed of Yen London - a high-end Japanese restaurant - for interior architects Sybarite can be your catalyst into this journey of fine dining nostalgia.

Originally completed in 2017, interior designers Sybarite commissioned me to photograph the space in late 2019 before a possible change of hands for the business. Located at 190 Strand near the Thames river, the restaurant is situated above a luxury residential development designed by GRID architects. The restaurant is the second venture after the success of the original, 17 year old Yen Soba restaurant in Paris, owned by Japanese fashion company Onward Holdings.

Arriving at the restaurant, guests enter the bar and waiting area on the restaurant's mezzanine level. This space contains booths for guests to drink and socialise before descending to the main L-shaped dining area below. Once seated, guests can see as their fine Japanese cuisine is prepared before their eyes at the exposed kitchens. The interior design itself incorporates traditional elements of Japanese architecture in a contemporary setting. Surrounding the walls of the lower floor are traditional Japanese paper screens which Sybarite made using handmade Japanese paper and back-lit LED lighting.

The building’s high ceilings allowed the designers at Sybarite to make full use of the additional space by installing suspended timber frames and large clusters of bamboo, which in their words, evoke the feeling of a tranquil bamboo forest. The timbers that make up the distinctive staircase are repeated throughout the space, notably the ceiling, which is traversed by a assortment of intersecting vertical and horizontal panels. This is all accented by lighting which enhances the interplay of light and shadow between the recessed timber panels.

With photography of the restaurant taking place between dining hours there was a rush to get all of the camera equipment setup and each area photographed before customers appeared for their lunch. Yet, as every interior photographer will surely appreciate, setting up the camera equipment is often the easy part of the job. Every stray object, misaligned chopstick or asymmetrical chair arrangement needs repeated nudges and obsessive readjustments so as to fall into harmony before lens; satisfying the architectural photographers disposition for a rigorously ordered microcosm.

Another aspect of the design incorporates a private dining room with tatami flooring made from Bolon's woven vinyl and black runner trims, with more traditional paper screens adorning the walls and ceiling. It was in this calming space that those of us involved in the shoot were treated to a delicious bowl of Miso soup to end a long day. If the opportunity ever presents itself, the restaurant is well worth a visit, both to experience the food and the great design work carried out by Sybarite.

Interior Design: Sybarite
Client: Onward Holdings
Photography: Copyright © Alex Upton

Just before the decade drew to an close I was commissioned to photograph the interior of a new activity centre at St George's College in Weybridge. If memories of my own schools sports hall were anything to go by, this wasn’t going to be a project to get too excited about. Upon arrival it became apparent that the school I had attended and this were leagues apart in what facilities they had to offer. This new high-tech, 6-court, 4,000m² sports hall designed by UK based architectural practice Scott Brownrigg would be befitting of an Olympic athletes training centre not just young aspiring athletes.

The exposed timber roof structure sweeps above the main sports hall which accommodates a variety of games due to its innovative underfloor LED lighting system. With the flick of a switch the markings on the floor can transition from a basketball court to football pitch, doing away with the need for a confusion of overlapping multicoloured delineators. Allowing some natural light to permeate the building are my clients Kalwall panels which sit just below the roof on three elevations of the hall. It was these architectural features that i was onsite to photograph. For further examples of how this product is utilised architecturally see my photography of Dale Youth Boxing Club and BH2 Bournemouth both for the same client.

Wooden timber panels constitute the primary material used throughout the interior space, with one elevation featuring a diagonal glass spacer which creates a viewing gallery for those pausing on the journey up the stairs to the buildings upper level. The sports hall was in use at the time of undertaking the internal photography which made taking some of the shots a challenge as i had to compose the image whilst simultaneously protecting my camera equipment from the odd stray basketball.

