Modernist Delights

Stairwell, National Theatre, London

A dimly lit concrete stairwell with dark carpeted steps leads upward and turns left; stainless steel railings line both sides. The walls are textured concrete, and a small sign reading “STAIRS” is visible above the landing.

Wayfinding signpost outside the National Theatre, 2025

A signpost on a cloudy day points to nearby attractions including National Film Theatre, Hayward Gallery, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Festival Pier, National Theatre, and Jubilee Gardens, with buildings and trees in the background.

Charming use of colour and iconography (especially on the Festival Pier sign), which you don’t see in an era of consistent, unified design languages.

Prince Charles Cinema, Westminster, London, 2025

A marquee on the Prince Charles Cinema displays “QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE ALIVE IN THE CATACOMBS.” The cinema’s black awning is below, and the building above has patterned windows. The sky is partly cloudy.

After a short period supporting the dramatic arts, the venue was reinvented as a kind of soft porn cinema, and began showing European arthouse movies with “a level of nudity that British and American cinema wasn’t ready for”.
Wikipedia

Not a straight-up soft porn cinema, god forbid, just a kind of one.

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.

West Ham station, London, 2025

A red and white London Underground train is stopped at an outdoor station platform. Behind the train are brick and glass buildings. The sky is partly cloudy, and no people are visible on the platform or inside the train.

Bring back glass bricks!

Lancaster Police Station, 2025

A four-storey building with a facade of yellowish-brown panels and many rectangular windows, set against a clear blue sky. There is a no entry road sign at the front, and sunlight casts shadows on the building and pavement.

A low-angle view of a tan, modern building with large rectangular windows reflecting trees and sky. Sunlight filters through green-yellow leaves above. On the left, a parked white car and a yellow sign are visible in the distance.

One of Roger Booth’s lesser known police stations in the autumn sunshine.

Arena House, Letchworth Garden City, 2025

A front-on shot of a short and wide three storey building, with shops on the bottom floor and housing above. Cars are parked in front of the shops. The flats above feature almost full height, full width tall and narrow windows on their front. Trees partially frame the scene.

A three-storey red brick building with large glass windows, some open and covered by curtains. A black SUV is parked in front. Partially visible brick wall and a person walking on the right. Sky is bright with scattered clouds.

A two-storey building with large glass windows and a red roof. Ground floor shops include “Polos INTERFOODS” and “The Photo Shop.” Two white cars are parked in front, and green hedges line the street under a partly cloudy sky.

Woodstock Fire Station training tower, 2025

A three-storey beige brick fire station with a tall training tower stands behind a black metal fence. Several cars are parked outside. A red banner about on-call firefighters hangs on the fence. Trees and cloudy skies are visible in the background.

I haven’t quite worked out the GPS on my camera at the time I took this photo, so I’ve just spent a good half hour going through credit card receipts trying to find where I was that day 🤡