New Ludgate by Fletcher Priest & Sauerbruch Hutton Architects / February 3, 2017 by Alex Upton

One New Ludgate: Photography: Copyright © Alex Upton

Development: 1 & 2 New Ludgate
Architects: Fletcher Priest & Sauerbruch Hutton Architects
Location: New Ludgate, City of London
Developer: Land Securities

The winter months can be both cruel and kind to the architectural photographer. With the sun reclining lower in the sky early afternoons can provide some of the year’s best light for photographing buildings, with golden hues and dynamic shadows tracing their every surface illuminating them in a manner to which the summer sun does not cater. Yet in the absence of these infrequent conditions a stubbornly persistent smudge of impenetrable, uniform grey often hangs over the city leading to many rescheduled shoots. On such days it seems appropriate to catch up on some neglected updates from projects I photographed earlier in the year, one such project is the New Ludgate development in the City of London.

New Ludgate is a mixed use development by Land Securities combining both office, retail and restaurant space within two distinct yet complimentary buildings. Situated in the City of London just a short walk from St Paul’s Cathedral the site was once home to the 15th century Belle Sauvage public house and coaching inn. The master plan for the site was drawn up by Fletcher Priest Architects and takes into account the sites sensitive location; their building – One New Ludgate – steps back from the protected view of St Paul’s reinstating the streets curvature which was used by Wren to show his building to full effect.

Two New Ludgate: Photography: Copyright © Alex Upton

The Portland Stone façade of One New Ludgate stands in contrast with the colourful amber glass façade of it’s neighbour - Two New Ludgate - designed by Sauerbruch Hutton Architects. The fact that both buildings utilise a grid like structure to cover the façade brings about a convergence in their design which would otherwise have been lost. From an architectural photographers point of view it is these glass shutters and external masonry which make for some of the most interesting images.

New Ludgate Public Realm: Photography: Copyright © Alex Upton

Although the site is essentially restrained by its relatively small footprint and the need to maximise floor space there is still adequate attention given to the public realm which offers stone seating to the city workers on their lunch breaks and trees which return a bit of nature to densely urban part of the city. The surrounding paving is made up of quadrilateral polygons of different shades which when hit by the light reflecting of the buildings create a nice interplay of light and form.

Collaborative efforts in architecture can often be fraught with competing visions and a sense that one needs to outdo the other, but on this site both buildings are addressed in a sensible and restrained manner leading to a distinct yet harmonious outcome. As both buildings retreat from the views of their iconic neighbour they become slightly more animated and playful yet still retain their dignity in the presence of their elders. To see more of my architectural photographs of New Ludgate please head over to the projects section of my portfolio.

1 Undershaft (Aviva Tower) by OAG / October 3, 2016 by Alex Upton

1 Undershaft - Photography: Copyright © Alex Upton

1 Undershaft, also know as both St Helen's and Aviva Tower recently underwent a internal and external renovation spanning the first and second floor lobby area. Bespoke glazing specialists OAG commissioned the following set of images to document their contribution to the site.

The 23 storey tower, home to insurance giant Aviva was originally completed in 1969 by architects Gollins Melvin Ward. With its restrained modernist styling 1 Undershaft can appear austere in the company of Norman Foster's 30 St Mary Axe and Richard Rogers 122 Leadenhall, yet its simplicity and rigid geometry offer a somewhat calming presence not offered by its flamboyant neighbours.

With the need to bring the buildings interior and entry level space into the 21st century OAG working with COMO have introduce 7.6 metre high glass fins, weighing in at just under a tonne each to create a impressive transparent facade. Internally with the assistance and digital expertise of Light Lab OAG have transformed the space into a technical haven with LED back lit panels surrounding the entrance and projecting feature pods which add colour and depth to the surface.

Internally a giant display projects various data streams to passers by, at the time of photographing the building the Olympic Games were being televised with seating outside for the weary office workers to lay back in, relax and recuperate. Undoubtedly there are some Deleuzian theoretical gems waiting to be extracted from the notion of city workers sitting watching other city works through a screen like facade which in itself contains another screen - insights relating to levels of opacity in financial markets, multi layered screens and work / leisure time divisions abound, but I will leave such endeavours to those more qualified.

