Modernist Delights

Spiral multi-storey, Romford, 2024

A circular, multi-story parking garage is lit by bright lights at night. Several cars, including a black SUV and a white sedan, are driving past on a wet road that reflects the lights. The scene is dark, with the garage dominating the background.

Goes to a new place; immediately goes down a back street and finds a car park.

Moorgate Station to Liverpool Street Station tunnel, London, 2024

A long, tiled underground tunnel with curved walls and ceiling, illuminated by bright overhead lights. Three people walk along the tunnel, two heading away and one towards the camera. The scene has a symmetrical, futuristic appearance.

I thought CityMapper was sending me walkies round London for no reason but it was just trying to show me a very long, very repetitive pedestrian tunnel, DUH 🤦🏼‍♂️ And I’m so thankful for that!

On the Brasília of the North

A yellow exhibition poster features black text reading “Brasília of the North,” dates, and a surreal illustration of curved modernist concrete buildings on a grassy field under a cloudy sky. A floating letter D block hovers above the structures.

That brings our trip to Newcastle to a close. The last thing I wanted to highlight was the Brasília of the North exhibition at the Farrell Centre. We kindly got a preview of it the weekend before it opened, so my photos of it are not fit for public consumption, but I definitely recommend it.

An exhibition exploring the ideas, personalities and broader social, cultural and political climate that underpinned the aspirations to transform Newcastle into a modernist city.

It runs until 1 June 2025, is – ̗̀free ̖́- to visit, and included in it are several large scale models of Newcastle itself as well as select buildings in it – if that doesn’t sell it, I don’t know what will.

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

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