23.1 LONDON ARCHITECTURE: PART II |

My recent vacation coincided with Open House London that occurs each year in London about the third week of September. Here is what they say:

“Open House London, created and delivered by the independent non-profit organization Open-City, is the capital’s largest annual festival of architecture and design. Now in its 22nd year, it is a city-wide celebration of the buildings, places and neighborhoods where we live and work. By providing free and open access to 250,000 across 30 boroughs to more than 800 outstanding examples of historic and contemporary buildings, on-site projects and public spaces, it remains the most powerful medium for engaging everyone in a better appreciation of their city. Open House London, created and delivered by the independent non-profit organisation Open-City, is the capital’s largest annual festival of architecture and design. Now in its 22nd year, it is a city-wide celebration of the buildings, places and neighborhoods where we live and work. By providing free and open access to 250,000 across 30 boroughs to more than 800 outstanding examples of historic and contemporary buildings, on-site projects and public spaces, it remains the most powerful medium for engaging everyone in a better appreciation of their city.”

I managed to make contact with Architects Dialogue on line and was able to purchase a very useful map of London’s Contemporary Architecture. I also purchased and recommend the book ‘London’s Contemporary Architecture: An Explorer’s Guide’ by Ken Allinson and Victoria Thornton published by Routledge and now in its 6^th edition. This is an excellent tool for any keen architectural enthusiast in London.

London is really a fascinating city, but for architecture it is probably the best collection of both contemporary and historic buildings. I was quite moved to be standing in the presence of buildings designed by Stirling, Fosters, Piano and Rogers to name just a few. So with my Hasselblad 4D-50 in hand [no tripod] fitted with an HDC ƒ4.8/24mm lens [recently repaired after being damaged by a fall] I set about making some images as I walked around the streets of London in awe. Generally speaking the weather was mild for October but it was not always conducive to photography and it rained during both architectural walking tours I attended. Still there were a few shots there worth sharing so here are the first ten images.