Scott Brownrigg architects have created a wonderful high-tech sports hall which should be an inspiration for all educational institutes with the available budgets. It provides an inspiring environment in which to engage with a range of sports, with ample capacity to accommodate both pupils and spectators. The use of natural materials and lighting are employed in a manner that give the building a bright spacious feel with the undulating timber roof being the architectural focal point.

Hidden beneath the shimmering skin of Orms Architects new 3 Broadgate building is a structure descending from the 1980’s which once served as a marketing suite for the Broadgate estate. While retaining the cylindrical form of its predecessor Orms have hollowed out an archway at ground level opening the space to the public. As you are channelled through this new space a coffee shop greets you at one side while entry to the 3 floors above can be gained from the other.

One of the most visually arresting aspects to the building is it’s rippling facade, formed from thousands of bronze coloured aluminium panels, which I’m sure architectural photographers will be flocking to visit as it makes for some amazing images. These decorative panels trace an arch on either side of the building revealing two of the interior spaces through the glazing. In its new incarnation 3 Broadgate will continue to serve as a marketing suite for the Broadgate estate.

Since the building was first revealed from behind the scaffold I have paid repeated visits in anticipation that it would be ready to photograph, and while there are still some ongoing ground works - every architectural photographers nightmare - limiting certain angles, the building is mostly complete. At the time of its conception there were dissenting voices deriding the supposedly contentious plans, but seeing it complete it is hard to imagine what provoked such ire, the building is far superior to its predecessor and feels more welcoming, opening up space and creating a visual curiosity to those inclined to look in its direction.

Project Team:

Architect: Orms
Client: British Land
Main Contractor: Sir Robert McAlpine
Structural engineer: Arup
Architectural Photographer: Alex Upton

In late 2018 i was commissioned to photograph this small, but unique building located in Spitalfields, London by Sheppard Robson architects. The small angular pavilion their team designed is located on the perimeter of the new Fruit & Wool Exchange development and has become home to a day and night Crispin Café. The main part of the development, located behind the pavilion, opposite Old Spitalfields Market was designed by another architectural practice, Bennetts Associates.

From an architectural photographers perspective this was a particularly tricky building to shoot at that time of year. Its low, extended profile in context to the higher surrounding buildings meant that when the sun did meet with it’s exterior, the shadows of those buildings intermittently draped themselves over it surface obscuring from view the pavilions finer details. It was with these limitations to the architectural photography that I obtained most of the images at dusk.

Surrounding the cafe is a new public space with landscaping undertaken by Robert Myers Associates. The most striking external feature of the metal-clad pavilion is it’s dynamic roof design, which sweeps up from the sides of the building an meets to form a sharp, piercing point at it’s apex. The juxtaposition to the brick facade of Bennetts Associates Fruit & Wool Exchange is quite sticking, but downplayed by its low profile. While I only obtained a few photographs of the pavilion due to the size of the project and ongoing works surrounding it you can take a look at the rest by visiting the projects page above.

Project Team:

Developer: Exemplar Properties
Architect: Sheppard Robson
Photography Client: Sheppard Robson
Architectural Photographer: Alex Upton

Not just working as an architectural photographer in London, occasionally I manage to escape the confines of the city and photograph projects slightly further afield. It was with enthusiasm, during the apex of the summer heat, last year, that I accepted a job in the coastal town of Bournemouth. In the town centre international architectural practice Broadway Malyan had just completed the new BH2 Leisure complex for the developer Lucrum Holdings. I was commissioned by my client Structura to go along and document the building by taking a series of external photographs showing the building in context to its central location and the site in active use by the public.

The BH2 Leisure complex houses a state of the art Odeon Cinema with 10 screens, a variety of restaurants for shoppers needing to recharge after a few hours of energy draining retail therapy and an array of shops alongside a spacious car park. The development is located adjacent to Bournemouth’s Lower Gardens, an idyllic haven of green and multifarious flora where one can relax after having visited the leisure centre. In several of the photographs of BH2 Leisure centre a Church is visible in the background, as pictured above, in a slightly unrelated fact, this turns out to be now utilised as a night club.

