"IGNORING ARCHITECTURE"

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– Which is one thing that New Londons does very well.

– I used to think that a superfluity of designers

– And Architects

– Was  a dreadful thing

– But I have come to realize that the total lack of architecture and coherent planning,

– Is worse

– This all started quite some time back, but the trend goes on.

– (Probably, there will be more on this as I go on.)

– We are, after all, a City that, having just barely preserved a core national monument

– Just to try to obscure it with an inappropriate and poorly planned glass block.

– However, this rant is not about the present but, rather about a past future that let us walk away from an opportunity we overlooked.

– We have, I must admit, done a fairly good job visually with our housing stock ( albeit with some noticeable exceptions.)

– But wouldn't it be nice if we set an example for small businesses for design rather than banish things to the "ugly" part of town.?

– Where we simply ignore the uninspired disposable buildings such as the ones below.

–Can't we do better than this.??

– Can the landlords.??

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© 2022 Sasqua Structural Photography

G. Roger Clements

This is not a new rant in any way or form, nor is it new in the New London area.

Peter Blake's book "GOD'S OWN JUNKYARD" (ISBN 0030474310) spotlights the pathetic  state of a lot of the built world around it.

While most of these images speak for themselves (at least I think so) I have enclosed a few sub-notes appended with the pictures.

These pictures all were taken as I went for a stroll along South Frontage Road and when I went along Colman Street in New London.

 

This is a full-frame 35mm image that is typical of a row of storefronts that faces a parking lot, a few restaurants, and as well as I-95.

This is opposite the image above.  I'm not what sure is really going on.  It makes me wonder what the corporate image is supposed to be.  

More empty space in the same strip of stores.  

The "marquee" and the store below don't really relate to each other.  The door on the right is the less-than-appealing entry in the picture above.  Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be an empty store it just was a designer that ran of inspiration.  

We are now on Coleman Street which meets South Frontage with a 90 degree intersection.  The camera that I'm using here makes nice medium size negatives but, as you maybe can observe, leaves me shooting blind.  If nothing else it's an interesting exercise. 

I don't know what this used to be but the "architecture" lives on.  

I don't know if this is a past or future Taco Bell restaurant.  I have a feeling this was bespoke but there are a lot, apparently, a lot of old Taco Bells whose taco style lives on.  This is not altogether unusual but I find the old stores that dot the countryside a bit more palatable.

I don't know who thought up this Raised Frustum Hip roof style.  Seems it was a hot solution to cover a large amount of area easily.  The vents and the windows on the rear section I think really remind me of some 1860's era military vessels.  The new Brutalist Architectural and some of the new Burke Distrowers must feel right at home.

Enjoy...