Architectural Fine Art
What is Fine Art Architectural Photography?
Fine art architecture photography entails two separate concept, architecture photography and fine art.
First of all, it involves mostly images of buildings, including both interiors and exteriors. Images of facades, windows, columns, staircases and other architectural details all belong to the architecture photography category.
Fine art means presenting an object in a way that focuses primarily or solely on its imaginative, aesthetic, or intellectual side.
Put together, fine art architecture photography presents the buildings that surround us in a beautiful, harmonious and often surprising way. In many cases, architecture photography can be pretty abstract.
My take on this is to take the ordinary and through processing turn it into something compelling and extraordinary.
The Shard Standing Out from the Crowd
The Shard also referred to as the Shard of Glass, Shard London Bridge and formerly London Bridge Tower, is a 72-storey skyscraper, designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, in Southwark, London, that forms part of the Shard Quarter development. Standing 309.6 metres (1,016 feet) high, the Shard is the tallest building in the United Kingdom, and the seventh-tallest building in Europe. It is also the second-tallest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom, after the concrete tower of the Emley Moor transmitting station. It replaced Southwark Towers, a 24-storey office block built on the site in 1975.
The Shard's construction began in March 2009. It was topped out on 30 March 2012 and inaugurated on 5 July 2012. Practical completion was achieved in November 2012. The tower's privately operated observation deck, The View from The Shard, was opened to the public on 1 February 2013. The glass-clad pyramidal tower has 72 habitable floors, with a viewing gallery and open-air observation deck on the 72nd floor, at a height of 244 metres (801 ft). The Shard was developed by Sellar Property Group on behalf of LBQ Ltd and is jointly owned by Sellar Property (5%) and the State of Qatar (95%). The Shard is managed by Real Estate Management (UK) Limited on behalf of the owners.
The Shard's construction began in March 2009. It was topped out on 30 March 2012 and inaugurated on 5 July 2012. Practical completion was achieved in November 2012. The tower's privately operated observation deck, The View from The Shard, was opened to the public on 1 February 2013. The glass-clad pyramidal tower has 72 habitable floors, with a viewing gallery and open-air observation deck on the 72nd floor, at a height of 244 metres (801 ft). The Shard was developed by Sellar Property Group on behalf of LBQ Ltd and is jointly owned by Sellar Property (5%) and the State of Qatar (95%). The Shard is managed by Real Estate Management (UK) Limited on behalf of the owners.
Looking Up
Standing Proud
Looking Up
Looking up at the Novotel in Sheffield. Processed in a black and white Fine Art Architectural Style.
Camera: Olympus OMD E M1X
Lens: Olympus 7-14mm F2.8 Pro + 10 Stop Lee filter.
Camera: Olympus OMD E M1X
Lens: Olympus 7-14mm F2.8 Pro + 10 Stop Lee filter.
Beacon of Hope
There has been a harbour at the mouth of the Adur since Roman times. The safe entry to the current harbour is marked by the lighthouse, known as Kingston Buci or Shoreham lighthouse.
The building dates from 1842. It was lit initially by oil lamps, but in the 1880s the lighthouse was modernised and the quality and strength of the light improved using new dioptric glass gas lamps.
Britain became famous for the manufacture of dioptric glass and exported it around the world during the next hundred years.
In the paintings collection of Brighton & Hove Museums there is a painting of the lighthouse by the artist Charles Gogin, who lived in Shoreham. His painting is dated 1888, so although the painting appears old to us now, he must have been painting the lighthouse as demonstrating the best of modern technology available at that time.
The flecks of paint and impression of light in the painting suggest Gogin was painting in the new modern style of the period as well. He had travelled and studied in France, and must have been aware that the last Impressionist Exhibition had been held in Paris just two years previously in 1886.
By 2011 the varnish on the painting had become very brown and the freshness of the image lost. Removing the varnish has helped the painting to be seen more as it would have looked when new in the 1880s.