Architecturally the building utilises a number of materials and contrasting forms throughout its large footprint. As well as sections of curved timber panelling and screens, the building makes use of Kalwall’s translucent facade panels. Regular readers of this blog maybe familiar with them as they have featured in a number of projects I have previously photographed for the same client, these include photography of both Dale Youth Boxing Club and Benenden Hospital. The panels mostly feature around the section of the building which houses the Odeon cinema. Since they can only be appreciated fully towards the evening when they allow the buildings interior light to permeate the outer structure, I waited until dusk to carry out most of the architectural photography.

From an architectural photographers perspective the building presents a few challenges, the large trees of the Lower Gardens park, that encompass the building on one of its main elevations, limited the distance the camera can be setup from it, meaning it was very tricky to take images from certain angles. Another aspect was the amount of people around the leisure centre itself, inevitably such places are busy, and while clients want to show their buildings in use, images with too many people in can often look cluttered, so waiting for that harmonious balance of architecture with just the right amount of people can require some patience.

Having spent a whole day photographing the leisure centre I became well acquainted with the shops, restaurants and the environment in which it is situated. Architecturally Broadway Malyan have made good use of the site on which it sits, allowing the building to organically following the contours of the park. The alternating forms and materials keep the building interesting as one navigates around and through it, with certain areas and their utilisation delineated by these changes. As with all the other buildings I have photographed which utilise the unique glowing facade system the material really adds an extra dimension to the structure, bringing it to life in the evening. I can only hope that I am commissioned to photograph more buildings in such nice coastal towns in the future.

Project Team:

Architect: Broadway Malyan
Client: Legal & General (Lucrum Holdings)
Main Contractor: Vinci Construction
Photography Client: Structura UK / Kalwall
Architectural Photographer: Alex Upton

Here is another London architectural photography project I recently undertook for my client Sheppard Robson Architects. This article provides a selection of preliminary images I took of the Barts Square residential development, a scheme currently taking shape in the City of London, just north of St Paul’s Cathedral. I say preliminary since it is a rather large 3.2 acre phased development, comprising offices, retail and the aforementioned residential units, 236 to be precise. The project is being master planned under the direction of lead architects Sheppard Robson who have brought in architectural practices Maccreannor Lavington and Piercy & Company to act as sub-consultants on the scheme.

The residential aspect of Barts Square comprises an assortment of architecture where historically significant buildings have been retained and woven into the fabric of the contemporary structures surrounding them. In keeping with the strict guidelines for developments in sensitive areas of the City of London the materials and designs of the new builds are high quality and reference both the historic and environmental context in which they find themselves situated. The new buildings snugly fit into the existing narrow street patterns creating enclaves of privacy for the residents and a labyrinth like structure intrinsic to Victorian-era urban planning, causing all but the savviest Flâneur to retrace their steps as they wonder how on earth they entered the complex and if they will ever make their exit.

The apparent tranquility seen in the architectural photographs presented here belie the hustle and bustle of what is still a partially active construction site. Once again my already depleted reserves of patience were put to the test as each time I positioned my camera and tripod to take a shot, a fluorescent clad worker or delivery truck would, as if by magic, manifest within my field of vision. During such testing circumstances it is often only a split second, where the perfect conditions align and sun, pedestrians, architecture all fall into an evanescent, harmonious synchronicity, before instantaneously collapsing before the lens back into the cacophonous muddle of urban life.

These photographs of Barts Square were commissioned by my client Sheppard Robson to capture the completed buildings from the first phase of the development. While limited in the scope of what could be captured on that day, hopefully they offer a glimpse into what will be a high quality development when all eventually comes together in the final stages of construction. When time permits I will add a more comprehensive set of images showcasing some of the luxurious interiors designed by Johnson Naylor in the residential buildings, which are now partially occupied.

