Having spent many years studying there, I have a soft spot for Central Saint Martins, which finally closed in September 2011 when the college relocated to Kings Cross. Despite being such a dive, the old building had such history and character and I grew very fond of its tatty charms. As plans for its take over by Foyles bookshop go ahead, I look forward to having a coffee in the new building's cafe when it re-opens.
Barbican, a residential estate in central London, is known for its brutalist architecture, almost a social experiment on how to live in an estate. I love walking around this area looking at the geometric shapes, the contrasting public spaces and the use of materials. The term brutalist originates from the fresh word for ‘raw’, and concrete is typically used as one of the main materials.The Barbican centre located in the centre is an arts centre and the largest of its kind in Europe, and was opened in 1982. The centre is used for classic and contemporary concerts, teatre, film screenings and art exhibitions, and houses a library, restaurants, cafes and bars. The areas’ architecture really invites you to go on a photo safari as there are great angles and light everywhere.
In my opinion this is the best bookshop in London, it stocks all my favourite magazines and has a wide selection of photography books, I spend a lot of my time there just browsing through all the books they have. David Bailey once described the place as “maybe the best photography bookshop in the world”
Beautiful museum with permanent collections on anthropology, natural history and musical instruments. Surrounded by a park with farm animals and beautiful views of London skyline.