Old and new in the City of London

(Olga Mackness)

As an architect I have always been interested in historic architecture - the City of London has plenty of wonderful buildings, churches and palaces.

I live in London since 1993 and I used to admire old City of London and the way it has been preserved over centuries. The old City of London has changed since that time, with the new iconic buildings such as The Shard, The Gherkin, The Cheese grater…

What lovely nicknames for the modern masterpieces of architecture!

I remember public resentment when first tall buildings were introduced to London’s skyline.

Frankly, I felt slightly unsure about new developments too.

But now I realise, how wonderfully it works together – old and modern.

I admire the way modern structures reflect beauty of the smaller historic buildings standing next to them. I carry on sketching old and new, famous and not very famous - hope to add to my collection with our next sketch crawl in Bromley-by Bow.

Old and new in the City of London

Let's Draw Galleries, Bookshops and Arcades in Piccadilly and St James

On Saturday 16th April, London Urban Sketchers will be drawing the galleries, shopping arcades and bookshops of Piccadilly and St James - and in particular the courtyard of Burlington House (where the Royal Academies are located) 

• Piccadilly is the street running west from Piccadilly Circus
• St James is the area south of Piccadilly
• Nearest tubes are Piccadilly and Green Park

The Courtyard of Burlington House - drawn from the RA looking towards Piccadilly through the arch
pen and ink and coloured pencils
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

This is a summary of the visit - followed by a description of what we are visiting.

• MAP: Map https://goo.gl/SK502v - see below for places and websites
• start/lunch/end in yellow
• galleries in red
• arcades and shops in Hatchards turquoise 
• books in blue
• DATE: Saturday 16th April 2016
• START venue/time: 11:00 Burlington House courtyard
• wet - under the archway (see sketch)
• dry - though the arch and turn right
• LUNCH: 1:00pm - same place
• FINISH: 3:30pm - same place
• AFTERWARDS: Depends on numbers, probably the Grand Cafe at the RA - otherwise over the road to the Gallery at Fortnum and Masons!
• Travel: Tube Station - Piccadilly or Green Park

Katherine Tyrrell is organising this but is very busy this week and may have problems being there on Saturday. James Hobbs will however be present on Saturday.

PLACES / Websites:

See the following websites for what the different places look like

Galleries 

• RA: https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/plan-your-visit
• White Cube: 25 – 26 Mason's Yard London SW1Y 6BU http://www.artfund.org/what-to-see/museums-and-galleries/white-cube-masons-yard
• Christies, King Street:  http://www.christies.com/locations/salerooms/king-street/

There's also a number of galleries in Cork Street and Duke Street

Shops

• Fortnum & Mason: https://www.fortnumandmason.com/information/our-history
• Piccadilly Arcade http://www.piccadilly-arcade.com/about-the-arcade
• Burlington Arcade: http://www.burlington-arcade.co.uk/the-arcade 
• Princes Arcade: http://www.princesarcade.co.uk/

Bookshops

• Hatchards 187 Piccadilly London: https://www.hatchards.co.uk/
• Waterstones - flagship store 203/206 Piccadilly  https://www.waterstones.com/bookshops/piccadilly

Let's Draw Galleries, Bookshops and Arcades in Piccadilly and St James

Drawn of the Dead

One thing I enjoy is drawing movie locations - the more obscure the better. Of course in London there's plenty to discover. I'm also a big fan of Simon Pegg, so with Halloween on the way, I thought it would be a good time to finally sketch some locations from seminal Zom-Com ("zombie comedy") Shaun of the Dead.
When I moved into the Haringay area 10 months ago, I was excited to learn that a lot of the Shaun movie was shot near where I now live. The one that grabbed my attention was Shaun's house itself, a few streets away from Crouch End Broadway. The street features in two great identical long takes of Shaun walking from his house to the shop and back, the first time when things are normal, the second when the zombie outbreak has begun.

there's a different gate now...

There were no zombies in sight when I started sketching, but I did feel a bit odd to be drawing a purely residential view with no obvious landmark or attraction - still, no one looked twice at what I was doing. It started raining by the end, but I persevered under an umbrella.

The most well known location of the movie is The Winchester, which in actual fact was filmed down in South London, in New Cross, coincidentally near where I previously used to live. However, I was intrigued to discover the real Winchester pub on Archway Road, less than 5 minutes from my current house. Although no filming was done here, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost used to be regulars and it was here the idea for the film was born.

Built in 1881, I especially love the original iron scrollwork above the door. The pub's been closed for a few years now it seems, but lately there's been signs of its ...re-animation ...ha ha ha ..sorry, zombie joke. Anyway, yes, over the summer, there was some concerted building work going on with the 'luxury' flats above, the brickwork was all cleaned, and the pub was given a brand new paintjob. While I was there sketching, I could see some activity inside, suggesting it's grand re-opening is imminent. I'll probably pop in for a pint to see what it's like, although no doubt the days of Frost and Pegg drinking in the corner are long gone...

