I've mentioned before that one of the things that I love most about having a studio in Chiswick is the walk to work, which takes me through the grounds of Chiswick House.
Today the walk was particularly beautiful, thanks to the snow that has successfully brought the entire country to a halt. I couldn't resist getting out my camera and taking a few shots of the way the snow and ice interacts with architecture.
A section of the London Loop today with the Knit Nurse (you can read her account here and check for inconsistencies between our accounts, and also "enjoy" a picture of me in my new hat!). The first two-thirds of the walk were glorious, the last section a bit drab and depressing, despite the winter sunshine.
Highlights include the rather wondrous Bourne Hall conference centre/library, designed by architect AG Shepherd Fidler & Associates and completed as late as 1970. It is a circular building, with a central rooflight which looks a bit like a squashed version of the crown of thorns of Liverpool's Roman Catholic Cathedral.
There was some really beautiful golden sunlight, contrasting with dark skies, which made the naked trees look especially beautiful.
Happy New Year! A beautiful sunny winter's day today, and the chance for a short stroll to work off some of the excesses of New Year's Eve. Our stroll took in Chiswick Park, the business park designed by Richard Rogers Partnership, which features beautiful landscaping by Charles Funke Associates/West8.
The landscaping is open to the public, and appears to have a very strong Japanese influence in terms of layout and planting. The centrepiece is a large lake, complete with cascade, bridge and island complete with bonsai-style tree. The formality of the landscaping echoes the rhythms of the buildings (Chiswick Park is rather unusual because of the almost fanatical consistency of its architecture).
We even came face-to-face with a juvenile heron, who was quite happy to stand a couple of feet away, appraising us with his beady eyes!
A wintry walk yesterday with the Knit Nurse, taking in the highs (quite literally) and lows of the City of London.
The highs: Despite the chill wind and cloud, there were wonderful views to be had from the top of the Monument (read all about it here). St Paul's Cathedral also looked dramatic, its dome caught by the late afternoon sun.
The lows: Some of the lumpen new developments in the City, ranging from Foster & Partners' bulging The Walbrook to the mystifyingly ghastly One New Change, which is slap bang next to St Paul's and designed by Jean Nouvel (working with Sidell Gibson Architects). Sir Christopher and his old friend Robert Hooke, who together designed the Monument, must be spinning in their graves.
Some images of the recently-completed headquarters for Southwark Council, designed by BDGworkfutures.
Their design houses 2,100 council staff under one roof, who were previously spread around various sites in the borough. Flexible working practices are promoted through plenty of informal meeting areas, communal tea points and open-plan workspaces
Located on London's Tooley Street, the building is a fascinating mix of old and new. Architect AHMM restored a warehouse that fronts the street, which links to a new-build office building. There's a dramatic central lobby, soaring barrel-vaulted ceilings on the top floor and extensive use of exposed concrete for passive cooling.
You can read more about the project in the latest issue of onoffice, which features a sprinkling of my images (alas, very naughtily uncredited).
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