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The Hepworth Wakefield

We had an overnight stop at Wakefield on the way back up from Bath so that we could go to The Hepworth Wakefield. It was built in commemoration of artist/sculptor Barbara Hepworth who was born in the town. As well as many of her works it now houses the municipal art collection started in 1923.

The building stands by the River Calder and was designed by British architect David Chipperfield.

The Hepworth Wakefield

From over River Calder:-

The Hepworth Wakefield

From walkway over the river:-

The Hepworth Wakefield

Entrance and rear:-

The Hepworth Wakefield, Entrance

I took a video of the weir from the main road bridge:-

Minor Art Deco in Insch, Aberdeenshire

Insch is a village in Aberdeenshire. We visited it during our trip north in August.

This shop with strong horizontals and verticals has a deco look. Its eyes have been poked out though.

Art Deco at Insch

Moderne and Art Deco Style in Bergen

This clock was on a building at the entrance to the dock where our ship was berthed. The tower in white and the flagpole are also deco features:-

Art Deco Style Clock, Bergen

While wandering Bergen city centre I was delighted to see this building looming. Lots of deco hallmarks; curvature, rule of three, horizontals, verticals:-

Modern Art Deco Building, Bergen

These closer views also show up the building’s balconies:-

Art Deco, Bergen

Detail, Art Deco Building, Bergen

This bridge nearby certainly has a deco feel, albeit in a Scandinavian way:-

Art Deco Style Bridge, Bergen

Modern Architecture, St Petersburg

The view from the MS Magellan’s bow in dock at St Petersburg. New building construction with bridge behind:

A Bridge in St Petersburg

The view towards the city. Flats. We were told most Russians live in flats. All sorts of folks in similar flats in the same block. Only the insides would let you know how well off anyone is:-

Flats, St Petersburg

Gazprom Tower:-

Gazprom Tower, St Petersburg

This breaks the height restriction on buidlngs in St Petersburg. They let it go because it was way out of town and, well, Gazprom. Closer view:-

Gazprom Tower, St Petersburg

Krestovsky Stadium, or Zenit Arena, home of Zenit St Petersburg FC. This was a venue for games at the 2018 Football World Cup. Modern bridge in front with cruise terminal building in foreground:-

Bridge and St Petersburg Stadium

This was the nearest thing I saw in St Petersburg to an Art Deco building:-

A Decoish Building, St Petersburg

Peter the Great statue, photographed through coach windows so the statue is difficult to make out; a modern building behind.

Peter the Great Statue, in St Petersburg

Art Deco in Copenhagen

Undoubtedly Art Deco, this is a restaurant called The Standard, on Havnegade, Copenhagen.

Art Deco Building on Havnegade, Copenhagen

Definite deco lines plus rounded gables, not to mention the tower clock:-

The Standard, Havnegade, Copenhagen

Reverse view:-

Reverse View, The Standard, Havnegade, Copenhagen

Modern Architecture, Copenhagen

Just by way of contrast. Elgiganten:-

Elgiganten, Copenhagen

Deco? There’s rule of three in the smaller windows certainly:-

Elgiganten, Copenhagen from left

As in the Netherlands there was a profusion of bikes. The photo also shows another picturesque lamp standard:-

Bikes and Lamp Standard, Copenhagen

Art Deco in Liverpool (vi) Modern Deco

This is clearly not a building from the 1920 or 1930s but it definitely has Deco style much like the MI5/MI6 building in London or the UCAS building in Cheltenham.

A Modern Art Deco Building, Liverpool

Not So Traditional Architecture, Liverpool

There is some modern architecture in Liverpool, especially the Museum of Liverpool, situated down towards the Mersey.

Museum (centre left) from Albert Dock:-

Museum of Liverpool from Albert Dock

From plaza:-

Museum of Liverpool

Closer view:-

Museum of Liverpool Closer View

A very Chinese looking construction across a street entrance in Liverpool:-

Chinese Pagoda, Liverpool

A bit more traditional. Decorative tiles on a city centre building:-

Decorative Tiles, Liverpool

Ocean Liners Exhibition, V&A, Dundee

We visited the new V&A, Dundee, last week where the first exhibition was on Ocean Liners, with the sub-heading Speed and Style:-

Poster For Ocean Liners Exhibition, V&A, Dundee

Exhibition Poster, V&A entrance behind:-

Ocean Liners Exhibition Poster & V&A, Dundee

This post only scratches the surface of what is a sumptuous exhibition which is mainly a feast of Art Deco style reflecting the ocean liner’s inter-wars heyday.

Brochure for French shipping line:-

Shipping Line Brochure, Ocean Liners Exhibition, V&A, Dundee

United States Lines Brochure:-

United States Lines Brochure,  Ocean Liners Exhibition, V&A, Dundee

It’s not exclusively Art Deco, though. This is a Louis XIV style door from a pre World War 1 French liner:-

Loius XIV Door. Ocean Liners Exhibition, V&A, Dundee

A similar Louis XIV style panel and chair:-

Loius XIV Door Panel and Chair

Wall panel from one of the Titanic’s sister ships, SS Olympic:-

Wall Panel from SS Olympic

The ultimate in streamlined ship design. Perhaps it was fortunate this was never built. Everything’s enclosed, there’s no deck where you could take the air. (It also looks a bit like a submarine):-

Streamlined Ship Model

The V&A, Dundee

The new branch of the V&A Museum in Dundee, a museum of Scottish design and its impact on and from the world, opened to visitors today.

As we quite often visit or pass through Dundee this is a building I have seen growing from the waterfront over the past few years and it is a splendid piece of architecture.

It lies beside Discovery Point, latest (and last?) home of Scott’s and Shackleton’s research ship the RRS Discovery. There are hopes the V&A will do for Dundee in terms of tourism and raising the city’s profile what the Guggenheim did for Bilbao.

It’s exciting to think I’ll be able to visit it soon. We’re not going straight away as we expect it will be fairly busy. I believe entrance has to be booked for the first few weeks.

These photos were taken in February when the building was pretty well completed on the outside. We had been round the Discovery – itself well worth a visit – and the opportunity to take the photographs couldn’t be missed.

RRS Discovery and V&A Dundee:-

RRS Discovery and New V&A Dundee

Part of the V&A looks like the prow of a ship. V&A from the stern of RSS Discovery (Tay Road Bridge in background):-

V&A Dundee from RRS Discovery

Stern sprit of RSS Discovery, V&A in background:-

Stern Sprit of RRS Discovery, V&A in background

In other aspects it resembles a cliff, the architect Kengo Kuma‘s inspiration. V&A from RRS Discovery:-

V&A Dundee from RRS Discovery

From plaza:-

V&A Dundee from Plaza

From east northeast:-

V&A Dundee from Northeast

The inside exhibits promise to be as distinctive as the outside.

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