empty spaces, abandoned places

Smithfield meat market, London

There is a certain romance in abandoned buildings, as they crumble into oblivion. London has hundreds of examples, from the long-derelict Battersea Power Station to the numerous abandoned mansions in Shoreditch. The fate of Smithfield meat market is of particular interest to me; I think as a collection of buildings it is just too beautiful an example of Victorian architecture to destroy. The Fish Market, General Market and Red House of the huge market complex are currently in planning permission limbo, and will probably be scheduled for demolition as soon as a suitable developer of 'affordable' luxury £1m flats approaches City authorities.

Leap frogging in the 'Grand Avenue' at Smithfield

I visited the more modern neighbouring building that still houses London's biggest meat market on a working day, and even in the brightly lit surroundings of the renovated East hall, the macabre scenes of less enlightened days could be clearly imagined; the rivulets of blood still run into the gutters, and the carcasses of animals line the walls. A market has existed on the site for over 1000 years, and it holds a special place in the blood-spattered history of London as a site of executions. In 1726 Daniel Defoe described Smithfield market as "without question, the greatest in the world" - high praise you might think, but then he was a journalist.

Without these wonderful, sprawling structures, London will simply become a collection of Gherkin-esque conceptual office buildings, completely devoid of any true character. It would be a bold step to invest in Smithfield but done correctly it would be manifestly better than any of the new buildings popping up to the East in preparation for the 2012 Olympics - I'm all for the renovation of East London, but Olympic parks tend to look like town planners' wet dreams and not like living spaces for real people once the Olympic charade has left town. Smithfield is one of the last original markets standing, and I think that alone makes it deserving of some attention lavished upon, even without its varied and interesting past. Also, the best scene in Spice World: The Movie was filmed in the green (née purple) building on the corner - voila - justifying its being kept purely as a monument to the Spice Girls.

While I'm on the theme of the empty and abandoned, here are a few photographs from two recent rolls of film. These first two were taken at about 7am at the end of Oxford Street, on my way home after a moderately dreadful night out. The Astoria and the buildings around it are being cleared in order for Crossrail to cut a swathe across it. It wasn't the best of venues, but I still felt a pang of regret at its demise.

"Goodbye Astoria, we love you 14 Jan 09"

Empty underground corridors also have the same effect on me. A solitary walk through the maze of passages towards the platform can give you an entirely new perspective of the Tube.

Notting Hill Gate tube, Central Line

I hope to be able to go and photograph some more abandoned London landmarks soon. Right now I've got my eye on a desolate looking old factory near a friends house in Fulham... Bis dann.