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The Uncertain Future of Welbeck Street Car Park







Last year Welbeck Street Car Park designed by Michael Blampied & Partners in 1970 was sold to developers Shiva Hotels and since the sale it's future has been uncertain. In February this year I was asked by students of Goldsmith University to help them on a project they were making about this amazing car park. I was glad to help so on a cold winter's day we spent a few hours exploring the car park and I talked about why I loved this building so much and what draws me to photograph brutalist architecture.

While at the car park we saw signs saying the car park would be closing on the 13th March. So with only a month left of having access to the car park I started to plan a project to photograph it's last few days. On my first visit for this project I was then told it wasn't closing and might potential be open for another year!

I'm not sure if it will be open for that long, without the building being listed the Welbeck will be demolished at some point, the land is worth more then it is.

Until then the only thing I can do as a tribute to this amazing feat of architecture and engineering is show it's beauty in my photographs, a memento mori. I will continue with my project until it's untimely closure.

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  1. Unknown13 March 2017 at 12:33

    You are producing a valuable archive Jo. Shame finance can destroy culture

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jo Underhill13 March 2017 at 13:33

    Thanks so much Nick, it is all due to money unfortunately. It won't be saved as too many people will make money from the development, shame that is more important in our society!

    ReplyDelete

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