Modernist Delights

Cuthbert House, the remains and environs thereof, Newcastle, 2024

A stone railway bridge with two large arches stands beside a modern building. Metal scaffolding is attached to the bridge. Vines grow on the stonework, and construction materials are stacked below. Graffiti is visible on both the bridge and the nearby building.

A large, rectangular, concrete office building with many rows of blue-framed windows. Some windows are boarded up with wood, and there are visible stains on the building’s surface, suggesting age or neglect. The sky is cloudy.

A rundown building with boarded-up windows, blue window frames, and signs of neglect. The sign reads HOUSE with missing letters. Warning signs and a speed limit sign are on the wall. Debris, green sacks, and a broken mirror are visible in the dirty courtyard.

A blocked, sloping concrete path between stone walls leads to a city street. A metal fence and warning sign stop entry; wood planks and metal sheets lean on both sides. Across the street, a yellow taxi and black SUV are parked near a large gray building.

That jerry-rigged gate at the end is making me laugh to this day.

Manors Car Park, Newcastle, 2019

A curved, multi-level concrete parking structure with vertical white pillars overlooks a road ramp leading to and from the building. A few cars drive on the ramp. Overcast sky and a modern high-rise building appear in the background.

Here’s another photo of Manors Car Park from a previous trip. I am absolutely devoid of any photographic talent, or even skills (if any of the photos on this blog don’t have my fingers in the frame, it’s only because I cropped them out), but in this moment the shot just lined up right. Even the since-removed sign for the Metro Radio Arena looks right. I like it so much it’s been my iPad wallpaper for years.

Manors Car Park, Newcastle, 2024

A curved, multi-level road descends alongside a tall concrete barrier on the left. A modern, rectangular building with many windows is in the background. Cars are visible below, and the sky is partly cloudy, creating a mix of light and shadow.

A curved, fenced pedestrian ramp with streetlights winds upward under a cloudy sky. Vertical concrete pillars line the outside, and the image is viewed through red metal bars in the foreground. The pavement appears empty and slightly damp.

A multi-level spiral parking garage ramp with concrete columns and metal railings. Sunlight casts shadows across the surfaces, and a Drive Slowly sign is visible. Colorful graffiti buildings and greenery can be seen through the gaps outside.

A multi-level concrete parking structure with tall vertical bars, winding ramps, and sunlight streaming through clouds above. Greenery is visible on the ground to the left, and city buildings are in the background behind the structure.

Curved ramp inside a multi-story car park with concrete beams and vertical windows letting in sunlight. A yellow pillar on the right has a blue directional arrow sign pointing left. City buildings and a blue sky are visible through the windows.

A curved, dimly lit concrete ramp with metal railings and vertical bars on the side, showing green plants growing through the bars. Light streams in from the left, and a ceiling light is visible above, creating a mix of shadow and natural light.

A close-up view of two adjacent concrete parking garages with multiple floors and open-air designs. Vertical and horizontal beams frame each level, and metal railings run along the edges. The sky is partly visible at the top left.

A large concrete overpass curves above an empty parking lot with vertical pillars supporting the structure. Sunlight creates shadows, and a multi-story parking garage with open gaps lines the right side. The overall scene appears urban and deserted.

A modern, curving concrete overpass and elevated roadway stand above a parking area. Traffic cones line the road on the left. The sky is bright blue with scattered clouds, and a tall brick building rises in the background.

Manors has to be my favourite car park yet. This wasn’t my first visit to it, of course, I don’t decide my favourite car parks on a whim! I’ve used this phrase before, I’m sure, but there’s just something pleasantly geometric about the whole space — not just the upright and cross beams of the car park itself, which repeat in such a mesmerising pattern, but how it fits into the space, too, and how the A167(M), the junction off it, and the pedestrian foot bridge (which affords great views of the car park) fits around its curves too. We were lucky to see it just as the sun came out after a rather grey morning, it looked extra beautiful.

The plaque at the entrance says “Manors Car Park — The first civic multi-storey car park in Newcastle Upon Tyne was opened on 27th July 1971 by Alderman Arthur Grey, leader of the city council.”

Staircase, Newcastle, 2024

A modern glass elevator shaft stands between two office buildings—one with beige brick and green-tinted windows, the other with white and gray panels. The sky above is partly cloudy and blue. Black barriers surround the elevator’s base at ground level.

Great news everyone: STAIRCASE!

Streets in the sky, Newcastle, 2024

A concrete pedestrian footbridge with graffiti crosses above a small, wet parking lot with parked cars. Tall trees line the lot, and modern glass buildings and a brick structure are visible in the background under a cloudy sky.

A multi-level, brutalist brick parking garage with graffiti, including a prominent “SHARE SPOTS” tag, stands next to a road with two parked cars. Trees and cloudy skies are in the background; the foreground shows a concrete barrier.

A covered, abandoned walkway with brick walls and a tiled floor is littered with trash and debris. Graffiti covers the walls on both sides, and a large, colorful tag is visible at the far end. Natural light filters in from the open front.

