#modernism — Page 3 of 15 — Modernist Delights

Leigham Court, Plymouth, 2025

A large, grey, four-storey block of flats with many rectangular windows. The façade is plain and made of concrete bricks. A car park is visible below, with a red car parked on the left. The sky is cloudy and other buildings are partly visible nearby.

A five-storey, grey brick apartment building with large rectangular windows, some protruding in box-like frames. Double glass doors mark the entrance, with a sign reading “Osney Court” above. A bush with orange flowers grows on the right, under a partly cloudy sky.

A five-storey grey brick block of flats with large pane windows, some open. Bushes and small shrubs line the base. The building sits between a pale yellow house and another structure. A blue plaque is visible on the wall, and the sky is partly cloudy.

A grey brick building with vertical slits, a blue English Heritage plaque above, and a No Parking sign on the wall. Decorative concrete blocks are to the left, a bush with green leaves in the foreground, and windows near the top.

Finally, a building so unremarkable that I couldn’t find any historical information about it! However, the ground-level details still appealed to me.

The blue plaque is dedicated to Alison Vickers Garland, a suffragist whose family home stood on this site.

Riviera International Centre, Torquay, 2025

A paved path leads to blue and green tennis courts, separated by fences. A large, modern building with Riviera Centre signage stands in the background, surrounded by trees. The sky is partly cloudy, and the foreground shows dry, patchy grass.

A large, modern concrete building labelled “RIVIERA CENTRE” has balconies and palm trees in front. Two parked cars and two people standing near a sign are visible. The sky is partly cloudy, and the area looks clean and well-maintained.

A modern, grey concrete leisure centre with large mirrored windows reflects the sky. A yellow Waves sign is on the upper wall. Bushes and palm trees surround the entrance. A paved path and grassy area with rocks are in front, under a partly cloudy sky.

A dense cluster of palm fronds grows in front of black metal garage doors set into a concrete building. The pavement consists of grey interlocking bricks. A red and white ‘No entry’ sign is mounted on the left side of the structure.

A grey, concrete building with RIVIERA CENTRE in bold letters at the top. A large circular window is above three blue doors. The lower facade features dark brickwork. Some plants and bicycle racks are visible near the pavement in the foreground.

Conference & leisure centre, designed by Module 2 and built 1984-87. For a gold star, spot the disinterested boyfriend.

Pearl Assurance House, Newton Abbot, 2025

A grey, weathered building labelled “PEARL ASSURANCE HOUSE” has a ground-floor shop called “Three Wishes” with star motifs. The shopfront has blue frames and display windows. The building sits at a street corner on a cloudy day, with railings and pedestrian crossings visible.

A three-storey building with a greenish-grey stone façade. The ground floor features the Phoenix Sounds shop, its window covered with art, flanked by a shop with glassware displays and a national bank with a cashpoint. The sky is overcast.

Details of Petersgate House, Stockport, 2025

A modern building facade with a grid of square windows set in dark, speckled panels. There are six rows of windows, and a streetlamp is visible in the foreground centred near the lower part of the image.

A textured building façade features three large mesh panels with bold white “V” shapes. A streetlamp stands in front, casting a shadow. The pavement below is wet, and two small no parking signs are visible on the dark brick wall.

The curse of the streetlamp strikes again.

Oakland House, Manchester, 2025

A close-up view of a modern building’s façade, showing multiple rows of rectangular windows set in dark frames. The walls between the windows are made of brown brick, creating a striped pattern with the alternating glass panes.

A tall, multi-storey office building with rows of large windows. The top of the building has the sign OAKLAND HOUSE. Trees and a streetlamp are visible in the foreground, and the sky behind is overcast.

A large, multi-storey office building with many rows of windows and a brick façade, viewed from a low angle. Trees with green leaves are in the foreground, and the sky above is overcast and grey.

Not, as Siri helpfully suggested, the Stockport Viaduct.

Buxton House & Huddersfield city centre, 2025

A tall, grey concrete block of flats with many windows stands behind a modern entrance labelled Buxton Way. The structure has a Brutalist architectural style, with boxy shapes and minimal decoration, beneath a partly cloudy blue sky.

A tall, brown and grey block of flats with many rectangular windows rises into a blue sky. At the base, a geometric mosaic art piece decorates the wall, featuring intersecting triangles in shades of blue, yellow, brown, and cream.

A Brutalist concrete building with tall, narrow vertical elements and dark stains beneath the windows. A modern block of flats is visible in the background, and a leafy tree is on the right under a partly cloudy blue sky.

A grey, weathered concrete building with narrow vertical windows is partially shaded by leafy trees. At street level, there are red and blue shop signs, including one reading Bargains. The sky above is bright and partly cloudy.

Former HSBC branch, Huddersfield, 2025

A modern building with brown-tinted glass windows and angular balconies, viewed from below against a clear blue sky. The structure features repeating geometric patterns and sharp lines, reflecting light and nearby surroundings.

Pearl Assurance House, Huddersfield, 2025

A city street scene showing a modern grey building labelled PEARL with glass-walled stairs, next to white and black older façades. Shops at street level include PADDYPOWER, fusion housing, and TOWN NEWS. A person stands outside, and someone sits at a table.

Guest post: Stockmann department store, Helsinki, 2025

A modern multi-storey building with STOCKMANN signs stands beside an older red-brick building. A yellow DHL van is parked in front, and several bikes are lined up along the cobblestone street. The sky is clear and blue, with bare tree branches overhead.

I’ve not absconded to Finland, although the weather in Helsinki seems a lot more pleasant than The North during Storm Claudia. Modernist Delights’ first international feature comes from my friend Kay, with a photo of a modern expansion to “Northern Europe’s largest department store”. The glass bricks, and the store name on the vertical pillar particularly appeal.

You will find everything you need at Stockmann – the latest fashion, trendy cosmetics, world-famous Finnish design, souvenirs and much more.

Details of Kingsway House, Burnley, 2025

A modern, multi-storey building with large glass windows reflecting the cloudy sky. The building has a rectangular shape and blue-tinted glass panels divided by vertical and horizontal frames, creating a grid-like appearance. The structure extends into the distance.

A modern brick building with large windows and vertical white metal bars on the façade. The sky is overcast, giving a muted tone to the scene. The architecture features both dark and light brown panels.

A grey car is parked in an almost empty car park next to a large building with many windows. A balcony with tables and chairs extends from the building. Small houses and green hills are visible under a cloudy sky in the background.

A glass building facade with rectangular blue-tinted windows in a grid pattern. Some windows are foggy or streaked, and an air conditioning unit is mounted in one window. Part of an older, stained tan wall is at the bottom right.

Former offices of Great Universal Stores, built in 1969-70. Featuring a frieze by Diane Humphreys and William Morris on the southern end of the building.