Battersea Park / shelter

Post-and-beam construction with shingle-clad, cross-gabled roof. By the Duck Pond part of the boating lake, Battersea Park, London Borough of Wandsworth. 

(CC BY-SA - credit: Photo by George Rex.)

Bank of England / looking up

Largely rebuilt to the design of Sir Herbert Baker in 1921-37, although there are some remaining elements of the earlier building by Sir John Soane. Grade I listed. City of London. 

(CC BY-SA - credit: Photo by George Rex.)

Bank of England / central door

Sculptor: Sir Charles Wheeler, c.1930, bronze, 20ft+ high. Corinthian columns each side and frieze above decorated with Greek meander. Threadneedle Street, City of London.

[All Rights Reserved]

Monument Place / EC3

David Walker Architects, 2013. Showing the south (Lower Thames Street) elevation, which has retail on ground level otherwise all office space. Portland stone cladding with anodized aluminium frames surrounding floor-to-ceiling windows. Graceful corner-curve into Fish Street Hill. City of London.

(CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Guy's tower / Shard

The 1974 Brutalist east tower of Guy's Hospital, with its smart new suit of anodised aluminium. Retrofit by Penoyre & Prasad Architects 2013. 

Shard designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, height 308.4m (AGL); 72 occupied floors and a 15 storey spire, completed 2012. London Borough of Southwark.

(CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Guy's / New Cancer Centre (2 pics)

Architects: Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, in partnership with Stantec. Work-in-progress on Guy's Hospital's new 14-storey Cancer Centre, due for completion in autumn 2016. The building will be organised into several 'villages', each offering a particular specialism to outpatients. London Borough of Southwark.

[Both pics All Rights Reserved]

Greenwood Theatre / south-west

King's College's Greenwood Theatre, built 1975, given a "celebrity makeover" by Zandra Rhodes and Joe Swift with Cityscapes and Team London Bridge. No doubt the extra greenery will be appreciated — the paint scheme borrows from Ricardo Legorreta's design for the Fashion & Textile Museum nearby, a building better suited to these vibrant colours. London Borough of Southwark.

[All Rights Reserved]

Former Dispensary / Chiltern Street

Architect: Henry Saxon Snell, built 1872 as a dispensary and relief office for the Parish of St Marylebone. Made of red brick with stone dressings, having a Gothic character to upper windows and porch. I think its use is residential now. 82 Chiltern Street, City of Westminster, London W1.

[All Rights Reserved]

22 Baker Street / W1

Architect: Quinlan Terry CBE, 2003. Neo-palladian, Portland stone façade to ultra-modern office space within. Though the external walls are load-bearing and well-detailed, the building was criticised for being a sort of stage set or "architectural wrapping paper". City of Westminster, London.

[All Rights Reserved]

The Chilterns / W1 (2 pics)

Architects: Squire and Partners, work-in-progress. Sixty apartments from 1 to 3 bedrooms. Finished in stone, aluminium and acrylic. Available prices from GBP 3.7 to 25M. Marylebone, City of Westminster, London.

[Both files All Rights Reserved]

Wiltshire Road / SW9

One of a terrace of 2-storey town houses built by Lambeth Council, originally as social housing. Constructed 1980s as part of the Wiltshire Estate in a pastiche of the modernist style.  Many of these now in private ownership through 'right-to-buy'. Brixton, London Borough of Lambeth.

[All Rights Reserved]

44 Blandford Street / Tudor Rose

Mock Tudor style public house at corner of Blandford St and Manchester St. The present building was constructed in 1936 although tourists might well imagine a much earlier origin. Marylebone, City of Westminster, London. 

(CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

10 Portman Square / W1

Architects: Jestico & Whiles, 2013. Seven-storey office building finished with Portland stone, bronze coloured aluminium and glass. Architectural glass artist Kate Maestri contributed to the design of the glazing, as she did with 20 Gillingham St. City of Westminster, London.

[All Rights Reserved]

love it! / by Sr. X

Street art titled love it! in Camden Town by Señor X from Spain. London Borough of Camden.

(CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Ruskin Park / Pergola

Architect: Lt-Col J J Sexby for the LCC, 1907, using brick posts  and timber beams, the latter supporting various climbers including wisteria, clematis and Virginia creeper. The park's Grade II listing mentions that this was built on the line of one of the boundary walls between two of the demolished old houses. London Borough of Lambeth.

[All Rights Reserved]

Ruskin Park / portico

Surviving neo-classical portico from what was -- at the beginning of C20 -- number 170 Denmark Hill. Now a disintegrating feature at the eastern edge of Ruskin Park (Grade II listed). Only the upper portion is shown as the lower part is boarded up. London Borough of Lambeth.

[All Rights Reserved]

16 pot stack / Cliftonville

Large stucco double chimney stack with ogee recess, on right-hand return of the Grade II listed Cliftonville villa. The residence was built early C19 and is not particularly large, so this could be regarded as an example of conspicuous combustion! Grove Lane, Camberwell, London Borough of Southwark.

[All Rights Reserved]

Loughborough Court / entrance

Entrance to purpose-built block of 57 flats at the north end of Shakespeare Road, Loughborough Junction. Brick built, I guess C20 inter-war, and part of the Loughborough Park Conservation Area. London Borough of Lambeth.

[All Rights Reserved]

Aylesbury Estate / Arments Court

Architects: Levitt Bernstein, 2012. Showing the Phase 1a rebuild of the Aylesbury Estate known as Albany Place, the freehold for this site now owned by the L&Q Housing Association. Arments Court, at the front, comprises part-buy/part-rent or outright buy properties. A small block of subsidised rent properties is behind. The vast remaining part of the estate regeneration is currently to a masterplan by HTA Design LLP for Notting Hill Housing Group. Walworth, London Borough of Southwark.

[All Rights Reserved]

Aylesbury Estate / Bradenham

Southwark Borough Architects led by H P Trenton, 1960s, a 14-storey block which was part of a huge council estate development housing c.7,500 people. Using a reinforced concrete frame clad in large pre-fabricated concrete panels, a system build known as Jespersen 12M. Now scheduled for demolition as part of a 'regeneration' scheme that will see major social change. Walworth, London Borough of Southwark.

Acropolis / Nice

Architects: Buzzi, Bernasconi, and Baptiste, 1984. Nice Acropolis is a Convention and Exhibition Centre at 1 Espace John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Nice, France.

[All Rights Reserved]

TNN / Nice

Architect: Yves Bayard (1935-2008), Théâtre National de Nice, 1989. The main structure is octagonal and clad in light-grey marble. There is a proscenium arch stage with 963 seats, a 318 seat amphitheatre, plus rehearsal studio. Promenade des Arts, Nice, France.

[All Rights Reserved]

Place Massena / Nice

The largest square in Nice and a useful place of orientation for the visitor and tourist. From here it's a short walk to the Vieille Ville and also to the Promenade des Anglais. The new Promenade du Paillon linear park crosses the square and the T1 tram stops here too. The square has many beautiful neo-classical buildings surrounding it. Nice, France. 

(CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Lido Plage / jetty

Jetty belonging to the Lido Plage private beach and restaurant. The only jetty in the Bay of Angels, although prior to WW2 there used to be a pier with a casino on it. Promenade des Anglais, Nice, France.

[All Rights Reserved]

Bandstand / Jardin Albert 1er

When this 'kiosque à musique' was erected in 1868 it seems the surrounding park was called the Jardin du Paradis, but it was later enlarged and renamed after Belgium's King Albert 1st. Recently there has been further redevelopment and the garden now merges with the 'Promenade du Paillon', a 1.2km linear park going right through the heart of the city. Nice, France. 

(CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Palais Gounod / Nice

Architect: Charles Bellon, 1906, in the style known as 'Belle Epoch' (Beautiful Era) and typical of the architecture in Nice from the 1870s to 1914. The style was flamboyant and highly decorated, often including Art Nouveau detailing. Bellon, who designed at least 40 such residences in Nice, won a civic architectural award for this building. Rue Gounod, Nice, France.

[All Rights Reserved]

Old Nice / from Castle Hill

Looking down on the 'Vieille Ville' and beyond from 'la colline du Château'. In a sense, the oldest part of Nice is on the hill where ancient Greeks set up a trading post in C3 BC, which they called NIKAIA. Nice, France 

(CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Fabio Rieti / palm painter mural

Painted 1984 and rather faded now, but still makes an amusing juxtaposition. Viewed from Quai des États-Unis, Nice France.