Occupied by over 3000 office workers the transformations to 1 Undeshaft were carried out with little disturbance to the buildings daily functioning. What could have simply been a functional facade has become and interactive, dynamic space, which is both impressive for its scale, quality, innovation and bold style. Inviting the public to engage with the building does away with the notion that the facade should be a barrier between those on the inside and those on the outside. For further photographs documenting the renovation head over to 1 Undershaft listed in my projects gallery.

Afterword: The future of 1 Undershaft

After suffering heavy damages in the 1992 Baltic exchange bombing the Towers continued existence looks under threat once again with the emergence of plans for its replacement by a 72 storey tower set to be the City of London's tallest building if completed. This eventuality is still yet to be approved and remains as of now a distant prospect, so for time being at least the towers occupants, and the passing public can enjoy its hi-tech renovation.

Die Zeit Newspaper Feature / August 4, 2016 by Alex Upton

One of my recent photographs of the Tate Modern Switch House extension was featured in the German weekly newspaper Die Zeit, the typographic layout nicely incorporates the buildings form into the design.

Byrom Point by Falconer Chester Hall Architects / July 14, 2016 by Alex Upton

Development: Byrom Point Student Accommodation
Architects: Falconer Chester Hall Architects
Location: Great Crosshall Street, Liverpool
Client: Taylor Maxwell

Byrom Point - Photography: Copyright © Alex Upton

Byrom Point Student Accommodation is a mixed used scheme which contains 398 bed spaces for students and 361 sqm of retail at street level. The building is located at the crossroads of Byrom Street and Great Crosshall Street in Liverpool and was designed by Falconer Chester Hall Architects. I was recently commissioned by Taylor Maxwell to photograph the stone cladding they provided for the buildings exterior.

The buildings facade makes good use of both colour and materials in order to create divisions between the buildings faces, this reduces it's bulky form and makes it a colourful addition to the surrounding landscape. The pale stone cladding sits nicely in contrast with the bolder elements surrounding the windows and gives the building a high quality finish.

The building is now nearing completion with the first students expected to arrive in September, currently there are still minor works taking place around the base of the tower to make way for the retail section.

Falconer Chester Hall, the architects behind this scheme have delivered a number of student accommodation projects around the country, and unlike many student accommodation buildings which too often appear value engineered and lacking in any creative verve, their buildings tend to make clever and considered use of materials, form and colour to enhance the students living spaces.

A more detailed selection of photographs documenting Byrom Point can be found in the projects section of my portfolio.

Newport Street Gallery by Caruso St John / July 1, 2016 by Alex Upton

Newport Street Gallery by London Architecture Studio Caruso St John. All images Copyright © Alex Upton

Located in Vauxhall, London, just a short walk from the Thames River and running parallel to an elevated section of railway is architectural practice Caruso St John’s Newport Street Gallery. The building opened its doors to the public in early 2015. As an architectural photographer I was excited to pay a visit since hearing about the inaugural exhibition of work by Sheffield-born abstract painter John Hoyland last year and had been intending to make a trip there with my camera to photograph the buildings impressive interior and exterior spaces. The recent exhibition of work by artist Jeff Koons provided such an opportunity.

Architectural Photography of Newport Street Gallery’s Main Entrance.

The gallery is comprised of several former theatre warehouses which have been converted by London architecture studio Caruso St John to house Damien Hirst’s growing collection of contemporary art which consists of some 3000 or so pieces. The 3,400 square-meter gallery, although large, isn't capable of such a feat, but still provides ample space for individual artist shows. In addition to the exhibition space the building also contains a restaurant called the Pharmacy², which takes Damien Hirst’s iconic Medicine Cabinet installations as its point of reference for both the name and its interior design inspiration. Located at the opposite end of the gallery, in a space separate from the rest of the building, is a shop where books and selected works and prints can be purchased.