The painting was restored this year in order for it to be part of an exhibition currently on at Horsham Museum on paintings of the Sussex Coast.
The building dates from 1842. It was lit initially by oil lamps, but in the 1880s the lighthouse was modernised and the quality and strength of the light improved using new dioptric glass gas lamps.
Britain became famous for the manufacture of dioptric glass and exported it around the world during the next hundred years.
In the paintings collection of Brighton & Hove Museums there is a painting of the lighthouse by the artist Charles Gogin, who lived in Shoreham. His painting is dated 1888, so although the painting appears old to us now, he must have been painting the lighthouse as demonstrating the best of modern technology available at that time.
The flecks of paint and impression of light in the painting suggest Gogin was painting in the new modern style of the period as well. He had travelled and studied in France, and must have been aware that the last Impressionist Exhibition had been held in Paris just two years previously in 1886.
By 2011 the varnish on the painting had become very brown and the freshness of the image lost. Removing the varnish has helped the painting to be seen more as it would have looked when new in the 1880s.
The painting was restored this year in order for it to be part of an exhibition currently on at Horsham Museum on paintings of the Sussex Coast.
London Skyline at Night
Image processed in a black and white Architectural Fine Art Style from our night shoot in London.
All that Remains
The West Pier is a pier in Brighton, England. It was designed by Eugenius Birch and opened in 1866. It was the first pier to be Grade I listed in England & Wales but has become increasingly derelict since its closure to the public in 1975. As of 2021 only a partial metal framework remains.
The pier was constructed during a boom in pleasure pier building in the 1860s, and was designed to attract tourists to Brighton. It was the town's second pier, joining the Royal Suspension Chain Pier that opened in 1823. The West Pier was extended in 1893, and a concert hall was added in 1916.
The pier reached its peak attendance at this time, with 2 million visitors between 1918 and 1919. Its popularity began to decline after World War II, and concerts were replaced by a funfair and tearoom. A local company took over ownership of the pier in 1965, but could not meet the increased maintenance cost and filed for bankruptcy.
The pier closed to the public in 1975 and fell into disrepair.
It gradually collapsed during the early 21st century. Major sections collapsed during storms in late 2002, and two separate fires, both thought to be arson, in March and May 2003 destroyed most of the remaining structure, leading to English Heritage declaring it beyond repair. Some structured demolition took place in 2010 to make way for the i360 observation tower; further structural damage from storms has occurred since.
The West Pier Trust owns the remains and has proposed various renovation plans. Some schemes have been opposed by local residents and the owners of the nearby Palace Pier, claiming unfair competition.
The pier was constructed during a boom in pleasure pier building in the 1860s, and was designed to attract tourists to Brighton. It was the town's second pier, joining the Royal Suspension Chain Pier that opened in 1823. The West Pier was extended in 1893, and a concert hall was added in 1916.
The pier reached its peak attendance at this time, with 2 million visitors between 1918 and 1919. Its popularity began to decline after World War II, and concerts were replaced by a funfair and tearoom. A local company took over ownership of the pier in 1965, but could not meet the increased maintenance cost and filed for bankruptcy.
The pier closed to the public in 1975 and fell into disrepair.
It gradually collapsed during the early 21st century. Major sections collapsed during storms in late 2002, and two separate fires, both thought to be arson, in March and May 2003 destroyed most of the remaining structure, leading to English Heritage declaring it beyond repair. Some structured demolition took place in 2010 to make way for the i360 observation tower; further structural damage from storms has occurred since.
The West Pier Trust owns the remains and has proposed various renovation plans. Some schemes have been opposed by local residents and the owners of the nearby Palace Pier, claiming unfair competition.
Cleethorpes Pier
Cleethorpes Pier is a pleasure pier in the town of Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England. Opened in 1873 on August Bank Holiday, it originally cost £8,000 and was financed by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (later the Great Central Railway).
Originally 1,200 feet (370 m) in length to span the unusually large distance between low and high tide limits, the pier comprised a timber deck and pavilion (constructed in 1888) supported on iron piles. A section was cut out of the pier during the Second World War to impede its use in any German invasion attempt.
