#modernism — Page 7 of 12 — Modernist Delights

Hard to photograph Superdrug, Cantenbury, 2023

This hard to photograph Superdrug on a sloping street isn’t going to win any awards for photography, but the zig-zag roof and first-floor glazing are architecturally excellent.

A modern Superdrug store with large windows and a zigzag roof sits on a quiet city street. People walk past, and a bicycle is parked nearby. The sky is partly cloudy, and adjacent buildings have concrete and brick exteriors.

Reading: The Council House by Jack Young

A book titled The Council House lies on a wooden floor. The cover features a photograph of a modernist building with concrete and glass panels. The book is published by Hoxton Mini Press, as indicated at the bottom of the cover.

An open book lies on a wooden surface, displaying a page titled 36 Broadwater Farm Estate with descriptive text on the left and a photograph of modern, angular grey buildings surrounded by greenery on the right.

Picked this up on a whim at the Barbican Shop after my last visit, and I’m glad I did. There’s a lot to enjoy here, all of it absolutely beautifully photographed. All my faves are at the beginning, so read in reverse if you want to finish on a high.

Links (affiliate): Amazon UK (£15.35), Bookshop.org (£18.95)

Spiral staircase at Sovereign House, Anglia Square, Norwich, 2024

A modernist building with angular lines and a glass cylindrical stairwell rises above street level, catching sunlight. Below, shopfronts including Quality Discounts are visible. The sky is clear and blue, with a few wispy clouds overhead.

Definitely want to see more of this city, will have to come back in 2025 (and hopefully at a more reasonable temperature, and hopefully before they demolish this beauty!).

This post full of photos of Sovereign House from an urbex standpoint is well worth taking a look at, too.

Housing in Halifax, 2024

A tall, beige apartment building stands behind a concrete wall. In front, six cars—black, red, and white—are parked in marked spaces. The sky is overcast, and a sign on the wall reads “Parking For Residents Only.”.

A brutalist concrete spiral staircase with rounded edges and built-in lights juts out from a brick building. A blue column supports part of the stairs. The structure is weathered and sits beside a narrow alley with stone walls. The sky is overcast.

Close-up of a cylindrical, weathered concrete structure with two stacked sections, supported by a blue column. Surrounding it are yellow-brown brick and concrete buildings, with a tall modern apartment block in the background. The sky is overcast.

Wetherspoon’s, Oswestry, 2024

A three-story, grey modernist building with large windows houses “The Wilfred Owen,” a Wetherspoon Free House pub. Flower baskets hang by the entrance, bikes are parked outside, and stairs lead to glass doors. The sky is overcast.

There’s something very funny about Wetherspoons having an article on their website about the pub and Oswestry at large, in quite a lot of detail, full of photographs of photos seemingly taken at what must be the local museum? Sure, why not! It also includes a picture of this pub which manages to make it look even more bleak, against all odds.

Ellen Wilkinson Building, Manchester, 2024

A modern, brown concrete building with geometric patterns on its facade stands on a cloudy day. Several cars, including a red, blue, and silver one, are parked in front. Small windows line the building, and some trees with autumn leaves are visible on the right.

A four-story concrete and brick building with large windows, some lit from inside. The building forms an L-shape around a neatly trimmed green lawn. Leafless trees and a few small trees with yellow leaves are in the courtyard. The sky is overcast.

A narrow outdoor spiral staircase ascends alongside a tall, concrete building with textured, vertical patterns. The staircase has black railings and white steps, winding up multiple floors between two closely placed structures. The sky is overcast.

Post Office, Windsor, 2024

A three-story building with a Post Office on the ground floor and many windows above. In front, a wooden market stall with a yellow sign sells German sausages. Several people walk along the street in winter clothing under a cloudy sky.

So distracted by the mesmerising repeating aluminium windows of the Windsor Post Office that I completely missed whatever was going on with The Works 💔

Street View to the rescue:

A shopfront with a blue and yellow sign reading TheWorks.co.uk. Sale banners with Union Jack flags fill the wide front windows. Above are rectangular concrete panels and circular openings at the roof. Neighboring shops and a red Post Office sign are visible.

A concrete beauty in Romford, 2024

A three-story building with shops at street level, including “One Source Training Centre,” “Lorel,” and “The Wow Centre.” The upper floors have balconies and windows. A bench and bare trees line the pavement. The sky is overcast.

Williamson Building, Manchester, 2024

The image shows the entrance of the Williamson Building, featuring five glass double doors under a green awning. Steps with yellow safety edges lead up to the entrance, and the facade has large windows. Brown autumn leaves are scattered on the ground.

Nice font above the entrance, skinny little canopy, and three manual doors, none of that modern automatic shit. Love it.

St Augustine’s Catholic Church, Manchester, 2024

A group of people stand in line outside St Augustine’s Catholic Church, a modern brick building with tall vertical columns, large windows, and a circular religious symbol beside the church name on the exterior wall under a cloudy sky.

A modern church altar features a large, abstract metal sculpture of Jesus with outstretched arms against a textured, swirling backdrop. The altar is adorned with green cloth, candles, flowers, and a cross. Several people stand or sit near the edges of the scene.

A close-up of an intricate wall sculpture featuring an abstract mix of wood and dark textured materials, with geometric shapes, raised patterns, and protruding wooden blocks arranged in a visually dynamic, layered design. Light casts dramatic shadows, enhancing the depth.

A narrow stained glass window with a grid pattern of red, yellow, orange, and clear glass panes, set between dark brick walls. Light filters through the colorful glass, casting a warm glow in the otherwise dim space.

A lobby with terrazzo floor, wooden ceiling, and glass windows. Yellow-tinted glass panels partially cover the windows, with views of an outdoor area and bike racks. A wooden table, a black bench, and a fire extinguisher are visible inside the lobby.

A view inside a dark auditorium showing rows of rectangular, illuminated windows high on the walls. Below, a pipe organ and some chairs are partially visible on a stage, with the ceiling and lighting fixtures overhead.

A modern church interior with wooden benches and a high wooden ceiling. People gather near the altar, which stands before a large, textured wall relief featuring abstract designs and a prominent lamb symbol. Warm lighting illuminates the mostly empty, spacious nave.

I’ve walked past it loads of times but I never realised how nice the interior is.

There’s also an ad for marriage counselling at the back, which provided great amusement when I stopped to take photos of this church on a previous walk with my boyfriend, much to his chagrin.