Contrasting the old and new brickwork along Newport Street Gallery’s facade.

In the wake of its opening the building has slowly been picking up a host of prestigious awards, most notably the RIBA 2016 Stirling Prize, along with the RIBA National Award 2016 and RIBA London Award 2016. In addition to this it also picked up the top prize at the Brick Development Association (BDA) Brick Awards for its well considered juxtaposition of old and new brickwork which makes up the facade. The architectural photography I took of the buildings exterior aims to convey this integration of old and new brickwork, showing the irregular transitions and multicoloured surfaces that come together to form the buildings outer skin.

A sense of architectural scale - contrasting the former industrial warehouse with the galleries new office space.

The galleries close proximity to the adjacent railway line makes it tricky to photograph the building’s exterior in its entirety face-on, which is unfortunate for the changes in brickwork, architectural detailing and form would look great from this perspective. Yet with this minor limitation the architectural photographs of Newport Street Gallery which I took still look great when solely focusing on individual segments of the building. A case in point, the image above contrasts the structure of the former industrial warehouse with the newly built section housing the galleries office space.

Interior Photography of Newport Street Gallery Exhibition Space - Artwork by Jeff Koons.

Moving inside, the galleries interiors spaces are bright and spacious, as would be expected of a modern gallery, with high ceilings providing ample space to accommodate large sculptures and installations; Jeff Koons’s giant stainless steel sculpture of a balloon-shaped dog was occupying such a space at the time of writing. With interior photography being reliant on the use of a tripod to stabilise the camera, and this being a personal visit, I only managed to capture a few handheld images from inside, but would love the opportunity to return one day and photograph the space with the necessary photographic equipment.

One of the nicest architectural features inside the gallery are the spiral staircases which provide access to the galleries second floor of exhibition space. The staircases themselves, of which there are three, all slightly different in form and geometry, are surrounded by a white engineered brick which follows their curvature all the way to the top of the building.

Photography of Newport Street Galleries Spiral Staircase.

Newport Street Gallery is an incredibly successful piece of architecture, it manages to be subtle yet captivating, the more elaborate and expressive parts of the building are restricted to the stairwells and exterior while the artworks are allowed to take centre stage in the exhibition spaces. This careful balance of creating a beautifully detailed building which fails to overshadow the artwork is quite an achievement and something which is often neglected in many new-build art galleries. Here artwork and architecture exist in harmony, so whether you are going to appreciate the artwork, architecture, or both, you will no doubt be impressed by at least one of them.

Project Team:

Architect: Caruso St John (Peter St John)
Client: Science UK Limited (Damien Hirst)
Main Contractor: Walter Lilly
M&E consultant: Max Fordham
M&E contractor: Piggott and Whitfield
Architectural Photographer: Alex Upton

Lexicon Tower by Skidmore Owings & Merrill / May 30, 2016 by Alex Upton

Development: Lexicon 261 City Road
Architects: Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM)
Location: City Road, Islington, London
Height: 115m (36fl)

Lexicon Tower - Photography: Copyright © Alex Upton

The Lexicon is a residential development by Mount Anvil which stands adjacent to Canaletto Tower on the waterfront, just beside City Road. It is one of a number of new high-rise buildings to spring up on this stretch of road, alongside Make architects Atlas Building, Foster and Partners 250 City Road and the recently completed The Eagle and Montcalm Signature Tower developments by Terry Farrell & Partners and Squire & Partners collaboration with 5plus architects respectively.

This sleek tower was designed by Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) architects - the team behind the world’s current tallest building Dubai’s Burj Khalifa - and features both a high-rise and low-rise element. The Lexicon's minimal aesthetic is accented by its use of high quality materials, the façade being covered with a beautiful clear class which curves at the corner sections. There are 146, one, two and three bedroom luxury apartments within spread across the buildings 36 floors.

The stone clad detailing around the base of the tower becomes sharp and angular, cutting into he surrounding space projecting an interesting play between light and shadow. This lower portion of the building complements the more restrained and curvaceous upper portion by contrasting both form and materials, and in doing so breaks up the monotony of what could have been a singular design feature.

