Fictional ruins from fictional worlds

January 5, 2007 6:34 AM

Carl Zimmerman's Landmarks of Industrial Britain is a photographic series of fictional public buildings derived from small scale architectural maquettes. BLDGBLOG has an informative and entertaining writeup of these vaguely surreal works. There's something oddly compelling about photographs of things that don't quite exist.
posted by sidereal (5 comments total)

Very cool work. Thanks for the links.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:02 AM on January 5, 2007

This guy sure likes his stuff epic. His designs evoke certain "Speer on crack" aesthetic.
posted by delmoi at 7:04 AM on January 5, 2007

Yes, at the same time I liked the photos very much, it also occurred to me that the buildings wouldn't look out of place -- in either scale or style -- in Speer's design for a new Berlin.
posted by chinston at 8:20 AM on January 5, 2007

...or perhaps in Albert Speer (the Younger's) grandiose plan for a new Axis in Beijing.
posted by cenoxo at 1:07 PM on January 5, 2007

Fascinating, eerie stuff. Zimmerman's comments are interesting, too. So, is the impulse behind monumental neoclassicism the anguished need for the father figure? Impossible to prove, but fascinating to think about.

Great find, thanks!
posted by Slithy_Tove at 8:24 PM on January 5, 2007