#modernism

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Staircase at the side of the Sheaf Building, Sheffield, 2024

A fenced urban service yard with dumpsters and a blue bin stands beside a brick building with outdoor stairs. Yellow lines mark the ground; a van and construction crane appear in the background under a cloudy sky.

I was going to do a big Sheffield post, but actually there’s too much good shit for one post, so I’ve decided to go Bridget Jones-mode and serialise it. They’ll be making a film out of these by the end of the month!

First up: A concrete access staircase by the side of the Sheaf Building. It really doesn’t get any better than this!

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Assorted Shrewsbury, 2024

A tall, gray concrete building with narrow vertical windows lines a stone-paved sidewalk. Several people walk in the distance, and the sky above is bright blue with scattered clouds. Black bollards and a colorful pole are along the sidewalk.
A close-up view of a textured concrete wall with evenly spaced vertical grooves. The concrete surface is rough and gray, and the grooves create a repetitive striped pattern across the image. The lighting highlights the texture and depth of the grooves.
A tall red-brick clock tower rises above a modern, curved building with black vertical fins and large windows. Below, there’s an “Age UK” charity shop at street level. Two people walk past; the sky is cloudy and a streetlamp stands nearby.
A street scene with people walking and cars parked in front of colorful buildings. The buildings include white and pink facades with large glass windows; signs read Apollo Nails Studio and Rhi Rhi. The sky is mostly blue with some clouds.
A large, historic stone railway station with a clock tower sits under a partly cloudy sky. Several chimneys and ornate details top the building. Cars are parked outside, and people walk near the entrance. A grassy embankment is visible in the foreground.
Entrance to a building with glass and wooden doors, a sign above reading Welcome to Shrewsbury. People are visible inside, and outside there are stone tiles. No smoking signs are posted on the doors. Reflections show a street scene with vehicles.
A large yellow circle sign with a swimming figure and three blue wavy lines is mounted on a beige tiled wall with a horizontal red stripe near the top. The symbol represents a swimming pool or aquatic center.

Some bits from Shrewsbury [12/02/24 + 04/08/24]. I was planning to do Sheffield but got waylaid by the sight of the market hall in my photo library.

From top to bottom:

The side of the Lloyds Bank building + detail shot. I don’t have a good picture but the front is also gorgeous. I love the bulkiness a bank building warrants.

The curvaceous exterior of the Market Hall. Like all market halls, it’s yet to ever be open when I’m there, so the interior will remain a mystery (although there is a viewing platform you can go up).

A colourful row of shops.

Shrewsbury Railway Station, built in 1848, is absolutely not modernist, but I found the wooden doors with the Rail Alphabet sign above absolutely charming.

And finally, a logo on The Quarry Swimming & Fitness Centre, another one of my weaknesses.

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Shrewsbury is a very nice market town with plenty of modernist icons to look at, more so than I’ve included here, it’s well worth a visit!

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Canals of Manchester, 2024

A glass-fronted building sits beneath an old iron railway bridge with visible graffiti on walls, including “EGLOMIE” in black letters. Industrial pipes, overgrowth, and urban surroundings evoke a gritty, city edge. The ground is rough and empty.
A tall metal bridge support column with cross-bracing stands by a canal. The column and nearby surfaces are covered in colorful graffiti. Behind it, a brick building with large windows and a wooden fence is visible under the bridge.

This building always intrigued me, coming into the city from the level of the train. It’s just a bar and it’s not actually that interesting from ground level though.

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Assorted Leeds, 2024

A modern concrete building with many windows sits beside a reflective pond with some plants. A wide paved walkway leads to the entrance, lined with benches and flower planters. The sky above is overcast, and the scene appears quiet and empty.
A modern, multi-story building complex stands under a cloudy sky behind a pond with green plants and tall grasses. The pond features small islands of vegetation, and there are walkways and railings surrounding the water.
A multi-story, modern concrete building with many vertical windows and an external zigzag staircase. Overcast sky, some greenery and plants in the foreground, with a few people visible at the bottom edge. Another building is seen in the background.
A modern multi-story office building with large glass windows, horizontal concrete panels, and rows of leafy green trees in the foreground. The windows reflect the blue sky and clouds above. The scene appears bright and well-lit.
A modern abstract metal sculpture stands on lush green grass with tall plants around it. The sculpture is dark with a green patina accent. Behind it, a grey multi-story building with balconies and large windows is partially visible among leafy trees.
A red-brick building with a central section of light-colored stone. The stone section features tall, narrow windows and a geometric relief at the top. Multiple floors are visible, and two yellow lights can be seen inside the window above the main entrance.
A wavy white metal sculpture with the words to learn cut out stands in front of leafy green trees. The metal has a reflective edge and appears wet from rain. The sky above is cloudy and gray.
A tall, narrow modern building with sharp, angular design and diagonal bands of windows. The top section juts out dramatically. Trees with green leaves frame the building, and the sky above is cloudy, letting through some sunlight.
A tall modern building with glass stairwell windows featuring bold red diagonal railings. The building is flanked by beige stone walls, air conditioning units, and various pipes. Above, clouds partially block sunlight, casting shadows on the structure.
A tall, narrow section of a brick building features four large, vertically stacked, grid-like windows. Through the windows, a white staircase with metal railings, interior walls, and reflected outdoor light are visible. Adjacent buildings have similar windows.
A bronze statue of a draped, headless human figure floating horizontally outdoors, with its legs and one arm extended backward, stands on a stone base among dense green plants in a courtyard beside a red-brick building with large windows.
A beige, windowless building with PHYSICS written in small white letters above a black metal gate and a shuttered door, under a cloudy sky. A brick building is partially visible on the right. A low wall and yellow road lines run in front.
A large, brutalist-style concrete building with rows of dark windows on each floor sits on a city corner under a cloudy sky. Sunlight peeks through the clouds above. Cars are parked nearby, and a few pedestrians walk at street level. Traffic signs are visible.

A Leeds University Public Art trail Mooch [10/08/24]

In order:

Roger Stevens Building

Perhaps my new favourite university building, sorry to the Renold Building x

Barbara Hepworth – Dual Form

I believe there’s also a Barbara Hepworth sculpture in one of the courts at Lancaster University, which I didn’t find out about until last year, due to my minimal attendance on campus while I was a student 🥴

Mitzi Cunliffe – Man-Made Fibres

A gorgeous stone carving, commissioned as part of the Clothworkers Building South to reflect the progress in the field of synthetic fibres.

Juanjo Novella – Curtain

Detail shot.

Staircase at the Henry Price Building

An unnecessarily extra, geometrically askew staircase, especially delightful coming west from St George’s Field.

School of Chemical and Process Engineering building

Staircase detail shot.

School of Healthcare

Staircase detail shot at the rear of the building.

Quentin Bell – The Dreamer

Inspired by a magician’s trick that Bell saw as a child. There’s something melancholy about the sculpture at situated in a quiet courtyard, surrounded by leafy vegetatation. It’s been moved several times but this feels like the right place for it.

P H Y S I C S

At the rear of the Physics Research Deck.

Bank House

And finally, away from the campus, en-route to the train station, the striking former regional headquarters of the Bank of England. Via British Listed Buildings:

Inverted ziggurat of in-situ reinforced-concrete construction with grey Cornish granite and bronze cladding. 5-storeys plus basement

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The Public Art Trail at the University of Leeds is inexplicably only available to download as a PDF, but is well worth it. I far prefer architecture to sculpture, but luckily this has both, and anything which gets me on a guided walk is a win in my book.

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