Above: on impulse I went into the Lethaby gallery of the Central St Martins School of Art to see the Hello, Goodbye exhibition. It is (was, since it closes today) a sort of valedictory display of work from various past alumni before the college moves to a new location in Kings Cross. On the whole I thought the exhibition was a bit of a mish mash (but perhaps that was the point?). Many many years since I knew anyone at the college - not since my own student days when I knew Jane Embleton and her friend (whose name I have forgotten). The building had a dejected atmosphere as if it were already dying. An oppressive experience going to the basement loos.
Above: also on impulse I went up to Kings Cross to look at the new premises of Central St Martins. It will be housed in a massive warehouse in the heart of the former goods yard. I can remember walking past these buildings when the area was smothered with luxuriant vegetation including towering purple buddlias, and signs warned you that the roofs could collapse at any time (but I walked under them anyway).
I can see how the move to Kings Cross will allow the college room to expand. It is already one of the world's most prestigious colleges of art and design. It had outgrown the previous site.
Above: looking at the warehouse and then looking across at the new Guardian building (Kings Place) I realised that one building had probably inspired the other. Kings Place has a false facade immediately in front of it made of tinted glass. Presumably this is to deflect sunlight, but it gives the structure a slightly sinister appearance, as if the building was wearing dark glasses.
Above: my heart sank when I saw these buildings overlooking the Regents Canal. The nearest section was the old Railway Mission where I was once invited to a Christmas Carol concert (with Stan and John). Now destined to be yuppified and colonised with "knowledge workers".
The St Martins newspaper predicts that even the Lincoln Arms pub in York Way will become a student haven.
They have created a desolation and called it progress, to paraphrase Tacitus.
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