Originally this was, by London’s standards, a rather ordinary building close to King’s Cross station. At ground level there are shops; a hotel occupies the upper floors. It stands on the corner of Euston Road.
Someone had the vision to add colour to this façade, and more importantly the planners allowed it. What a difference colour makes. Abstract lines and shapes convert the building into an art installation, and this particular element caught my eye.
Imagine the outcry if you decided to do this to your own home? What would the neighbours say? The Planning Authorities who have the ultimate ‘say’ – in the UK – over what may be built and how a building may be altered take an awful lot of flak for some of their decisions. But sometimes they take an inspired risk.
Planning decisions are rarely ‘inspired’ in my experience Andy. This does seem to be one of those occasions. These shapes and colours work really well I think.
Having been a Parish Councillor for a few years and also having to deal with the planners myself more than once, their decisions can be bizarre and perverse – sometimes they really do get it right!
Modern London might be trying to shed it’s conservative image these days. This building is refreshing and well done, not to mention photogenic.
Certainly modern architecture has had a lot of free rein in London, but the planners tend to want to protect the fabric of the older style properties and it was the preparedness to allow paint to re-define the facade of this building that interested, and delighted me.
Love this building. Thanks for showing it to us. 🙂
Thanks Frank – glad you like it
“an inspired risk,” I like that…..
The world would be a poorer place without those prepared a take ‘inspired risks’ from time to time
You are absolutely correct on that one, Andy…well said.
Thanks Scott
This is quite cool Andy. I love when the creativity is applied to some mundane subjects, It takes a special individual to allow that type of art – Planning Authorities be damned.
I don’t recall seeing a building elsewhere in London quite like this – there are murals certainly elsewhere, but this is a little different and on a major road – the murals I recall are all tucked away in back streets.
Ummmm….. Hmmmmm…. Well………
I did do a search for “building Euston Road paint,” and turned up a good number of articles with photos of the entire building, and some very (ahem) straightforward comments. I like street art, and murals, and color, but I’m just not sure about this one. I’m happy to have seen it, though!
Well, that’s a search I hadn’t run, Linda – you’re very resourceful! Better see what others are saying – nothing will surprise me!