Project Team:

Architects: Sheppard Robson (Piercy & Company, Maccreannor Lavington)
Client: Helical PLC
Main Contractor: McLaren
Structural Engineer: Waterman Group
Landscape Architect: Gross Max
Interior Architect: Johnson Naylor
Architectural Photographer: Alex Upton

Since London shook off its stuffy, conservative hostility towards tall buildings at the dawn of the new millennium, a change in attitudes initiated by the arrival Norman Foster’s curvaceous 30 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin) skyscraper in the City of London. The public and many of the cities decision makers rapidly, if somewhat reluctantly, embraced taller structures and designated special areas for their cultivation. The intention being that they wont impinge on valued historic buildings and the demarcated sight-lines that guard them. In an attempt to document these new vertical structures the Independent centre for London’s built environment, New London Architecture (NLA), has put together a yearly publication which provides a ‘comprehensive analysis of all tall buildings, over 20 storeys, which are proposed, in planning or under construction in London.’

If you are to pick up a copy of the 2019 London Tall Buildings Survey and make it to page 103 you will glimpse a photograph I took of Kohn Pedersen Fox Architect’s 52 Lime Street Building (The Scalpel), a 42 Storey, 190 meter tall, skyscraper located in the City of London just a stones throw from the The Gherkin skyscraper where all this reverence for height began. The publication is available to download for free, or you can pick up a physical copy by dropping into the The Building Centre near Goodge Street station in central London.

Location: North Kensington, London, UK.
Developer: BBC and Westway Trust
Architect Featherstone Young
Photography Client: Kalwall UK

Located in the shadow of the elevated A40 road in North Kensington is Bay 20, a plot of land owned and operated by the Westway Trust. The contentious history of the site and the multifarious visions that came and went with the years that it intermittently lay in a state alternating between occupation and dormancy, are well documented in an article by Isabelle Priest in the RIBA Journal. In the wake of the tragedy that was the Grenfell Tower fire in 2018, these unused spaces were utilised by the local communities as places to convene, although the Bay 20 plot remained inaccessible; a dark, desolate space that prompted avoidance.

Fortunately this state of impasse was to come to an end when, after the fire, directors at the BBC’s show DIY SOS decided to create something for the community in the area. Working within a two to three week build time the project sought to involve the local residents in the project as much as possible, consulting their opinions at various stages throughout the design process. The suppliers of materials and building contractors, all charitably offered their services free of charge and the architectural practice Featherstone Young were approached to create designs for the two buildings that were to occupy the site.

One of the buildings, it was decided, was to be the new home to the Dale Youth Boxing Club, which had formerly been based in the first floor of Grenfell Tower. This was the particular building for which I was commissioned to photograph both the interior and exterior spaces, by the client Kalwall UK, whom I had previously worked on a number of interesting projects with, such as West Croydon Bus Station and the Benenden Hospital Redevelopment. For the client this was an unique project as it saw their Kalwall curtain walling integrated seamlessly with intermittent panels of glazing, the product making up nearly the entirety of the external structure. As with the previous projects I had photographed by day these semi-opaque panels allowed natural light to gently permeate the buildings interior, while at night inverting this effect.

Dictated by the contours of the site the new Dale Youth Boxing Club fits snugly underneath the flyover and features, over its two floors, a fully equipped training area, boxing ring and changing rooms. On my final visit to photograph the project in the early evening it was great to see the local residents, especially the children, making use of both the new walkway that the site has opened up and the facilities it offers -uninhibited by the anxiety that the site once projected. In the evening the space really comes to life with the gym’s internal light illuminating the building and the colourful panels of the community centre opposite creating a welcoming environment.

For those interested in seeing the project come to life, it’s conception, design and construction was featured over two episodes of the BBC’s DIY SOS programme. Like all new developments, their is often an air of apprehension and distrust in the local community as to how much they will benefit from them, but it is safe to say from my own visits to the site that these fears have been allayed and the locals, especially the children have really embraced the project and are already making great use of it.