A large, abandoned brick building with six floors has many broken and boarded-up windows, most covered with faded blue, yellow, and white boards covered in graffiti. Sunlight partially shines on the building. A street runs beneath an overpass at ground level.

On Polish movie posters

A framed poster for the film Powiększenie (Blow-Up) by Michelangelo Antonioni features a portrait made of small black, red, and purple dots. The poster rests against a white wall, above clutter including snacks and papers.

My friend Charlie read this article (The Insane History of Polish Movie Posters) the other day and ended up sending me a print of one of them, because he knew I’d like it, and he was obviously right. I was so excited to display it I whacked it on the nearest available surface, hence why it’s currently hiding behind M&S vouchers. I didn’t clock this initially, I was so taken in by the colours, but from the top of the stairs (and a little bit in this picture too) it looks like a face. It’s great.

A surreal, abstract poster for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee. It depicts distorted, merging human faces with exaggerated features, skeletal elements, and jagged shapes. The text is in Polish, with dramatic, expressive lines and muted colors.

I promise not to turn this into a Polish Poster Blog, but another one of my favourites is the poster for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” by Franciszek Starowieyski. I have a print of it somewhere. I’ll level with you – it’s quite ugly! You’d think one of the keystones of good design is that the item is pleasing to look at, and this is anything but, so how exhilarating that an artist has the freedom to create something which doesn’t conform to that expectation? I think it catches your attention, which makes it very effective nevertheless. For a start, when I saw it on eBay I couldn’t stop thinking about it until I purchased it.

Here’s the article, and I recommend reading it if only to find out the fascinating reason behind why communist Poland had such a vibrant movie poster design culture.

The Insane History of Polish Movie Posters – sabukaru

Northumbria University campus, Newcastle, 2024

A modern building with a grid of reflective windows occupies most of the image. At street level, there is a black awning labeled café central. Two leafy trees are partially visible on either side. The sky is overcast.

A close-up view of a gray, multi-story building facade, showing several rows of rectangular windows. The windows vary between open, closed, and partially covered with blinds. The building exterior looks aged, with a grid pattern of window frames.

Bridges, Newcastle, 2024

A curved, wet sidewalk runs beside a fenced road with traffic lights. Overhead, two concrete bridges cross above the street. Trees with green leaves line the right side, and the sky is overcast with gray clouds, suggesting recent rain.

Bridges, bridges, bridges, bridges!

Newcastle Civic Centre & details, 2024

A person with a backpack stands on a brick plaza in front of a modern building with a cylindrical structure and a rectangular wing. A large wall sculpture of a figure is visible between the two sections under a cloudy sky.

A view looking down a concrete stairwell with angular turns and metal railings. The stairs are weathered, and shadows obscure the lower levels, giving a sense of depth and geometric patterns formed by the steps and rails.

A narrow passageway between two brick buildings features a tall, greenish, weathered copper panel above the entrance. The panel has a patterned, rectangular texture. Trees and a pathway are visible through the passage in the background.

A tall, modern building with a concrete tower featuring a green metal sculpture on top stands beside a glass office block. The sky is overcast. In the foreground, there is a geometric metal sculpture, and brick buildings are partially visible to the left.

A large window set in a gray stone building reflects trees and another building. Above the window are old, worn blinds. A white security camera is centered above the glass. In front, a metal railing runs along a brick walkway.

A grey, overcast day outside a modern building with vertical metal slats and large windows. Two white vans are parked in a lot with yellow lines. A person walks near an entrance, and a tall, windowed building stands on the left.

A concrete staircase with white railings leads to a closed entrance of a gray building. A sign at the top of the stairs reads: ATTENTION DOORS LOCKED THIS ENTRANCE IS NOW CLOSED. The sky is overcast and the area appears deserted.

A closed, dark wooden garage door with vertical slats is set into a grey stone wall. The door has a small overhang and a rectangular light fixture above. The surrounding ground is paved with concrete tiles, some areas mossy or weathered.

A passageway with marble steps and a green handrail leads to a modern metallic gate with vertical, irregularly spaced bars. Fluorescent lights are set in the ceiling above, and part of a person’s head is visible in the lower right corner.

My iPhone’s camera really can’t convey the heft of those double main doors at the end. It’s definitely a tactile experience, not a visual one.

I also suggested to my boyfriend that we get married here, on the strength of its’ modernist credentials, and he literally did not dignify that question with a response. 😒

Hadrian Bridge, Newcastle, 2024

A concrete pedestrian bridge with circular windows and a Newcastle University sign spans over a curved road. Bicycles are parked under a shelter on the left, trees and cloudy sky are in the background, and a metal fence runs along the foreground.

The rather pompously named, but still pleasant, Hadrian Bridge, over Newcastle’s Central Motorway.

This may be a good time to shout out Newcastle University’s Co-Curate website, which has come in extremely useful when factchecking (believe it or not, I do bother), and comes with a very rich library of pictures of buildings in the city, which came in useful when researching my one building across three eras post a few weeks ago.

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