Drawn of the Dead

Let's Draw St Paul's to the Thames - 25th April 2015

For our next London Urban Sketchers' Sketchcrawl we're got the scope to draw some big buildings and big views!

St Paul's Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

• WHERE:  St Paul's to the Thames
• WHEN: Sunday 26th April 2015 CHANGED TO Saturday 25th April 2015 (due to the London Marathon)
• START: 11:00am at the top of the steps (right hand side) of the Main Entrance to St Paul's Cathedral.
• LUNCH: 1:30pm on the Roof Terrace of One New Change (if dry; wet weather venue to be notified)
• END: 3:30pm Paternoster Square - between St Paul's Cathedral Steps and St Paul's Tube Station (if dry; wet weather venue to be notified)
• MAP: A map has been created in Google Maps/Drive of the area and key places
• TUBE: Stations: St Paul's (Central Line); Blackfriars and Mansion House (District and Circle Lines)
• RAIL: Thameslink @ London Blackfriars and City Thameslink; Cannon Street

Last time we were at St Paul's - in August 2014 - we sketched the churches of Wren's London.

London Urban Sketchers on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral
at the end of Pete Scully's Wren's Churches Sketchcrawl August 2014

On Saturday 25th April 2015, London Urban Sketchers are going to be sketching the part of the City of London around St Paul's Cathedral - down to the north bank of the Thames.

The view of where we're sketching from Tate Modern 7th floor
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

Birds Eye View of the area around St Paul's Cathedral
right click and open in a new tab to see much larger version

Above is a top down view of the area - right click the image and open in a new tab to see what's there. The suggested boundaries of the area are:

• North: Paternoster Square, the London Stock Exchange and Christchurch Greyfriars Garden
• West: Ludgate Hill and the narrow allies between Ludgate Hill and Queen Victoria Street
• East: One New Change - this is a brand new shopping centre which is open on Sunday from 12:00. On the Roof Terrace (accessible via the lifts) there are great views right across London plus a really up close view of the top of St Paul's Cathedral
• South: The north bank of the River Thames and the Millennium Bridge - accessed via Peter's Hill - south of St Paul's - which has lots of views off either side of churches and alley ways.

Here's another view of the area - taken from the map near the City Information Centre across the road from the Main Entrance to St. Paul's

Map of the area around St Paul's Cathedral

What you can sketch

There's masses to choose from whatever type of sketching you like doing. Here are some suggestions

St Paul's Cathedral and Churchyard - lots of architecture from lots of different perspectives around and about. You can find great views of it from:

• Fleet Street and the bottom of Ludgate Hill looking up to the Cathedral

"Ludgate Hill - A block in the Street" by Gustave Doré- from London, A Pilgrimage, 1872
The view caught by Doré of the view up Ludgate Hill to St Paul's Cathdral.
It's a bit different now - but you could try sketching it!

• From Peter's Hill looking up from the Thames and the Millennium Bridge

The view of St Paul's from Peter's Hill walking up from the Millennium Bridge

• From the Churchyard - just looking up
• From the Roof Terrace of One New Change - where you can get a whole new perspective on the Dome.

I created "The Leaning Dome of St Paul's" the last time I sketched it
from the Roof Terrace!

You can also draw people just sitting the people sitting on the steps...

Take a walk down Peter's Hill to the Millennium Bridge

the view down Peter's Hill to the Millennium Bridge and Tate Modern

On the Millennium Bridge take a look at the view east up the Thames of The Shard and bridges over the Thames and, if you're lucky, the exposed shoreline complete with timber sticking up 

The view east from the Millennium Bridge
- of the tidal beach, the Shard and bridge along the Thames

Go below the Millennium Bridge and there's some great views to be had of Tate Modern. Trying to draw the Millennium Bridge is tricky from any angle!

The view of Tate Modern and the Millennium Bridge from the north bank of the River Thames
below City of London School
Katherine Tyrrell

PLUS (excitement!!) we're also going to be able to sketch Shaun the Sheep ;) who is taking up residence in various guises in the City of London between now and the end of May. You'll be able to see

• one called 'Out of this World' Shaun at the City Information Centre, (- just to the south of St Paul's Churchyard) designed by Josh and Aimee Williams
• two more - 'Fine & Gandy' by David Gandy and 'Wolly Wiggle' by Zandra Rhodes - at One New Change

AND.....

If people are up for it we may just try a "Draw the Dome in 15 minutes Challenge" over lunch at the Roof Terrace!  You can of course just watch!

After the Sketchcrawl

You can add sketches to the

• London Urban Sketchers Facebook Group - please add them to the St Pauls Sketchcrawl Album https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.353603474837411&type=1

OR

• London Urban Sketchers Flickr Group Pool https://www.flickr.com/groups/usklondon-grouppool/

Let's Draw St Paul's to the Thames - 25th April 2015