Was this London? Once?

[Stillhomewardbound]

is this a vista we can call London, anymore? Personally, I can only recognise it as akin to the kind of illustrations I was exposed to as a youngster in cartoons and 'Boys Own' periodicals, portraying some kind of Gotham City world of the 21st Century. Well, yes, I know we're at that dateline already but it's all such a mess; and there's more to come. This is isn't a vision, it's a grotesque. Grrrr.

[Mr Pee]

is this a vista we can call London, anymore? Personally, I can only recognise it as akin to the kind of illustrations I was exposed to as a youngster in cartoons and 'Boys Own' periodicals, portraying some kind of Gotham City world of the 21st Century. Well, yes, I know we're at that dateline already but it's all such a mess; and there's more to come. This is isn't a vision, it's a grotesque. Grrrr.

I think it's rather beautiful, apart from those ugly blocks of flats in the foreground. And The Shard, although not in your photo, is breathtaking.

[salymap]

A young boy has dropped his box of Meccano on the London I knew years ago.


Beautiful photo shb but not my London of the mid 20th century. Progress??

[teamsaint]

Great piccie, in any case.
Perhaps you would like to visit the south coast and take some photographic evidence of the architectural devastation that has been wreaked on the western side of Southampton city centre. Meccano would be a massive improvement.
As for London...well the ministry of truth had to go somewhere.....

[Richard Tarleton]

Great picture. A few small spaceships buzzing about would not look out of place. It still looks clean, though, not dystopian enough for Blade Runner.

What is the expected lifespan of buildings like the Gherkin, the Shard, the Cheesegrater, or that one that sets fire to the pavement? They all look so ephemeral somehow.

[Flosshilde]

I don't object to contemporary architecture as such, & the City of London has always re-invented itself, but I agree that the present rash of ever-more strange shapes inflicted on the city by bloated property speculators (or hedge funds) & inflated architects is ugly.

& to think that we used to pour ire onto Centrepoint - which seems elegant & restrained now!

[salymap]

When Augener moved to Charing Cross Road our flat roof gave us a birds' eye view of Centrepoint boing erected.

T shaped blocks were just slotted into place. It rather worried me at the time, next door to our little building.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I think it's rather beautiful, apart from those ugly blocks of flats in the foreground. And The Shard, although not in your photo, is breathtaking.

[mercia]

China (apparently) is the place to go for really wacky modern architectural shapes

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/378302437419040443/

http://www.yidongdianyuan.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Modern-Chinese-Architecture-China-Buildings.jpg

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/378302437419040438/

http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/modern-architecture-chinas-2

http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/modern-architecture-longgang

http://www.yidongdianyuan.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Modern-China-Buildings-Modern-Chinese-Achitecture-China-Travel-to-China-Guide.jpg

[BBMmk2]

I thought Dubai was?

[Mr Pee]

China (apparently) is the place to go for really wacky modern architectural shapes

There were some stunning night shots of Shanghai in the most recent Bond film, "Skyfall."

[Nick Armstrong]

There were some stunning night shots of Shanghai in the most recent Bond film, "Skyfall."

Very true

[robk]

I think the one that burns cars on the road below is grotesque but I agree that the Shard is beautiful. I blame 3-D computer modelling for much of it. Irregular curves were always too difficult to draw in the days of T-squares and set squares. In the hands of Zaha Hadid the possibility of complex organic shapes produces wonderful buildings, but the City of London has become a temple of avarice.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

but the City of London has become a temple of avarice.

Apart from the past tense here, robk, I agree. Not that this has much bearing on the Architecture - all those wonderful Georgian houses paid for by the slave trade?

[robk]

Apart from the past tense here, robk, I agree. Not that this has much bearing on the Architecture - all those wonderful Georgian houses paid for by the slave trade?

Yes you have to separate the Architecture from it's patronage and appraise it on its architectural merit. Is this a bit like the issue of whether we can separate music from the philosophy or lifestyle of the composer?