In terms of both architecture and materials Bay 20 and The Dale Youth Boxing Club exemplify the transformative power of architecture and what can be done with limited resources, space, and a potentially oppressive location. The hard work of all those involved and their charitable donations have created a wonderful space where the local community can come together and experience a place that they helped to shape. It is sometimes these smaller, community based projects that make architectural photography such a rewarding profession; witnessing the local children and parents utilising and having fun in the space is surely sign of a successful endeavour.

Delving once again into the architectural photographers archive here is yet another project I have unearthed; Brunel University’s refurbished Wilfred Brown Building by the London-based Sheppard Robson architectural practice. Almost immediately after completing the photography of One Creechurch Place in late 2017 for the same client another completed project awaited me, this time in the form of the Wilfred Brown Building which houses the College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences for Brunel University. The project can be found situated amongst the University’s large campus located on the fringe of West London in the town of Uxbridge.

The Wilfred Brown Building was originally delivered by Sheppard Robson in 1968 followed by a rooftop extension in 1990. Like many Universities, findings itself amidst a flux of expansion in student numbers and a need to accommodate cutting edge learning facilities Brunel commissioned a modernisation of the building. Relieved of its aging skin the structure was stripped back to its concrete frame and re-clad with a ‘saw tooth’ facade, which according to Sheppard Robson is comprised of a ‘north-west facing clear glazing and west, south-west facing glazing with interstitial architectural mesh to provide solar shading’. Situated above this is a crown of perforated profiled metal which compliments the glazing below.

The building, situated on the universities western boundary is accompanied by a quaint pond - home to several ducks and a scattering of Water Lilies - creating an idyllic microcosm amidst the hustle and bustle of campus activity. For any trivia buffs, an episode of the BBC comedy Cuckoo was filmed outside the building when the families son attended an unnamed University. When photographing the building it came to my attention that one of the aesthetic qualities the jagged facade expertly accentuates is a reflected sunset, as seen in the Miami-esque shades of pink and orange intermittently captured along the glazed panels.

Internally the building is fitted out by Sheppard Robson’s interior design department ID:SR. Due to its multiple uses, a variation in the design elements and application of colour make an intuitive and easily navigable space. Corridors and open spaces are punctuated by both private and public study areas, formed from colourful sofas and chairs which offer both comfort and a level of concealment. Other rooms are home to more specialised equipment, assessment, interview and meeting rooms, as well as several large spaces for lectures and faculty meetings. As when having photographed other University buildings in the past, a brief exposure to campus life is enough to draw on a sense of nostalgia for a simpler, more fun, albeit debt driven way of life, compelling one to abandoned the strictures and ennui of working life and take up a lengthy degree course.

Location: Uxbridge, London, UK.
Developer: Brunel University
Contractor: ARJ Construction
Architect / Photography Client: Sheppard Robson

Location: 1 Creechurch Lane, City of London.
Developer: Helical
Contractor: Skanska
Architect / Photography Client: Sheppard Robson

Still playing catch up with the long list of projects I have photographed over the past year, here is another from the neglected archives - which really should have received attention much earlier, alas a hectic work schedule prohibited my bringing it to your attention. One Creechurch Place is a rather large - 25,315 sqm to be precise - modern, office development located on the eastern edge of the City of London. While not yet obtaining a fancy epithet of its own, unlike those imaginatively designated to the company it sits in; The Scalpel, Gherkin, Cheese-grater et al. the building is just about large enough at 18-stories to make its presence known. Designed by London based architectural practice Sheppard Robson the building was completed in late 2017, which is around the time when I was commissioned to photograph the project.

