Door Detail, Bury Parish Church

Door Detail, Bury Parish Church, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

Victorian iron work at its very best. Here on the vestry door at Saint Mary the Virgin Bury, Lancashire UK.

We are not amused

We are not amused, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

By using a really low angle and a wide angle lens I tried to convey the strong presence of the statue of Queen Victoria in Derby Square, Liverpool. The city is full of remarkable architecture including plenty of sculptures and statues like this.

Looking forward to the 2008 year of culture.

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Oriel Chambers, Liverpool

Oriel Chambers, Liverpool, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

Not a great photograph - but a remarkable building. Oriel Chambers is reputed to be one of the first iron framed commercial buildings on the planet - built by Peter Ellis in 1864. In terms of it's style it is a pre-cursor of the modern movement. A must see building for archi buffs!

Memories of Maine Road

Memories of Maine Road, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

This image says it all to me about the end of football at Maine road. It is so symbolic with the deflated football lost and ragged on the barbed wire over the turnstiles

Maine Road, home of Manchester City Football Club was demolished in 2003/2004. For me (as a City Fan) the ground was a hallowed place - so over the last few days of its existence I spent some time taking my own impressions of the stadium.

Check out the full set here

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Memories of Maine Road

Memories of Maine Road, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

Check out the full set here

Maine Road, home of Manchester City Football Club was demolished in 2003/2004. For me (as a City Fan) the ground was a hallowed place - so over the last few days of its existence I spent some time taking my own impressions of the stadium.

Dormer, Burano, Venice, Italy

Dormer, Burano, Venice, Italy, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

Burano is the most colourful place to visit. It is one of the smaller islands outside of Venice, famous for its lacemaking. The colours of the houses are kept the same and are subject to planning controls

Our Allotment

Our Allotment, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

We got an allotment at Easter. It was a bare patch of earth. Charlotte worked at planting the vegetables and my little project is ahem, the architectural little bit in the middle....:-)

Things change so quickly down at the allotment. The peas have come on with all the wet weather, as have the courgettes (although the mice have had more of them than we have).

I can't explain how soul enhancing having a patch of earth to scratch around in is. It's wonderful

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Isola di San Michele, Venice 3 of 4

Isola di San Michele, Venice 3 of 4, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

Hey, I'm sure that I have put this pic up before, but I LOVE IT! It has a wonderful symbolism to it. Taken at the remarkable Isola di San Michele - it is the burial ground of Venetians. I took it with my Bronica ETRSi 645 medium format camera - which I miss sorely. I miss the mechanical clunk and geared feel of the film winder. I miss putting 645 film into the back on a windy day. I miss its bulk, weight and feel.

Liverpool Cathedrals

Liverpool Cathedrals, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

View of the Anglican Cathedral from the Catholic Cathedral Liverpool UK

For King and Country

For King and Country, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

Bronze statue of King George V overlooking Queensway entrance to the Mersey Tunnel Liverpool UK

The Georgian Doorways of Rodney Street

The Georgian Doorways of Rodney Street, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

Remarkable it is that we have such an abundant survival of Georgian architecture in Liverpool. These doorways are beautiful examples which are situated on Rodney Street.

Vicenza Velo

Vicenza Velo, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

At first glimpse the raison d'etre of this image seems to be the idyllic and pastoral scene befitting of a red bicycle and an ancient wall. Look beyond that and you have a wonderful sequence and stratigraphy of surviving archaeology in the wall itself.

Zecca Mint, San Marco, Venice

Zecca Mint, San Marco, Venice, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

This beautiful building by Sansovino built in the local Istrian stone can, when contemplated from the ground, be read like a music sheet.

Gargoyle, Chichester Cathedral

Gargoyle, Chichester Cathedral, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

Great to see a contemporary slant on this Gargoyle at Chichester Cathedral UK. It just goes to show that the organic tradition of cathedral building is alive and well and that the C20th is well represented!

Pattern and Decoration in Architecture

Pattern and Decoration in Architecture, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

Here is a medley of shots showing pattern and decoration in architecture. You can see it best large here.

