Southover Grange is open

Southover Grange is open

The renovation of Southover Grange is complete and awaiting its first event. It looks beautiful and glamorous and I envy the couples who will be using it to celebrate their weddings. I began documenting the restoration of this Tudor manor in the centre of Lewes as the builders were moving in and returned to the site several times over the following 12 months. It is a rambling house with an interesting history and an important role in the fabric of the town. This was the registry office for many years (and is now again) so it was a place of weddings and the recording of births and deaths.

One of the most significant aspects of this project for me was how my photographs triggered memories that people felt compelled to share. I heard from numerous residents about their personal connections to the house, including several whose parents were caretakers and for whom the upstairs flat was home. A couple of registrars also came forward with anecdotes about years of working at the Grange and the countless weddings they performed. I like that a building can hold so many positive associations for a community and that my photographs have the potential to bring them to life. My exhibit of this project is still showing at Pelham House in Lewes until the 23 May. All my Southover Grange photographs can be found here.

Stephen Lawrence Trust Centre

Stephen Lawrence Trust Centre

This striking window by the artist Chris Ofili is at the Stephen Lawrence Trust Centre in London. The building is about to be transformed into a thriving co-working hub for start-ups in the built environment.

I will be there documenting the entire process along the way. This photo is from my first shoot at the centre, at the begining of the project. More of my photographs of the centre can be found here.

Old and new converge

Old and new converge

It seems that just about everyone in Lewes is excited about the Depot Cinema opening soon so I thought I would use another photo from my latest visit. This shot shows the view from the new zinc roof across to the old roofs of the Victorian-era railway station. I was interested in how the colours and the repeating lines of the old and new converge in the purple grey of the late afternoon light.

It is a glimpse of how well the new high-spec modern building will sit within its locality.

I have been documenting the refurbishment of this old brewery depot in the centre of Lewes for a year and a half as it becomes a new community cinema. My client uses the photos to build on the excitement of the local residents and film buffs.

The green room at the Depot

The green room at the Depot

I have probably said this before here but I do love finding unexpected colours on building sites. Upstairs at the Depot Cinema there is a new row of offices being built. At the moment they are sporting this sea green wall covering. When I arrived they had just been given an application of sealant.

I couldn’t resist capturing both the rich colour and the Jackson Pollock-like drips.

Over the past year and a half I have been documenting the refurbishment of this old brewery depot in the centre of Lewes as it becomes a new community cinema. My client uses the photos to build on the excitement of the local residents and film buffs.

A hive of activity

A hive of activity

This personal favourite of mine, shot a couple of years ago, is from my project photographing the Marine and Carpenter’s workshops in Newhaven as they became the new UTC@harbourside. It shows the new cafeteria in the later stages of the build. There is something about this photograph that amuses me – the bustle and activity that seems almost posed. It really wasn’t, I promise.

A print of this photo will be going on display at the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust along with ten other prints from this series. The exhibition is part of an event that celebrates the partnership between the Trust and HKS, the architects who designed the transformation of the two derelict Victorian warehouses into an inspiring new engineering college for 15 to 18-year-olds. All photographs from this project can be found here.

Boot prints and yellow cord

Boot prints and yellow cord

I visited The Depot last Tuesday, a day that turned out to be blisteringly hot. I had to wear my full personal protection equipment, of course (high vis jacket, helmet, boots, jeans), which did nothing to help relieve the intense heat. In an effort to get out of the sun, I made my way to the main building to find a glorious shiny black surface extending across the entire floor in front of me. I was confused at first, thinking it was all just very wet, until I realised this was a thick coating of a waterproof barrier called toughseal. It created a beautiful reflective surface to photograph and gave the interior space a radiant quality.

In one corner I was surprised to find these clear white boot prints across the clean black background. I loved the patterns they made with the tangled yellow electric cord layered across the top.

I am documenting the renovation of The Depot, a former industrial building in the centre of Lewes, as it becomes a new community cinema. My client uses these photographs to promote the project and keep local residents informed about the progress that is being made.

If you have a workplace, building project or event that you are thinking of photographing, please get in touch.

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