To disperse the buildings bulk it takes on the form of a cluster of towers varying in height, each adorned with horizontal and vertical fins which deviate in their rhythms of appearance. This external matrix tracing the facade lends the building a modernist aesthetic reminiscent of GMW Architects 1969 building, St Helen’s Tower, also know as 1 Undershaft, which is located just a short walk away. As can be seen in the above photograph a canopy is created over the main entrance where just beyond a public space exists, this area hosts temporary installations and sculptures as part of the City of London’s cultural programme.

According to the architects Sheppard Robson the building’s ‘principal cladding system is a unitised, interactive double skin – a double-glazed inner layer, single-glazed outer layer and an operable blind in the cavity between.’ Which ‘allows control of solar gain and optimises natural daylight within the offices.’ It is environmentally friendly considerations like this that enabled the development to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, keeping it in line with the innovative requirements needed of new buildings in the City. Moving Internally the building features a number of perks for the tenants, with the lobby area accommodating a cafe and the basement floors housing high-quality changing rooms, shower facilities and a generous parking facility for bikes.

The buildings refined external austerity makes it a somewhat humble addition to the City of London’s ever evolving skyline, which to date has been a breeding ground for a cacophony of architectural peculiarities each trying to out compete each other to gain the crown bestowed on the most irregular form. One Creechurch Place has been designed within the boundaries of height restrictions that need to be adhered to for its location, making use of subtle shifts in form to accommodate this, while still maximising floor-space for the developer Helical. It maybe be that more reserved additions like this to the City will help balance out the skyline, making it more coherent and less flamboyant.

In late 2016 the London Design Museum opened the doors to it’s new premises in Kensington, located just on the periphery of the then autumnal setting of Holland Park. Having outgrown their previous home on the riverside in Shad Thames - now occupied by Zaha Hadid’s architectural practice - they museum opted for the grade II listed former Commonwealth Institute building to become their new home. Having stood unoccupied for a number of years, the building, with its iconic copper roof and parabolic form, provided a perfect shell for the architects to work with, as well as embodying the nuanced design sensibilities which the Design Museum aspired to present to the visiting public through its collections and exhibitions.

A little over a year on since its initial opening I was commissioned by several clients in the Spring of 2018 to undertake the architectural photography of the London Design Museum, covering the Interior spaces; public viewing galleries, paid exhibition areas, library, research facilities and offices. Upon entering the building the first thing that greets your vision is the vast atrium which rises 4-stories and is capped by the amazing parabolic roof structure. Displays adorn the natural wooden walls, staircases and corridors emerge connecting the various levels of public exhibition space, while those heading to the basement level will find themselves in the chargeable, temporary exhibits.

A team of several architectural practices were enlisted to work on the project with John Pawson taking responsibility for the Interior space and both OMA and Allies and Morrison handling the refurbishment of the external structure. The extensive works carried out by the contractor Mace and structural engineers Arup, included a significant reconfiguration of the structure and excavation of the basement to increase floor space. To meet modern building standards the external facade had to be completely replaced, while still retaining the blue-glass appearance of the original building.

The internal space created by John Pawson’s design team lends itself perfectly to the architectural photographers lens, with intersecting planes that frame the museum’s visitors and the expanse of space created by the atrium which exposes their activity at all levels. The permanent exhibitions of the upper levels detail the history of design, showcasing an array of nostalgia inducing gadgets extracted from the recent past and presented anew for our curiosity. These exhibits, not surprisingly, utilise a design aesthetic of the museums own making so as to distinguish information, ease navigation and engage its audience.

At the time of photographing the Museum there was a wonderful Ferrari exhibition being held, If you weren’t lucky enough to see it in person, you can see some of those images along with all the other interior and exterior shots I took in my portfolio.