The original pavilion was destroyed by fire in 1903 but in 1905 a new one was built, halfway along the pier, and also a cafeteria and shops at the entry from the promenade. The pavilion offered a venue for dances and concerts. Cleethorpes Borough Council assumed ownership of the pier in 1936, the year that the resort gained borough status.
A £50,000 (equivalent to £886,528 in 2020) investment in 1968 modernised the 600-seat concert hall, cafe and bar. As well as traditional summer shows, it housed wrestling, coin & stamp fairs and dance festivals. However, after a series of losses on the summer show, the council sold the pier in 1981 to Funworld of Skegness, who later themselves put the pier up for sale. The council declined an offer to buy back the pier, saying it would need a £200,000 reconstruction. Following this, nightclub owner Mark Mayer purchased the pier for £10,000 and, after an investment of £300,000, it reopened as 'Pier 39' (a modern nightclub) on 4 September 1985, he later sold it for £1.2m. Subsequent developments included a shelter for those awaiting access to the night-club, and pier widening with new underneath piles distinct from the originals.
Originally 1,200 feet (370 m) in length to span the unusually large distance between low and high tide limits, the pier comprised a timber deck and pavilion (constructed in 1888) supported on iron piles. A section was cut out of the pier during the Second World War to impede its use in any German invasion attempt.
The original pavilion was destroyed by fire in 1903 but in 1905 a new one was built, halfway along the pier, and also a cafeteria and shops at the entry from the promenade. The pavilion offered a venue for dances and concerts. Cleethorpes Borough Council assumed ownership of the pier in 1936, the year that the resort gained borough status.
A £50,000 (equivalent to £886,528 in 2020) investment in 1968 modernised the 600-seat concert hall, cafe and bar. As well as traditional summer shows, it housed wrestling, coin & stamp fairs and dance festivals. However, after a series of losses on the summer show, the council sold the pier in 1981 to Funworld of Skegness, who later themselves put the pier up for sale. The council declined an offer to buy back the pier, saying it would need a £200,000 reconstruction. Following this, nightclub owner Mark Mayer purchased the pier for £10,000 and, after an investment of £300,000, it reopened as 'Pier 39' (a modern nightclub) on 4 September 1985, he later sold it for £1.2m. Subsequent developments included a shelter for those awaiting access to the night-club, and pier widening with new underneath piles distinct from the originals.
Shard with its head in the clouds.
The Shard also referred to as the Shard of Glass, Shard London Bridge and formerly London Bridge Tower, is a 72-storey skyscraper, designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, in Southwark, London, that forms part of the Shard Quarter development. Standing 309.6 metres (1,016 feet) high, the Shard is the tallest building in the United Kingdom, and the seventh-tallest building in Europe. It is also the second-tallest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom, after the concrete tower of the Emley Moor transmitting station. It replaced Southwark Towers, a 24-storey office block built on the site in 1975.
The Shard's construction began in March 2009. It was topped out on 30 March 2012 and inaugurated on 5 July 2012. Practical completion was achieved in November 2012. The tower's privately operated observation deck, The View from The Shard, was opened to the public on 1 February 2013. The glass-clad pyramidal tower has 72 habitable floors, with a viewing gallery and open-air observation deck on the 72nd floor, at a height of 244 metres (801 ft). The Shard was developed by Sellar Property Group on behalf of LBQ Ltd and is jointly owned by Sellar Property (5%) and the State of Qatar (95%). The Shard is managed by Real Estate Management (UK) Limited on behalf of the owners.
The Shard's construction began in March 2009. It was topped out on 30 March 2012 and inaugurated on 5 July 2012. Practical completion was achieved in November 2012. The tower's privately operated observation deck, The View from The Shard, was opened to the public on 1 February 2013. The glass-clad pyramidal tower has 72 habitable floors, with a viewing gallery and open-air observation deck on the 72nd floor, at a height of 244 metres (801 ft). The Shard was developed by Sellar Property Group on behalf of LBQ Ltd and is jointly owned by Sellar Property (5%) and the State of Qatar (95%). The Shard is managed by Real Estate Management (UK) Limited on behalf of the owners.
