ARCHITECTURE|PHOTOGRAPHY|WRITING
Shooting London
An urban optical illusion
Even for an architecture enthusiast like me (although of an amateur bent, still unable to tell a Greek Doric column from a Roman one. But let’s leave that for another post) London baffles me no end. Rather than looking at buildings and houses from a knowledge-based perspective, I’ve decided to allow my feelings and emotions to run free. How I feel about a particular construction matters more to me than the style in which it was built.
There are exceptions, of course. The Atlas building on City Road is one of those. I’ve no idea how many times I’ve cycled, walked, and driven past this edifice. But it was only recently when I co-led a walk from Pitfield Street to Smithfield Market, that this architectural beauty called my attention.
I was waiting for the lights to change on City Road. That’s where I took the above photo. I was struck by the optical illusion the building projected. I asked the rest of the party if they felt the same and they answered affirmatively. However, our responses were all different. To some, Atlas was “swaying” (impossible as it may sound). To others it seemed to be “waving” (I know, I know).
Intrigued by this mystery I went online to find some answers. The information I came across was fascinating. Atlas was conceived with a “dual or double aspect flat”. This is a type of design that uses openable windows on two or more walls. The effect is multiple views in more than one direction. The windows can be opposite to each other or adjacent. That’s how you get those peculiar angles that make the building “sway” or “wave”.
The Atlas building sits in an interesting area. Old Street, in east London, has gone from rags to riches in a very short time. Tech City (or Silicon Roundabout, echoing Silicon Valley) is one of the largest technology clusters in the world, alongside San Francisco and New York. Most of the companies operating in the area are web and tech start-ups. Their presence has had a knock-on effect on property prices and rents. Nowadays it’s almost impossible to rent a place in this area. In fact, on the property marketplace Rightmove’s website, a deposit for a two-bed flat in the Atlas Building will set you back £125,000. Yes, you guessed right. The flat is valued at £1,250,000.
Crazy prices. Crazy angles. Tell you what, though. I’ll keep the angles for the time being.
You can buy me a coffee here.