Rotterdam: Architectural dream

August 11, 2024August 14, 2024 / mikeosbornphoto / Leave a comment

I chose to visit Rotterdam for my first stay in the Netherlands, lured by a city positively brimming with eye-catching modern architecture.

The city centre was almost completely destroyed during World War II and was reconstructed in the decades following the conflict.

Rotterdam is now filled with modern buildings, many of them high rise with contemporary designs. Enjoy the photographs and read about my highlights below.

Tap/click first image to view gallery

Here are a few Rotterdam buildings that really caught my eye.

The Cube Houses are an unmissable Rotterdam tourist attraction with their blazing yellow colour and impossible angles. Surprisingly tricky to photograph while you can take a look inside.

Rotterdam Central Station with its sweeping curves and diffused light is worth spending time in as well as being your likely arrival point in the city.

Groot Handelsgebouw is a large block I stumbled across next to the station. Built in 1953, it’s quite tall, studded with windows and has an elegant concrete facade. I was captivated.

The Maastoren Skyscraper soars upwards from a low-level neighbourhood and shimmers silver, high above its riverside base. It’s also a great landmark to navigate your way around this district.

My advice would be to walk around Rotterdam and just keep looking up. There’s so much architecture to feast your eyes upon. Are you ready to make a detour from Amsterdam?

Manchester’s new Oxford Road

February 6, 2022February 6, 2022 / mikeosbornphoto / Leave a comment

Oxford Road in Manchester is a long thoroughfare synonymous with the city’s thriving student life.

It has grand old architecture but a crop of sleek new buildings have recently sprung up.

There are student accommodation blocks, modern apartments and smart buildings housing academic and research facilities.

The National Graphene Institute, the Circle Square residential development and even a multi-storey car park are among the striking new buildings featured here.

New architecture is one of my favourite photographic subjects. How about you? Or do you prefer something more traditional?

Tap/click first image to see gallery

New Manchester

May 28, 2017May 28, 2017 / mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

I’ve had my first true taste of summer since moving to Manchester last September. Crowds of sun-hungry people have flocked to the waterways, green spaces and al fresco bars of Castlefield.

With a city draped in piercing blue skies, I turned my camera to the city’s growing crop of contemporary tall buildings – hulks of steel and glass that glint in this light.

This left out the slender Beetham Tower, Manchester’s tallest building which has enthralled me for months. The colour palette for these shots is overwhelmingly blue, which turns dramatic and even menacing in monochrome.