Photo by: Jan Prengel
As part of our quest to uncover radical spaces across the world, we’ve turned to you – our readers – to reveal your secrets. Since we launched our Instagram hashtag #thespacesilike, you have shared over 11,000 photographs of inspiring destinations in all corners of the globe.
From cosy coffee shops and eye-popping homes to museums, galleries and even subterranean spaces, you’ve taken us on quite a journey.
To mark hitting the 11k milestone, we asked five of our most prolific contributors to share the spaces that inspire them most – and tell us what makes them tick.
What are the most extraordinary destinations you’ve photographed in the last year?
@Ouendi: La Fábrica by Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura, near Barcelona. It used to be a cement factory from the turn of the century: it was abandoned and lay partially in ruins until the 1970s, when it was converted into the head office of Taller de Arquitectura, as well as a private residence. I visited its subterranean areas, the studio and the awe-inspiring La Catedral. It’s a magical, light-filled place, both hidden and enhanced by lush greenery.
@georgianlondon: During London’s Open House Weekend last September, I visited the Master Shipwright’s House in Deptford. It was built in 1708 on the edge of what was then a vast royal dockyard used for building and repairing warships. It fell into decline in the 19th century, and the area suffered massive bombing damage during WWII. Much of it was demolished in the 1950s, but this house, which belonged to the master ship builder, still remains. The interiors are incredible – not too ‘done up’, but characterful…
What inspires your photography?
@funkyspion: I’m a big fan of Socialist architecture. The design of some of those buildings is really extraordinary.
@juancamiloberlin: My photography explores elements that, when walking by, most people would overlook. I frame things in a way they acquire an aesthetic force – and I‘m inspired by this process of empowering objects, places and situations so they surprise the viewer.
What building would you like to shoot next?
@funkyspion: My dream trip would be to visit all of the so-called Spomeniks. They are Brutalist memorials for WWII, located in former Soviet countries like Yugoslavia (today Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia).
@georgianlondon: I’d love to photograph the interiors of Wilton’s Music Hall in the East End of London. It’s the oldest surviving music hall in the world.
Is there a building you’ve shot that really sticks in your mind?
@janprengel: The most extraordinary space I’ve photographed recently is the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown by Charles Correa Associates in Lisbon, Portugal. It’s a very futuristic and surreal space – like something out of a dream…
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