Sheffield Office Block
Office block in Sheffield that I thought needed a makeover.
The Cheesegrater
It is one of Sheffield’s oddest buildings, and probably one of the most photographed. Liked by many. Hated by many. The Q-Park, Charles Street, opened in 2008, and the extraordinary steel cladding merited the ‘Cheesegrater’ name.
The ten-storey car park was designed by architects Allies and Morrison, and constructed by Sheffield-based J.F. Finnegan as part of the Heart of the City project, which also included the Peace Gardens, Winter Garden and Millennium Gallery.
The small parcel of land it sits on was once the site of the Yorkshire Grey, a public house dating to 1833, once known as the Minerva Tavern and later Bar Rio, and so there was understandable anger when it was demolished.
In its place rose this ultramodern structure with its nerve-jangling circular ramp leading to 520 parking spaces above. Car parks can be unattractive, and the precast concrete columns, walls, and floors, were hidden behind a screen of folded, anodised aluminium panels.
The external envelope, painted green on the inside, was each manufactured from a single sheet of folded aluminium, cut to an angle on two sides, and hung in four different orientations, providing natural ventilation.
“By day, a varied monochromatic pattern of light and dark is achieved over each of the elevations, with each panel giving a different light reflectance from its surface. The variety of open ends and tilted faces transform the surface as daylight fades. By night, the interior lighting bleeds between each panel and creates a non-uniform composition of light and dark across the surface.”
Love it, loathe it, the car park has put Sheffield on the world map. A year after completion, it was named the ‘third coolest in the world’ by a car parking company and a design magazine. In 2019, it was voted the world’s most unusual quirky car park – beating off competition from Tokyo, Miami, and Australia, and was voted the most unusual car park in the UK in 2020.
There are even claims that Harvard University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, built its new Science and Engineering Complex following the cheesegrater style.
The ten-storey car park was designed by architects Allies and Morrison, and constructed by Sheffield-based J.F. Finnegan as part of the Heart of the City project, which also included the Peace Gardens, Winter Garden and Millennium Gallery.
The small parcel of land it sits on was once the site of the Yorkshire Grey, a public house dating to 1833, once known as the Minerva Tavern and later Bar Rio, and so there was understandable anger when it was demolished.
In its place rose this ultramodern structure with its nerve-jangling circular ramp leading to 520 parking spaces above. Car parks can be unattractive, and the precast concrete columns, walls, and floors, were hidden behind a screen of folded, anodised aluminium panels.
The external envelope, painted green on the inside, was each manufactured from a single sheet of folded aluminium, cut to an angle on two sides, and hung in four different orientations, providing natural ventilation.
“By day, a varied monochromatic pattern of light and dark is achieved over each of the elevations, with each panel giving a different light reflectance from its surface. The variety of open ends and tilted faces transform the surface as daylight fades. By night, the interior lighting bleeds between each panel and creates a non-uniform composition of light and dark across the surface.”
Love it, loathe it, the car park has put Sheffield on the world map. A year after completion, it was named the ‘third coolest in the world’ by a car parking company and a design magazine. In 2019, it was voted the world’s most unusual quirky car park – beating off competition from Tokyo, Miami, and Australia, and was voted the most unusual car park in the UK in 2020.
There are even claims that Harvard University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, built its new Science and Engineering Complex following the cheesegrater style.
Reflection in the Gherkin
Reflection of a London office block in the Gherkin windows.
The Sage Centre
Sage Gateshead on NewcastleGateshead Quayside aptly describes itself as 'A music centre rooted deeply in the North, with an international profile. A music centre rooted deeply in the North, with an international profile'
Sage Gateshead is an international home for music and musical discovery. It houses two main stages of acoustic excellence, a 26-room music education centre, a music information resource centre, four bars, a brasserie and a cafe.
