The future of Manchester

October 27, 2019October 26, 2019 / mikeosbornphoto / 5 Comments

After taking you a long way away, it’s back to my home city of Manchester and right in the backyard.

I’ve lived in the canalside area of Castlefield for three years now, and have been watching huge changes take place.

A cluster of high rise blocks called Deansgate Square has sprung up and dominates the immediate skyline, overlooking the neighbourhood. One of the towers is now the city’s tallest building. On a clear, sunny day I went out to photograph them and the nearby Axis tower, another new addition.

This is the story of Manchester’s city centre, where several skyscrapers are being constructed and planned in an incredible flurry of prestige developments. ‘Manchattan’ here we come!

Click first image to see gallery

A golden dusk settles on the buildings of Castlefield. Deansgate Square, on the right, was not there when I first arrived. Beetham Tower, on the left, was once the area’s only high rise and Manchester’s tallest building. The cranes are the site of another high rise construction, while out of shot another two towers are quickly taking shape. The skyline is undoubtedly changing.

Towers of the east

December 13, 2015 / mikeosbornphoto / 15 Comments

When you stroll around the fashionable London districts of Hoxton and Shoreditch, you tend to look straight ahead to spot bijou little shops, high-class eateries – and hipsters sporting beards.

But this part of the city has more than its fair share of high-rise buildings, from very modern glass-clad affairs to the concrete bunkers from the 1960s. Futuristic or retro, these tall edifices are bursting with perspective. So if you pay a visit, take a few moments to stand still and look up.

Click first image to launch the gallery

High and mighty

October 4, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 14 Comments

An impressive mountain of glass and steel in the heart of the City of London – a true statement of power and prestige.

This is just one of the many new high-grade skyscrapers that have sprung up in recent years. There are more on the way, which cluster together in the capital’s business district.

Nearby is a less imposing and more elegant curved tower. With your camera you can spend a long time pointing upwards on a trip to the so-called Square Mile.

Click images to enlarge

Walking distance

January 18, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 8 Comments

I’m lucky to live in a part of west London where it’s very easy to reach the banks of the River Thames. It’s our answer to the seaside and is a place to walk, relax, contemplate – and take photographs.

On a rare sunny day recently, I went from my house to the riverside at Hammersmith, walking a circuit that took in Barnes and Chiswick Bridge. This is an album of what caught my eye on the walk.

To follow the journey with me, click the first image

I greet the Thames at Hammersmith’s Chiswick Mall, with the sunny haze of the brewery in the distance.

Barnes Bridge takes trains and pedestrians. A piece of the industrial revolution, it has its own beauty on a bright winter’s day.

Along the north bank I encounter this massive sign for the brewery, advertising a legendary lager.

The might of the old brewery building rears up on the river path.

It’s a daunting edifice, even in its state of disuse.

Near the old brewery building stands Chiswick Bridge, its elegant sweep of stone connecting north and south.

Its stone details, caressed by the sun, are ripe pickings for the camera lens.

Beneath the bridge, it’s clear to see how wet this stormy winter has been so far.

From the bridge, a cluster of tower blocks loom on the north Thames bank under a threatening sky. Time to head back.

The fencing by the river bank have their own flair. The concrete is ridged and dashed with flint.

Back to Barnes Bridge and a view from its opposite side. This man seems entranced by the view.

Time for one last detail on my way home – a riverside railing elegantly turned, but seriously worn by weather and time.

London City concrete

April 13, 2013 / mikeosbornphoto / 15 Comments

A spark of inspiration from photographers Richard Cooper-Knight and Richard Guest led me to take a photographic walk around a London landmark previously uncharted by my camera.

The pair captured London’s Barbican in one of their regular collaborations, distilling its essence into an intriguing set of photographs. It’s a concrete housing estate with a high-rise element which was built in the 1960s and 70s. It lies in the heart of the city and is a prestigious address.

The Barbican is something of a maze and on the face of it far from beautiful. But as the two Richards found, it’s bristling with lines, curves and angles. Quite Unmissable for the photographer.