I have compiled this for my latest photo tips article on Pattern and Decoration here

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Pinnacle

Pinnacle, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

An ethereal shot of Manchester Cathedral UK

Yup, I did some post processing here - but I deliberately wanted to create an atmosphere.The cathedral was shrouded in fog and there was a strong backlighting from a street light. I was heavily influenced by the b&w film Nosferatu and this image fits the bill!

Venezia

Venezia, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

Sunrise on the Piazzetta San Marco Venice Italy

Santa Maria della Salute

Santa Maria Salute, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

Built by Longhena in the early C17th as a votive church in thanks for Venice being spared from the plague. He deliberatly used these spiral motif's elevate the dome and give it a spinning fairground feel

Piazzeta San Marco, Venice

Piazzeta San Marco, Venice, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

What a joy it is to be on the Piazzetta at San Marco watching the cruise ship travel by!

Tib Street, Manchester

Tib Street, Manchester, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

Some comments extracted from flickr about this image make interesting reading. It is sad to see such a building disappear and yet fascinating to voyeuristically for a short moment in time peep into part of somebody's life and see the material remains of their existence. I imagine them strutting there stuff like an actor on a stage set.

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kayork Pro User says:

This sort of picture always makes me sad.
Posted 24 hours ago.

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fotofacade Pro User says:

It is sad - but also fascinating to see the blueprint of the whole elevation of a house and to think that somebody actually lived there - it was a home.
Posted 24 hours ago. ( permalink | delete | edit )
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linfrye Pro User says:

My gracious ....it is always intriguing to see how others think and live ... I wonder as your words above prompt me, how these folks got through their days, what they thought, felt, did. Your photo is very evocative ....and prompts much thought...
Posted 21 hours ago. ( permalink | delete )
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fotofacade Pro User says:

Yes Lin - it's like taking the front off a dolls house and having a peep. This sort of stuff always fascinates me.

Posted 21 hours ago. ( permalink | delete | edit )
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Claire Howson Pro User says:

Fantastic shot of dereliction and development. It's great that you can still see the fireplaces.

Posted 3 hours ago. ( permalink | delete )
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jonwild Pro User says:

I like the doll's house analogy, it is fascinating to peek inside and imagine how it was. Incidentally, Matthewbailey has a great example of eclectic decoration from a different time laid bare here.

Gothic

Gothic, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

Illustration for a magazine article and stock photography

A Basic Backgrounder in Architecture

Veronese Patterns and Textures, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

Whether you're an architecture student taking an architecture based course or just an interested party - here's the amazon links to recommended reading for a backgrounder in architecture - any other suggestions would be really welcome

A Visual Dictionary of Architecture
 - excellent images and great for learning about the theory of
architecture. One of my favourites.

Illustrated Handbook of Vernacular Architecture
 - The ultimate book on Vernacular Architecture in Britain - I met Mr
Brunskill once!

The Classical Language of Architecture (World of Art)
- John Summersons iconic book

Architecture in Britain, 1530-1830 (Yale University Press Pelican History of Art)
- Another iconic book from Summerson
 
Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture
- If you have the money - then buy it - you won't be disappointed.

An Outline of European Architecture (Penguin art and architecture)
- Grand sweep of an outline -  beautifully written.

A History of Building Types (A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts)-
For the geeks amongst us
 
The Penguin Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (Penguin Reference Books)
- Key reference book

The Elements of Style: An Encyclopedia of Domestic Architectural Detail (Mitchell Beazley Art & Design)

- Sumptuous and well referenced covers US and UK styles


A World History of Art-
Enormous amount of information in this book - you can't do without it.

San Zeno Maggiore, Verona

San Zeno Maggiore, Verona, originally uploaded by fotofacade.

The C9th tower of San Zeno

San Zeno Maggiore is a remarkable example of the Romanesque style of architecture. It originates in the C5th and was rebuilt in the C9th as a the church of a Benedictine monastry (of which the tower remains). It was later re-constructed in the early C11th and completed in the C13th and C14th centuries.