All kinds of music can be heard here including world, rock, pop, classical, acoustic, indie, country, folk, jazz, electronic and dance music, and its own orchestra Northern Sinfonia is at the heart of Sage Gateshead's classical programme.
Sage Gateshead is the hub for a superb music Learning and Participation programme delivered across the whole of the North East and Cumbria, and offers a wide range of opportunities to explore and create all kinds of music, for people of all ages at every level of ability and experience.
The building itself is spectacular and entry is free, so pop in and have a look around for great views of the Quayside.
"The Sage Gateshead is in the top 5 best concert halls in the world"
Sage Gateshead is an international home for music and musical discovery. It houses two main stages of acoustic excellence, a 26-room music education centre, a music information resource centre, four bars, a brasserie and a cafe.
All kinds of music can be heard here including world, rock, pop, classical, acoustic, indie, country, folk, jazz, electronic and dance music, and its own orchestra Northern Sinfonia is at the heart of Sage Gateshead's classical programme.
Sage Gateshead is the hub for a superb music Learning and Participation programme delivered across the whole of the North East and Cumbria, and offers a wide range of opportunities to explore and create all kinds of music, for people of all ages at every level of ability and experience.
The building itself is spectacular and entry is free, so pop in and have a look around for great views of the Quayside.
"The Sage Gateshead is in the top 5 best concert halls in the world"
Barnsley College
This is a look up shot of Barnsley College Old Mill Lane Campus.
Digital Media Centre
This is the Digital Media Centre at Barnsley College with a Fine Art Processing look.
Jettysburgh
An image from one of our Lake district holidays that was destined for the bin.
I wanted to try out a Fine Art workflow on it. What do you think?
I wanted to try out a Fine Art workflow on it. What do you think?
Skyline Flats
The Skyline Flats in Barnsley caught my eye on one of my photo walks.
I thought it would be ideal for an Architectural Fine Art Processing makeover.
I thought it would be ideal for an Architectural Fine Art Processing makeover.
John Rideal House Barnsley
This is the Centre For Health & Disability Assessments in Barnsley.
I liked the way that the sun was striking the front of the building full on and thought it would look good in black and white with a little fine art processing.
I liked the way that the sun was striking the front of the building full on and thought it would look good in black and white with a little fine art processing.
The Tay Bridge
The Tay Bridge carries the railway across the Firth of Tay in Scotland between Dundee and the suburb of Wormit in Fife. Its span is 2.75 miles (4.43 kilometres). It is the second bridge to occupy the site.
Plans for a bridge over the Tay to replace the train ferry service emerged in 1854, but the first Tay Bridge did not open until 1878. It was a lightweight lattice design of relatively low cost with a single track. On 28 December 1879, the bridge suddenly collapsed in high winds. The incident is one of the greatest bridge-related engineering disasters to have occurred. An enquiry determined that the bridge was insufficiently engineered to cope with high winds.
It was replaced by a second bridge constructed of iron and steel, with a double-track, parallel to the remains of the first bridge. Work commenced on 6 July 1883 and the bridge opened in 1887. The new bridge was subject to extensive testing by the Board of Trade, which resulted in a favourable report. In 2003, the bridge was strengthened and refurbished, winning a British Construction Industry Engineering Award to mark the scale and difficulty of the project.
Plans for a bridge over the Tay to replace the train ferry service emerged in 1854, but the first Tay Bridge did not open until 1878. It was a lightweight lattice design of relatively low cost with a single track. On 28 December 1879, the bridge suddenly collapsed in high winds. The incident is one of the greatest bridge-related engineering disasters to have occurred. An enquiry determined that the bridge was insufficiently engineered to cope with high winds.
