Happy New Year! I had a pretty busy second half of last year and was a little (ok, a lot) slack bringing you new work here on my journal. I thought I'd start the year sharing a few shoots from the final weeks of 2017. First up some images from a Glen Iris project by talented Interior Designer, Silvia Roldan. Some gorgeous art and custom pieces in this one - a pleasure to shoot. Wishing you all the best for 2018!
On what was one of the coldest Melbourne days of the year, I took a tour of Pritzker Architecture Prize–winning architect Glenn Murcutt and Elevli Plus's Australian Islamic Centre in Newport, a contemporary Australian mosque. The formal design draws on modernist principals with beautiful glimpses into and through the building. The entrance is open and transparent allowing outsiders a view to the inside, a feature not typical of traditional mosques and designed as such to be inclusive and respectful of people of all faiths.
Inside is a vast space, bathed in symbolic colours of Islam by roof-mounted lanterns that illuminate the room and provide a dynamic pattern across the walls and floor. The tranquil, reflective water courtyard is another beautiful feature, not to mention the external concrete staircase.
There's still work to be done at the site but I highly recommend a tour, which is led and enriched by Ali Kaddour and his nephew, Ali Abou-Zeid whose dedication and enthusiasm is infectious!
I look forward to returning (this time with my tripod!) on its completion.
Whenever I'm about to start a new body of work I like to ditch the tripod and wander. See Melbourne town through fresh eyes. Sometimes I'm looking for something in particular, sometimes nothing. I never take my car but I often find myself in a carpark. There's something in that. Don't know what. Yet. Here's a fairly incohesive sample.
I was privileged and honoured to have had an opportunity to shoot inside the Peter MacCallum Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Hospital by McBride Charles Ryan, DesignInc and SilverThomasHanley. This monolithic, organically shaped building sits poetically amongst the English Elm trees at the gateway to Parkville’s medical precinct. Inside the impressive Guggenheim esq, natural light-filled, white atrium is beautifully punctuated with colour, patterns and textures providing endless angles and opportunities for architectural and interiors photography. Here are a few highlights.
I recently came across Ville Radieuse (The Radiant City), an unrealised urban master plan by Le Corbusier, from 1924. His orderly, modernist vision for our future was standardised, symmetrical, included effective transportation, and was balanced with natural elements throughout.
The influence of this proposed urban plan can be seen throughout Melbourne, which is rich in modernist architecture. The balance with the natural element is not so evident, which led me to explore the post modern as well - in hope.
Still no words for Paris. It was autumn, the shadows were looong.
I have no words for Paris. Needless to say, there will be more than one post from Paris. Let's start with the views from Le Tour Eiffel.
Oxford. A famous university city full of elegant, honey coloured buildings and a wonderful place to wander. I was there for less than a day but I could have spent many, exploring the narrow cobbled lanes and charming, bike studded university grounds. Next time.
