April 2011 – Walking City ~ Paul Lincoln

60s glamour at Amen Court

Amen Court is in the shadow of the London Stock Exchange on the edge of Paternoster Square. It is a 1960s block of flats, a contemporary of the post-war Paternoster Square, so disliked by Prince Charles. It has gorgeous balconies covered in ceramic tiles.

Concrete and water mix in Aldermanbury Square

There is lots of public art in Aldermanbury Square, the block designed by Eric Parry Architects. Here is a water feature, I think …..with a channel fed by a series of these vertical ducts. It boasts lots of concrete shuttering in Hayward Gallery style surrounding the water and filling the reception areas.

Trademark air vents in Wood Street

This building is really fun to look at. There are trademark air vents (to be compared with the Pompidou Centre) together with a colour scheme matching the Lloyds Register building twenty minutes walk away. It is worth looking up into the lift shafts at night.

A perfect image of summer by the sea

Margate, the artistic bit near Turner Contemporary offers a great descent into the harbour.

Spectacular roof on top of the medieval gallery at the V&A

This is a view of the new roof covering the space between two parts of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s new Medieval Wing.

Plastic rosemary bushes and iron bars around London’s most expensive block of flats

Number 1 Hyde Park is London’s most expensive block of flats. It defines the notion of a gated community with huge bars outside a tiny garden. There is however, a little greenery open to the public – a series of rosemary bushes made entirely of plastic.

The most beautiful building in Oxford Street

100 Hills Place just off Oxford Street by Amanda Levete Architects. A beautiful addition on a side street. It is amazing to see such a beautiful building in this secretive place. Since completing this, the same architects have won a competition for a new gallery and public space at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The lost lido of Margate

This is almost all that’s left of the Margate Lido. These are the sands in front of the lido building. At first site, the lido appears still to exist but after walking up a steep slope and peering over the edge, there is nothing but a car park.

Turner very contemporary

Gorgeous Margate

A great day out to Margate to look at Turner Contemporary. And it was his birthday. Here are the flags on the promenade. Above a view of the new gallery and a picture further along the coast of what appears to have been a lido. All that is left is the remnant of the beachContinue reading “Gorgeous Margate”

Why I am not allowed to take pictures of One New Change from the roof of One New Change

This is a view from the roof of One New Change, the recently-opened shopping centre next to St Paul’s. The views from the roof are spectacular – across London to the South Bank and of St Paul’s. As I came out of the lift the security guard stopped me and said that I could takeContinue reading “Why I am not allowed to take pictures of One New Change from the roof of One New Change”

How to bend a building to accommodate a large tree

This is a secretive spot, a building by Foster curved to accommodate a small garden and a large tree. The external view at 100 Wood Street does not indicate the presence of the tree or the garden. This is not a trick of the camera as the building has a huge and very satisfying curve.