The London picture thread.

I don't really know much about the story apart from the bits I have read on the internet, but was there any development done on the Firestone site between the demolition of the lovely art deco building and what is there now?

Just wondering, since I am not absolutely sure when the current West Cross House was built. Sky bought the leasehold, from what I can glean, in 1998 or 1999 from Brentford Investments.

I know that there was due to be a preservation order placed on the building, and then one public holiday developers turned up and just gutted the place while the council wasn't watching.

The only things they couldn't get down were the gates, lamps and front walls, which remain on the site now.

It is very sad to see what happened to the old buildings and the decay that is starting to set in to those that remain standing.

Some great pictures have been posted on here. The Hoover Building is a really fantastic example of Art Deco architecture as is the Ealing Village complex just up the road from me. Another favourite of mine is Barker's department store on High Street Kensington which has a couple of brightly lit stairwalls which look great at night, it always reminds me of Hitchcock films.


Anyway I took a few more photos today. Not of art deco buildings but of a more controversial and modern design.

First of all you have the Barbican Estate which was built on the almost completely destroyed Cripplegate area in the City of London. It was built between 1965 and 1976. The estate compromise of 15 terrace blocks and 3 of London's tallest residential towers. It is now a Grade 2 listed site and one of the most important examples of Brutalist Architecture which was devised by Le Corbusier. The term Brutalist comes from the French Beton Brut or Raw Concrete. It might not be to everyone's taste but I find it very interesting.























Now we move on to the area East of Canary Wharf.

This is Wesley Avenue near the Royal Victoria Dock just across from the ExCEL Exibition Centre.



And the old Asbestos riddled remnants of the Millenium Mills building



Moving onto the view of London City Airport from the other side of the Royal Albert Dock. Note the Tate and Lyle Sugar and Golden Syrup plant behind the Airport. This airport only operates short take off and landing aircraft and opened in 1987.



Planes don't operate on Sundays though...



Back down the Thames from Wapping to Canary Wharf..



Marine Police Jetty



Tower Bridge with the London Council Building behind it to the left.



Butlers Wharf Building and a petrol station for boats.



Next we have the Little Venice area of London which is quite near to Paddington. Little Amsterdam would be more apt I think.















And finally, just up the road is probably the most famous example of a Brutalist Tower block which is the Trellick Tower. Also Grade 2 listed, this was designed by a Hungarian called Erno Goldfinger. Ian Fleming came across his name playing golf with a cousin of Ursula Blackwell who Goldfinger married. Apparently he threatened to sue Fleming for using his name but Fleming gave him six free copies of his book. Almost as cheap as the 6 footballs we gave in exchange for Ian Johnson!

Goldfinger also built the Balfron Tower in Poplar which preceeded the Trellick Tower.

Merse you're taking me back to sightseeing trips to Heathrow (c1962); a whizz down the old Great West Road from Gunnersbury Avenue in those pre-M4 days (and what a thrill for a little Torquay boy to watch the "Road on Stilts" being built over the course of several visits to the Ealing relatives).

BOAC, BEA, SAS, TWA, PanAm....I ticked them all off from the Terminal roof gardens on my Esso Map and Guide to Heathrow Airport.

And what do you know? www.ianbyrne.free-online.co.uk/essomaps/essoair.htm

Basilici - now that takes me back...I used to get my lunchtime ciabatta or panini in there when I was working in West Cross House. Last I heard the owner was trying to get the franchise to run the catering inside the Sky canteens, but since they are still crap I guess he didn't get it.

Here are some I took this morning.

First of all Craven Cottage...



then back down the Thames towards Putney Bridge



Outside the London Rowing Club. Lexus drivers are usually inconsiderate fools.



A very unique looking house just off the King's Rd, which is actually a restaurant called the Gasworks. Here's a review of it...

The Gasworks is the weirdest place I have ever eaten dinner. Forget the food – the Gasworks – is not about that, it’s about entering an Alice in Wonderland-type world and having a truly eccentric evening. The décor is a mish mash of bric and bric and the old women who run it are charmingly batty. You have to visit to believe.



Next we have the Lots Road Power Station. Built to power the District Line when the trains switch from Steam to Electric trains. In its pomp it would burn up to 700 tons of coal everyday. A reasonable carbon footprint by todays standards.







Now we have some more Le Corbusier inspired high rises in Battersea. Not that far away from Rick Parfitt's gaff.





The view from Battersea to Chelsea Harbour.



This is the Albion Riverside building designed by Norman Foster's company.



and from the front....



and then on the same street as this cutting edge building you have this....



ever driven a bus into that garage Mr Merson?

Just around the corner you have Battersea Bridge. The Sands End estate in the background





Moving swiftly on to the Wimbledon Windmill Museum. It was here whilst staying in one of the appartments where Robert Baden-Powell wrote parts of the famous book "Scouting for Boys". Nowadays of course that once innocent title could be construed slightly differently.



Next we have some pictures of the Alton Estate in Roehampton. This is one of 5 identical blocks. They are collectively quite impressive to look at. They have a slighty more Scandinavian feel about them.

I was gonna get out and take a few more pictures but there was a couple of rough looking types playing with Staffies. I thought a tactical withdraw was the smart move.