big architecture

Well hello!

Today I want to share my love of architecture. I get very inspired by looking at all sorts of buildings from warehouses in grungy back-streets to pristine sky-scrapers that look fresh-out-of-the-packet perfect. There is something so special about massive buildings. The grand scale of them makes me feel so small. The engineering of them makes me feel simple and inadequate - they take my breath away. There are not many man-made things in this world that I can honestly say I love (apart from camera's, oh and cars and erm maybe chairs?) but I do so love me some big old buildings.

Olivia and I took a trip to Canary Wharf in the Easter break, and we were not disappointed. I have only ever passed through on the DLR, but have never stopped of and had a wander round. It was great fun. Olivia summed it up very succinctly (she's 12 by the way):

I felt so small there, and like time had stopped. It felt like we were in the future, in a bubble and everyone was rushing past us.

She has a way with the words, does my baby.

I took lots of photos and have been having fun getting creative with them, which I haven't felt like doing for ages and I really enjoyed. Here are some that make the shortlist:

 I wonder if you have any giant structures near where you live and if they inspire you ? Have you ever been to the Docklands in London?

Twin Sails at Sunset

On some flukish whim I managed to get down to the Twin Sails Bridge in Poole before it is opened to traffic (with my Mum and Olivia), which is not exactly a feat as it is right there for everyone to see, but to see it without cars is to appreciate it's beauty.
The fluke of it is that it was a most beautiful sunset tonight and the sky was amazingly clear. The bridge looked utterly beautiful in its spanky-newness, set against a crescent moon...wowzers. I was blown  a w a y.

Sometimes I am appalled at the amount of money councils spend on crap buildings and shopping centres or failed town planning, but this is a thing worth it's millions in my opinion; majestic, artistic, fitting (my town has a strong nautical heritage and hosts the UK RNLI headquarters), and did I say beautiful? Yep, pretty sexy as bridges go...reminds me of Roxy Music, Miami Vice and LA all rolled together, haha.

 As I stood marvelling at it I was struck by its sculptural qualities (we already have a Caro on the quay), the shapes and lines and lights all looked like they could be part of an immense Donald Judd installation.

--source--

I might be a bit biased and proud that something so cool is in my hometown :) But I am seriously impressed. I am quite the architecture geek anyway, so this just adds another thing I can photograph the heck out of! Yay!.
As we were leaving I said 'oh yay I can come down here tomorrow and take pictures of reflections - there are some cool buildings', to which my daughter mouthed to her nana 'help me'...oh well, I guess I'll be trotting down there on my own to geek out eh?

I did manage to squeeze in a few reflections - one of my photography obsessions.

Have you got any groovy landmarks in your town?
Love, me x