Stiffleaf's photos

all of the imaginative monkeys and beasts on the cusps of the screen are from the late c19

all of the imaginative monkeys and beasts on the cusps of the screen are from the late c19

all of the imaginative monkeys and beasts on the cusps of the screen are from the late c19

lord mayor's residence built by dance the elder. the portico relief is by robert taylor, quite baroque here in his youth.

lord mayor's residence built by dance the elder. the portico relief is by robert taylor, quite baroque here in his youth. this is father thames, holding a rudder and with a swan and hope's anchor at his feet.

lord mayor's residence built by dance the elder. the portico relief is by robert taylor, quite baroque here in his youth. london steps on the flacid breasted medusa headed envy and welcomes a cornucopia carrying plenty, with bales of goods at her back

head which forms pommel of sword of state on dance's facade

built 1411-40 by john croxton, much restored, not least after the blitz when giles gilbert scott built a roof to his own design in the 1950's

built 1411-40 by john croxton, this is the entry to the undercroft, just to the right of the main porch and retained behind dance's facade. this shows the original blank tracery facade of the building.

built 1411-40 by john croxton, with a porch facade by dance the younger built 1788-9 which mixes greek, gothic and indian detail

built 1411-40 by john croxton, with projecting facade by dance 1788-9. rebuilt after the war and blitz damage, then damaged anew by being buried in tat from the 1960's. even worse buildings now seem to be springing up like a crop of poisonous gargantuan glass pustules all over the city; too big, too ugly yet bland, there are massive blocks of flat glass facades going up everywhere, dwarfing churches and cathedral, let alone man. these new monsters exude power and money and are incredibly alienating, showing a total disregard for our humanity and scale as individuals. they say 'you do not matter, you are powerless' and have no redeeming features at all, no sculptural qualities and certainly no humour. they have the banality of evil: if architecture speaks then these are a threat.

wren 1672-9, spire completed 1717

wren 1672-9, spire completed 1717. another ugly box arises behind; these foul things of glass are totally soulless, with hard completely flat shiny walls often lacking any advance or regression, let alone any beauty or humour: that threaten with their size and bulk, proclaiming the power of the moneyed over the individual, and denying our humanity. i find them totally alienating, puffed up with pride and arrogance, and can only think that someone in planning has no aesthetic sense or must have been bribed . how the architects can sleep nights knowing that they are ruining a city i dont know. i thought that the new block opposite st.vedast on cheapside was one of the worst, but i'm running out of superlatives when i see around great st. helen or london wall where they pile pelions of tinted glass on ossas of steel and yet produce nothing worthy of the name of architecture.

wren 1672-9, church from n.e., spire completed 1717

wren 1672-9, spire completed 1717

wren 1672-9. dome from n.w.

wren 1672-9, dome from s.w.