I am looking forward to returning to this area over the coming years and photographing the new developments, most of which are still at the ground works stage. Once Lexicon and Canaletto are joined by Norman Foster's 250 City Road this small area will be home to some truly iconic architecture by three leading architectural practices.

Canaletto by UNStudio / May 27, 2016 by Alex Upton

Development: Canaletto 259 City Road
Architects: UNStudio
Location: City Road, Islington, London
Height: 90m (31fl)

Canaletto 259 City Road - Photography: Copyright © Alex Upton

Canaletto is a residential tower designed by Dutch architect Ben van Berkel of UNStudio. The building is located at 259 City Road which borders on Islington, The City, Shoreditch and Clerkenwell. Construction is still on going with most of the work now taking place at the base of the tower where the concierge area is being fitted out, these architectural photographs capture Canaletto's current progress.

Returning from a trip to the recently opened Yayoi Kusama exhibition at the Victoria Miro Gallery - which for prospective residents is conveniently located a minuets walk from the Canaletto building along with a McDonald's Drive Thru, a real melting pot of high and low brow culture - i happened to chance upon these beautiful cloud formations passing over the tower. These photographs of Canaletto are the result of me trying to recalibrate my senses after being dazzled by Kusama's infinity mirror installations, which by the way are well worth a visit.

The lucky residents of this tower will have access to a wide range of facilities including what will be a stylish restaurant, private screening room, swimming pool and gymnasium and a 24th floor private club and sky terrace. The innovative design by UNStudio incorporates balconies into the linear and somewhat bulbous chrome clad panels that wrap around the buildings façade, which according to the architects create 'sustainability benefits achieved through surface modelling, with opportunities for shading, balancing good internal daylight and views with reduced heat gains'. Along with their sustainable credentials these panels produce some beautiful forms which for and architectural photographer offer endless opportunities for new and exciting compositions.

Canaletto is located in an area which is currently seeing a lot of developments start to rise, with Foster and Partners 250 City Road residential apartments just beginning to break ground over the road and the adjacent Lexicon building also nearing completion - for which a photograph update will follow shortly.

Tate Modern Switch House by Herzog & de Meuron / May 25, 2016 by Alex Upton

Development: Tate Modern Switch House - Gallery Extension
Architects: Herzog and de Meuron
Location: Southbank, London
Height: 72m

Tate Modern Switch House - Photography: Copyright © Alex Upton

Architects Herzog & de Meuron's extension to the Tate Modern gallery is now nearing completion and is due to open to the public on 17th June 2016. Named the Switch House, since it is situated of the site of the former electrical substation, the new building will house galleries across 10 floors expanding the Tate Modern's exhibition space to accommodate their ever increasing collection of international art acquisitions.

Having followed the buildings construction progress over the past several years I have long been anticipating the day when the brick-clad structure would finally be revealed, for it has lain hidden beneath the incredibly complex and somewhat beautiful lattice of scaffolding for a considerable amount of time. With that now removed and the crane no longer on site I optimistically ventured down to South Bank on a somewhat cloudy and rainy day, just as I arrived the heavens parted and I was fortunate enough to get some photographs of the external structure in its afternoon glory.

The building is clad in 336,000 perforated lattice bricks which are not only beautiful to admire for the complexity of their combined structure, but also because they allow light and shadows to permeate through the buildings external skin, this is especially noticeable once the internal lights are switched on in the evening.

Its almost hard to know when to stop photographing this building for it formal and surface qualities offer endless opportunities for different compositions, with each revealing something new about the structure. Hopefully next time I return to the site I will take a zoom lens to focus in on the architectural details and brick work. I also look forward to experiencing the artworks on display inside, but i fear they will be dominated by the beauty of their container.

Currently there is still landscaping ongoing at the base of the building which will no doubt open up the area adjacent to Richard Roger's NEO Bankside apartments. I will update more images once the building finally reveals itself later next month. You can find more of my Tate Modern Switch House Photographs under the projects section of my portfolio.