It was replaced by a second bridge constructed of iron and steel, with a double-track, parallel to the remains of the first bridge. Work commenced on 6 July 1883 and the bridge opened in 1887. The new bridge was subject to extensive testing by the Board of Trade, which resulted in a favourable report. In 2003, the bridge was strengthened and refurbished, winning a British Construction Industry Engineering Award to mark the scale and difficulty of the project.
Glass Works Car Park Barnsley
Visiting and parking at The Glass Works could not be any easier. The brand-new multi-storey car park offers visitors the most accessible and convenient place to park when visiting The Glass Works and the wider town centre.
The Glass Works car park has 475 standard bays, 20 parent and child bays, 28 free disabled bays available to Blue Badge holders, and 6EV charging bays, there is more than enough room for everyone’s needs. The car park is open 24 hours, even when the stores are shut!
The car park pedestrian entrance is ideally located in the heart of The Glass Works shopping mall for easy access to your favourite shops, the toilets, and baby changing facilities.
The Glass Works car park has 475 standard bays, 20 parent and child bays, 28 free disabled bays available to Blue Badge holders, and 6EV charging bays, there is more than enough room for everyone’s needs. The car park is open 24 hours, even when the stores are shut!
The car park pedestrian entrance is ideally located in the heart of The Glass Works shopping mall for easy access to your favourite shops, the toilets, and baby changing facilities.
Berwick Groynes
Rockingham Street Car Park
Interesting architecture on the Q Park Rockingham Street Car Park in Sheffield.
The Tate Modern
Goring Street Offices London
The Dalek Building
Bridgewater Place, nicknamed The Dalek, is an office and residential skyscraper in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was the tallest building in Yorkshire at the time of being topped out in September 2005, but is now the second-tallest after another Leeds building, Altus House. Bridgewater Place is visible at up to 25 miles (40 kilometres) from most areas.
The development was designed by Aedas Architects with the developer being Landmark Development Projects and St James Securities with Bovis Lend Lease being the contractor.[2] The developer of the residential element of Bridgewater Place was KW Linfoot.
The construction was first announced in 2000 and, following several redesigns and delays with the construction process, began in 2004 and was completed in 2007, when it became the tallest building in Leeds by a significant margin, but it has since been exceeded by Altus House. Bridgewater Place has a height of 112 m (367 ft) to roof level. Originally, the tower was to have a spire which would have extended the height of the building to 137 m (449 ft), but this was never built.
Bridgewater Place has 32 storeys, of which two are used for car parking, ten for offices and twenty for residential use. There is 40,000 m2 (430,000 sq ft) of floor space in the building with 200 flats and 400 underground car parking spaces serving both the residential and commercial areas of the building.
The major part of the building's construction was completed by late December 2006. The completion of the entire building was commemorated on Thursday 26 April 2007. A special episode of Look North, the BBC's local regional news programme was produced to commemorate the opening of the tower. The tower is illuminated at night with bright coloured lighting effects; colours used so far include blue and purple.
The development was designed by Aedas Architects with the developer being Landmark Development Projects and St James Securities with Bovis Lend Lease being the contractor.[2] The developer of the residential element of Bridgewater Place was KW Linfoot.
The construction was first announced in 2000 and, following several redesigns and delays with the construction process, began in 2004 and was completed in 2007, when it became the tallest building in Leeds by a significant margin, but it has since been exceeded by Altus House. Bridgewater Place has a height of 112 m (367 ft) to roof level. Originally, the tower was to have a spire which would have extended the height of the building to 137 m (449 ft), but this was never built.
Bridgewater Place has 32 storeys, of which two are used for car parking, ten for offices and twenty for residential use. There is 40,000 m2 (430,000 sq ft) of floor space in the building with 200 flats and 400 underground car parking spaces serving both the residential and commercial areas of the building.
The major part of the building's construction was completed by late December 2006. The completion of the entire building was commemorated on Thursday 26 April 2007. A special episode of Look North, the BBC's local regional news programme was produced to commemorate the opening of the tower. The tower is illuminated at night with bright coloured lighting effects; colours used so far include blue and purple.