Project Team:

Developer: Ilchester Estates and the Design Museum
Contractor: Mace
Architect: John Pawson, Allies and Morrison, OMA
Photography Clients: Troldtekt & Abet Laminati
Architectural Photographer: Alex Upton

The Royal Mint Court building and its generous, fortified grounds occupy a rather large 5.23 acre site in central London. The historic building which served as the Royal Mint between 1809 and 1967 is surrounded by prestigious landmarks such as The Tower of London and Tower Bridge. In late 2017 I was commissioned by London-based architectural practice Sheppard Robson to photograph the onsite showroom they had designed in collaboration with their interiors department ID:SR Interiors. 

The architectural photography of Royal Mint Court which I undertook for the client captures the showroom displays; including 3D models of the proposed development, detailed information on the proposals along with interactive displays and writing on the sites historic context. There is also a pool room equipped with a bar and jukebox upon entering the building. The new development proposed by British property developers Delancey would be an office led scheme with the inclusion of new public spaces. While incorporating historic elements of the site it would also include the addition of several distinctively modern buildings.

Before further exciting any readers over the details of the proposed development it should be noted that the scheme will now almost certainly be revised as the People’s Republic of China recently acquired the site from Delancey and the LRC Group with the intention of converting it into their new Embassy. The buildings fortified grounds, heritage and central location all no doubt being driving factors in their decision to relocate there.

While it's disappointing to discover Sheppard Robson Architects' Royal Mint Court scheme will never likely see the light of day - especially after photographing its wonderful interior, which hints at what could have been - it is highly likely another grand scheme will follow in its wake as the rush to build landmark Embassies in the capital intensifies.

Location: King’s Cross, London.
Developer: The Aga Khan Foundation UK
Architect: Maki and Associates (Fumihiko Maki)

Joining the ever expanding array of buildings which comprise the 67-acre, King's Cross regeneration scheme is the recently completed Aga Khan Centre. Designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Fumihiko Maki and his Japan based practice Maki and Associates, the building contains offices for the Aga Khan Foundation's development organisations along with facilities for research and education.

The building is typical of Maki's output being predominately a minimal affair, clad in white limestone and semi-opaque matt glazing, but on closer inspection you can see that it is punctuated at intervals with the ornate. This can first be observed at the main entrance where the large glass windows are decorated in a film of geometric patterns referencing Islamic art. These instances are then further repeated around the structure in the form of six courtyards, terraces and gardens which were inspired by Muslim societies the world over.

The building is situated at the rear of the University of the Arts London, Central Saint Martin's campus, alongside Duggan Morris' pink R7 development. Inside the ten-storey Aga Khan Centre is 10,000 sqm of floor space, with the first floor, which will soon be open to the public, containing an exhibition area dedicated to Muslim cultures. The building’s gardens will also open publicly on the 22 September and are intended to act as an entry point to discovering and understanding the history and cultures of the Muslim world.

Also housed within the building is the Aga Khan Library, which contains storage facilities for rare books and manuscripts. Users of the library can take their books and enjoy them in the tranquility of the Terrace of Learning - the second Islamic garden - located on the Library's upper level. Central to all this is a large atrium which rises to the top of the structure. Continuing above the Library are four floors of office space dedicated to the Aga Khan's education and development organisations. These include the Institute of Ismaili Studies, the Aga Khan University's Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations and the Aga Khan Foundation UK.

As you approach the buildings rear you will notice there is still ongoing construction works, when complete in 2020 these will give rise to King’s Cross' Jellicoe Garden's designed by Tom Stuart-Smith. This area aims to produce a 'coherent collection of linked green spaces defined by their diversity and quality' and will reflect the Persian tradition of garden design.

After capturing photographs of the Aga Khan Centre I was just about to leave when I noticed a beautiful, somewhat ghostly projection of light and shadow reaching up the rear of the building. Contrasted against the rigid, angular geometries of the physical structure these soft shapes appeared like a gentle fabric draped over the facade. This juxtaposition reflects the building as a whole, it is both minimal in form and ornate and detailed at intervals, the play between the two works harmoniously which is unexpected. This is yet another great entry into the growing number of quality architectural projects which forms the overall King's Cross regeneration scheme.