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Moneycentre, Plymouth, 2021

A quiet urban street flanked by mid-rise office buildings and shops, including a sushi restaurant and an amplifier shop with a colourful shutter. A few people walk on the pavement. One car is parked on the street under a clear blue sky.

I was reminded to dig this out of the photo library by this week’s West Country Modernism round-up. The Moneycentre (MWT, 1975), over the years home to various financial and insurance institutions, survived a demolition threat in 2018, changed hands multiple times, and has now been purchased by Homes England.

My own interest in architecture has only developed in the last few years, but clearly something attracted me to it back in 2021 – perhaps the geometrical simplicity of the tiled walls and tinted windows, as seen in this sunlit shot.

Exeter Switching Centre seen from Exeter Central railway station, 2021

A railway station platform with a metal footbridge overhead, a large concrete building in the background, and a white sign displaying the number 15 near the tracks. The station appears empty and the sky is overcast.

Photomator randomly opened to this photo I never posted, so I guess it’s fate.

Brush factory, Loughborough, 2022

A quiet train station at night, illuminated by yellow lights. A covered staircase leads up on the left. In the background, a large, bright pink neon sign reads BRUSH against a dark building. Wet platforms reflect the lights, and the sky is black.

Glazed staircase in New Mills, 2020

I delved into my photo library looking for something else, but instead I found this glazed staircase at the Swizzels Matlow factory in New Mills in intra-lockdown 2020.

A narrow canal runs beside old brick and glass factory buildings under a partly cloudy sky. The water reflects the buildings and sky. A dirt path lines the canal, with greenery and a corrugated metal fence on the right side.

New Century House, Manchester, March 2020

Looking up at an octagonal stained glass skylight with a geometric, colorful pattern. The ceiling around it is white with visible peeling paint and some cracks, suggesting age and wear. The stained glass glows with natural light filtering through.

A dim, narrow hallway with dirty, peeling cream-colored walls leads to two doorways at the end. The left door is labeled with a restroom sign. The floor is bare and scuffed, and the atmosphere appears old and neglected.

A slightly open, old window with peeling paint reveals a stone balcony railing outside. Blue sky with scattered clouds is visible above the railing. Beige curtains hang to the right, and sunlight casts soft shadows inside.

A hallway with beige walls and missing ceiling panels leads to a set of double wooden doors opening into a large, empty industrial space with worn floors and visible ceiling beams. Exposed wires hang from the hallway ceiling. The scene appears abandoned.

An empty, spacious room under renovation with exposed ceiling grids, blue carpet, scattered debris, and white columns. Two people walk near the right side, and large windows along the walls let in natural light. The space appears to be in an office building.

View through a window showing nearby multi-story buildings with white brick facades and large windows. The sky is partly cloudy, and city streets are visible below. Some reflections and smudges appear on the glass.

A small, brown metal spiral staircase ends abruptly at a ceiling opening in a worn stairwell. The wall beside it has large patches of peeling paint. A person in a black hat stands in the foreground, partially visible.

A group of people in coats stand inside a large, mostly empty room with wood-paneled walls and a dramatic ceiling covered in rectangular acoustic panels. The floor appears unfinished, and some scattered furniture and a whiteboard are visible along the wall.

A sign on a beige wall reads New Century House, Floor LG. Below, it lists Staff Facilities: Staff Restaurant, Staff Shop, Strollers Deli Bar, and Sports + Social Club. The sign has black, blue, and gray sections.

If I posted this 2 days ago when I meant to, it would’ve been 5 years to the day, too!

A staircase on the UMIST campus, 2022

I had a thing for exposed staircases during the summer I moved out of Manchester. Still do.

A modern brick building features large geometric windows with purple panels, revealing an indoor staircase. There is a wooden door at ground level, a small window to the left, and a glass rooftop structure above, all under a clear blue sky.

Ellen Wilkinson Building, Manchester, 2022

A four-story modern building with large rectangular windows framed in black and some outlined in orange. The entrance has glass doors, a canopy, and a sign. In front, there are green shrubs, a black railing, and a paved pathway leading to the door.

There’s more of it, from 2024, here.

And as if on cue, Steve Marland has posted some archive pictures of it, too.

Stonebow Centre, York, 2022

A modern, multi-story concrete and glass building with balconies, set above a street with bus stops and people waiting. Signs reading TO LET are visible in the windows. The sky is clear and the scene looks urban and busy.

I prefer it in black & white.

New Century House, Manchester, 2020

The image shows modern buildings with large glass windows and metal frames. A glass walkway connects two structures. The sky is overcast, casting a grayish light on the scene. The architecture is geometric with clean lines and a minimalist style.

CIS Tower, Manchester, 2020

Two modern skyscrapers with glass and steel facades rise against a clear blue sky. The buildings feature vertical and horizontal grid patterns, reflecting sunlight and nearby structures in their windows. The perspective is from ground level looking up.