Photo Essay: An Opinionated Guide to London Architecture
Photographer Taran Wilkhu has teamed up with Wallpaper* design editors Sujata Burman and Rosa Bertoli to produce a new ‘unapologetically short guide to the very best buildings in London’ and, to mark its publications, we’ve asked them to put together a photo essay. Formed of six highlights from the book, the below runs the gamut from modernist classics to pomo icons via Art Deco gems and just-finished landmarks.
Newport Street Gallery, SE11
The Stirling Prize-winning space makes a statement in the backstreets of Vauxhall. A clever conversion of three listed Victorian scenery-painting studios, which used to supply London’s West End, the industrial terrace is topped with a saw-toothed roof, angled just-so to resemble toppling dominos. An LED screen lights up the exterior, while inside it’s the full Damien Hirst package: climb to the top of a meticulous spiral staircase, explore his eclectic art collection for free across six galleries, and stop for a cocktail in the psychedelic Pharmacy 2 – complete with Hirst’s signature 1990s Medicine Cabinets and kaleidoscopic butterfly paintings.
The Brunswick Centre, WC1N
Back in the 1970s, this megastructure was handed over from architect Patrick Hodgkinson to Camden council, and, in his words, turned into a ‘council housing ghetto’. But, in the late 1990s he was given an opportunity to resurrect his vision for a clever cluster of mixed-use social housing. He enlisted Levitt & Bernstein for the job and now the white concrete superblock is part shopping centre, part residential, and on a sunny day, the bold, stepped design resembles a Mediterranean holiday complex. Bypass Waitrose and the usual chain restaurants and instead wander through to the Curzon cinema and second-hand bookshop, Skoob, tucked away in the basement.
British Museum, WC1B
At the heart of this cultural institution is the Great Court – the largest, and arguably most extraordinary, covered courtyard in Europe. Added in 2000, consider this proof that the architecture of one era really can be enhanced by another. And if the promise of a vast two-acre, two-century-old Greek Revivalist masterpiece isn’t enough, it’s topped by a hypnotic tessellated glass roof. Architecture turns artwork with geometric shadow patterns cast across the light-filled space. Explore the museum’s renowned archive of artefacts; or just sit back in what is one of central London’s most serene meeting spots.
Maggie’s Barts, EC1A
This cancer support centre reminds us that great architecture can uplift and bring hope to those in need. Architect Steven Holl fulfilled the vision of Maggie Keswick Jencks and her husband, architectural historian Charles Jencks, with a layered composition of bamboo, concrete and translucent matte glass, seamlessly attached to the 12th-century St Bartholomew’s Hospital in Smithfield. Vibrant geometric symbols, relating to both the medieval and Greek notions of ‘life force’, are woven into the very fabric of the building. A truly inspirational place.
Isle of Dogs Pumping Station, E14
If you’ve walked all the way along the Thames to the Isle of Dogs, you’re probably lost. But, before you backtrack, get a picture of this colourful 1980s riverside curiosity, dubbed ‘Temple of Storms’. It’s still in use today, pumping excess water directly into the river during stormy weather to prevent flooding; and while you can’t go inside, the exterior is what takes it from purely functional to unforgettable. Elevated to Grade II listed status in 2017, it’s perhaps one of the most unexpected and exciting examples of rebellious Postmodernist architecture in London.
Hoover Building, UB6
A dual-carriageway might not be the obvious place for an archi-tour, but lo and behold: the Hoover Building. Originally the vacuum cleaner’s HQ in the 1930s, by the 1980s Tesco moved in and, conveniently, there’s still a store at the back. Where else can you shop for groceries in an Art Deco monument? In 2015, part of the building was transformed into luxe apartments. The heritage features – grand staircases with wrought-iron banisters and terrazzo flooring – have polished up beautifully, and the green-and-black geometric details run from the neo-Egyptian façade throughout. Look out for its bright white cement (‘snowcrete’) finish next time you drive by.
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An Opinionated Guide to London Architecture with text by Sujata Burman and Rosa Bertoli and photography by Taran Wilkhu is published by Hoxton Mini Press.
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