Palais de Justice / Nice

Architect: Augustus Vincent Dieudé-Defly, 1885, in a neo-classical style finished in white limestone. Showing engaged Ionic columns and tympanum relief where the Republic, Liberty and the Law are symbolised by a version of Marianne holding a tablet inscribed with the scales of justice. Law Courts at 3 Place du Palais, Old Nice, France.

(CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

1 Place du Palais / Plassa San-Doumenegue

Part of another palace building now organised as residential apartments above the Cafe du Palais. Situated in Palace (of Justice) Square. The sign on this building's wall still shows an alternative historical name of St. Dominic's Place - a priory was on the Law Courts site before the French Revolution. Old Nice, France.

(CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Palais Rusca / gallery

Architect: Philippe Nicolis de Robilante, c.1780, originally as military barracks. (Many large buildings in Nice are called palaces). In a neo-classical style using Lavagna stone. The passage that this south elevation faces is called Espace Joseph Marro.  Now an annex to the nearby Law Courts. Listed as a historical monument. Place du Palais, Nice, France.

[All Rights Reserved]

Clock Tower / Place du Palais

The pennant above the globe finial is pierced with the date 1809, but records indicate that this civic clock tower was erected in 1718, work led by architect Bernard Spinetti. Earlier clock towers dating back to 1504 had been destroyed in sieges. Place du Palais, Nice, France.

[All Rights Reserved]

International Klein Blue / MAMAC

'International Klein Blue (IKB Godet) 1959' by Yves Klein (1928-62). Pure pigment and binder on paper mounted on canvas 150 x 198cm. Permanent collection of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Place Yves Klein, 06000 Nice, France.

(CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Nice Cathedral / Campanile

Bell-tower, completed 1757, belonging to the Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate. Located in the Italianate Place Rossetti, Nice, France. 

(CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Residence Grand Hotel Gioffredo / corner detail

Exterior detail of modernist apartment building at 39 Rue Gioffredo, Nice, France.

[All Rights Reserved]

1 Place Charles Felix / Cours Saleya

Yellow stone 5-storey residence built end of C17, known as the Caïs de Pierlas Palace. Matisse lived in this building from 1921 to 1938, for most of that time leasing the whole 4th floor. The area is the heart of Old Nice. France.

(CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Keith Sonnier / Opelousas (1996)

Light sculpture by Keith Sonnier (b.1941 Louisiana, USA). Argon lighting, copper mesh, bamboo screen, found objects. The piece is part of an exhibition entitled "Light Works", presently being shown at MAMAC, Nice, France. 

(CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Tournage du film / 'Un Sac de Billes'

Don't worry, they're not back. The Nazi banner was for the shooting of a wartime film at the prefecture building, standing in for the Excelsior Hotel. Not surprisingly it caused some controversy and complaints. Le Palais des Rois Sardes, Nice, France.

[All Rights Reserved]

Gare de Nice Ville / Ave Thiers

Architect: Louis-Jules Bouchot, 1867, using red brick and Arles stone. In a neo-Baroque style inspired by the Louis XIII period. Nice, France.

(CC BY-SA - credit: Photo by George Rex.)

Ruskin Park / The Bandstand

Built 1911 to plans drawn up c.1906 by park architect Lt-Col J J Sexby. Made of timber with brick plinth and tiled roof. Restored by the council in 2006. London Borough of Lambeth.

[All Rights Reserved]

'Cambrian Explosion' / Cambria Road

Sample of several artworks decorating the brick walls under the Cambria Road railway bridge. Installed c.2012. Loughborough Junction, London Borough of Lambeth. 

(CC BY-SA - credit: Photo by George Rex.)

Wyndham Estate / SE5

Architect: Colin Lucas for the GLC, c.1966. Twenty-two storey high-rise residences, interspersing  one floor of one-bedroom apartments with three floors of two-bedroom apartments. The towers merged in with the earlier Comber Estate. Camberwell, London Borough of Southwark.

[All Rights Reserved]