Richard Seifert: One Kemble Street

[Musicman]

Known as Space House when it was built, One Kemble Street was completed in 1966. It lies adjacent to Kingsway in Holborn, London.

Its architectural language, with a highly articulated facade created with geometric precast concrete sections which are structural and help support the building, is shared with a somewhat more famous nearby Seifert project, Centre Point, which was completed the following year.

It is thought that both buildings were actually designed by one of Seifert's senior partners, George Marsh.

One thing that attracts me to many of Seifert's (or perhaps rather Marsh's) buildings is the playfulness with which he treats the major structural elements. The tops of piers and columns bisect or dissolve into a number of crystalline facets. It's an approach to tectonic expression which is often missing in many more recent buildings.

Photographically, I find they often lend themselves well to a black and white treatment which emphasises the more abstract, geometric nature of the building.

1.


One Kemble Street by cybertect, on Flickr


2.


One Kemble Street by cybertect, on Flickr


3.


One Kemble Street by cybertect, on Flickr


4.


One Kemble Street by cybertect, on Flickr


5.


One Kemble Street by cybertect, on Flickr


6.


One Kemble Street by cybertect, on Flickr

 

[sbowler579]

That is one beautiful building and the first shot reminds me of a wedding cake for some reason. The shapes and symmetry work beautifully and give the massiveness of the building a very delicate feel.

 

[SFTPhotography]

A proper insight to a unique building. Enjoyable thread

 

[Musicman]

Thanks peeps.

Seifert was highly controversial and much derided in his time - he was first and foremost a successful commercial architect with a reputation for negotiating his way round planning law. He was also incredibly prolific - you probably know the Nat West Tower (AKA Tower 42) and Euston Station and Londoners may be familiar with the NLA Tower in Croydon and the Tolworth Tower. A number of his buildings have been demolished in the last decade, most notably Drapers Gardens in The City in 2007, which the centre of an unsuccessful campaign to be listed and protected by English Heritage. New London Bridge House made way for a second Renzo Piano building near to the Shard at London Bridge, and the Kings Reach Tower at Bankside is currently converted to flats and reclad, with several storeys being added to the top.

One Kemble Street isn't without its faults - the streetscape around the base of the tower is poor, especially on the northern side, which is a featureless and rather dismal service yard. Nevertheless, it is great fun to photograph.

 

[pwhysall]

I like the first one - especially as there's an optical illusion that makes it seem like the verticals diverge towards the bottom of the frame (they don't, I got a ruler out to check )

Number five is just lovely - the fine detail of the tiny tiles against the smooth concrete, divided up by delicious diagonals, with the dark part in the bottom right adding just a hint of mystery and depth. Om nom nom.

 

[Peter B]

An interesting building and a fine series of shots, especially the detail ones. It looks as though they must have gone for good quality concrete as some other buildings of that vintage aren't just as clever looking!

 

[photojournalism]

I like the second one out of them all