Modernist Delights

Crimson columns of Council House, Plymouth, 2025

A concrete building facade with tall vertical windows, some with closed blinds and one open window. The lower level has grey stone and vertical bars. Reflections of clouds and city buildings appear in the glass. A single red pillar stands in the centre.

A cylindrical column covered in small red tiles stands between two large windows with vertical white blinds. The column casts a slight shadow, and reflections of buildings and cars are visible in the glass behind it. The scene appears urban and modern.

The “Crimson Columns of Council House” will be in session with Steve Lamacq on 6 Music this afternoon.

Plymouth Civic Centre & details, 2025

A tall, rectangular, concrete building with many small, dirty windows stands behind a shorter structure with alternating vertical dark and light stripes. The sky is partly cloudy, with blue sky visible on the left and a large white cloud on the right.

A grey, concrete car park by a brutalist tower block. Several cars are parked below. A spiral staircase leads to a walkway covered in colourful graffiti. The scene is urban, with cloudy blue sky above and yellow road markings on the ground.

A concrete spiral staircase with a green metal railing wraps around a cylindrical pillar in front of a graffiti-covered, urban building. Yellow parking lines, a parked orange car, purple bins, and industrial details are visible in the scene.

A brick wall with a grid of cross-shaped cut-outs, two vents near the bottom, and a white sign reading “Please do not park in front of roller bar.” Yellow diagonal parking lines and white lines mark the ground in front.

Designed by city architect Hector Stirling, completed in 1962. After several failed schemes to modernise these former Plymouth City Council offices, plans are currently underway to convert the lower floors of the building into a new campus for City College Plymouth, with housing on the floors above.

Dedicating this post to my beleaguered boyfriend, who detests this building.

Raleigh Street, Plymouth, 2025

A rundown, multi-storey white building with many boarded-up windows. On the ground floor are the closed “LUCKY STAR” Chinese restaurant, a sign for “EXPRESS” convenience shop, and more vacant shopfronts. A metal fence runs along the road in front.

Lucky Star Chinese takeaway, sadly only 3.1 stars on Google.

Theatre Royal car park, Plymouth, 2025

A large, multi-storey concrete car park with rounded edges and horizontal lines dominates a mostly empty urban street. The sky is partly cloudy, and a tall office building is visible in the background. Road signs and pedestrian crossings surround the car park.

A multi-storey concrete car park with wide, flat, textured floors and gaps between levels. A white streetlamp stands in front, and a metal fence borders the pavement. Yellow and red pillars are visible inside, with a partly cloudy sky above.

A multi-storey, concrete car park with three main levels, supported by red and blue columns. There’s a street in front with a railing and a yellow sign warning of a car park height restriction. The sky is cloudy.

A multi-storey concrete car park with three visible levels. No Entry signs and barriers block the entrance. Faded NO ENTRY is painted on the ground. The sky is partly cloudy above the building. The scene appears quiet and empty.

Plymouth Athenaeum, 2025

A modern, rectangular building labelled “ATHENAEUM” features large glass windows on the upper floor and a sheltered entrance below. The facade is grey, with bollards, a ramp, and a pedestrian crossing visible in front on a sunny day.

The theatre was used as a studio by neighbour Westward Television Studios with a tunnel linking the two together. In 1963 John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison escaped fans by using the tunnel.
Plymouth Athenaeum, Wikipedia

Built in 1961 following the bombing of the society’s previous home in the Blitz, designed by Walls and Pearn.

Chichester House, Plymouth, 2025

Tall, modern block of flats with brown brick exterior and white window frames. The block has around 15 storeys and is set against a partly cloudy, sunny sky. Cars, including a red van, are parked at the base near a black metal fence.

Designed by BA Searle, opened 1968.

Leigham Court, Plymouth, 2025

A large, grey, four-storey block of flats with many rectangular windows. The façade is plain and made of concrete bricks. A car park is visible below, with a red car parked on the left. The sky is cloudy and other buildings are partly visible nearby.

A five-storey, grey brick apartment building with large rectangular windows, some protruding in box-like frames. Double glass doors mark the entrance, with a sign reading “Osney Court” above. A bush with orange flowers grows on the right, under a partly cloudy sky.

A five-storey grey brick block of flats with large pane windows, some open. Bushes and small shrubs line the base. The building sits between a pale yellow house and another structure. A blue plaque is visible on the wall, and the sky is partly cloudy.

A grey brick building with vertical slits, a blue English Heritage plaque above, and a No Parking sign on the wall. Decorative concrete blocks are to the left, a bush with green leaves in the foreground, and windows near the top.

Finally, a building so unremarkable that I couldn’t find any historical information about it! However, the ground-level details still appealed to me.

The blue plaque is dedicated to Alison Vickers Garland, a suffragist whose family home stood on this site.

Shirley Towers, Torquay, 2025

A sunny street scene features people walking past colourful shops and cafés on the ground floor of older buildings. Modern blocks of flats rise in the background under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds. A silver car is parked near the pavement.

View of a coastal town with hillside buildings, including tall modern flats among trees, older houses below, a prominent brick wall in the foreground, and a marina with many boats on the right, under a partly cloudy sky.

Built 1963-6, designed by Alec C. French & Partners. Shirley Towers will be my drag name when I grow up.

Riviera International Centre, Torquay, 2025

A paved path leads to blue and green tennis courts, separated by fences. A large, modern building with Riviera Centre signage stands in the background, surrounded by trees. The sky is partly cloudy, and the foreground shows dry, patchy grass.

A large, modern concrete building labelled “RIVIERA CENTRE” has balconies and palm trees in front. Two parked cars and two people standing near a sign are visible. The sky is partly cloudy, and the area looks clean and well-maintained.

A modern, grey concrete leisure centre with large mirrored windows reflects the sky. A yellow Waves sign is on the upper wall. Bushes and palm trees surround the entrance. A paved path and grassy area with rocks are in front, under a partly cloudy sky.

A dense cluster of palm fronds grows in front of black metal garage doors set into a concrete building. The pavement consists of grey interlocking bricks. A red and white ‘No entry’ sign is mounted on the left side of the structure.

A grey, concrete building with RIVIERA CENTRE in bold letters at the top. A large circular window is above three blue doors. The lower facade features dark brickwork. Some plants and bicycle racks are visible near the pavement in the foreground.

Conference & leisure centre, designed by Module 2 and built 1984-87. For a gold star, spot the disinterested boyfriend.

Princess Theatre, Torquay, 2025

A large white building labelled “Princess Theatre” in blue letters. Several blue doors and vertical lines decorate the exterior. Palm trees and benches sit outside, with a hillside and overcast sky in the background. No people are present.

A modern glass-fronted building labelled Princess Theatre with large rounded windows, white trim, and ramp access. Posters are visible near the entrance. In the background, a Ferris wheel and hillside buildings can be seen under a cloudy sky.

Designed by F. T. W. Nixon & G. R. Todd Architects for Torquay Council, opening in 1961. As is so often the case, possibly more attractive from the back.

Modernist Delights is a blog about modernist and brutalist architecture. Find out more.