London

East London's Fredd Wigg and John Walsh Towers by Tom Oliver Payne

Often a city's ugliest buildings are its most controversial.

The Fred Wigg and John Walsh Towers in London’s were loaded up with missile launchers during the London olympics - making the tenants inside a potential target. Now, at the forefront of the gentrifying east end, it’s likely that the towers will soon be demolished and redeveloped. The tenants, however, still don't know how long until they will be 'decanted'.

The speed at which this city changes constantly amazes me - but unfortunately - affordable housing tenants are too often left in limbo during the development process. I'd love to see these buildings recreated into something beautiful. I'd also love to see space made for existing tenants who have spent decades building a life within the community.

Either way, it looks like these buildings will soon be cleared from London's landscape, or - at least - remade into something new. I made the images below to document their place within amongst the skyline before they're no more.

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Demolition has begun: photos from Robin Hood Gardens by Tom Oliver Payne

Despite years of campaigning from heritage groups and architects, the bulldozers have now moved in. The demolition of Robin Hood Gardens is now well underway. The western block is now in partial ruins. The eastern block is still occupied and is set to be razed in the new year. 

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SMH Article: What Sydney can learn from London's approach to brutalist architecture by Tom Oliver Payne

"Sirius, just like Trellick, Balfron and the Barbican in London, illustrates important aspects of the nation's social and cultural history."Last week I had an opinion piece published in the Sydney Morning Herald on brutalist architecture in Sydney and London. 

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Branded Kings Cross by Tom Oliver Payne

Hanging out in London’s Kings Cross's Granary Square recently, I was eating lunch away from the busy-ness of some of the city’s more hectic neighbourhoods. But I couldn’t help to notice that even in this more relaxed ‘public space’, I was bombarded with branding. I decided to I grab my camera and started shooting.

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Cycling from London to Paris by Tom Oliver Payne

My friend James and I decided that we were going to cycle to Paris... Wasting little time um-ming and ah-hing, we decided to plan for the fastest route (London-Newhaven-Dieppe-Forges-Les-Eaux-Pontiose-Paris) and a couple of weeks later we were off. Here's a quick run down with a few black and white snaps taken along the way.

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Dawson’s Heights: architecture with social conscience by Tom Oliver Payne

Architecture today is generally about making other people big bucks, but Dawson's Heights  reminds us of a time when architecture strived to create a better society through design. 

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