That said, I often find myself drawn to photographing buildings from that period. Euston train station in London is one such building. I have used the stations on many occasions. It’s not my favourite building – the Victorians knew how to build train stations, and St Pancras is a good example.
The current Euston station is functional, but not necessarily pretty. It’s interesting there was an outcry when the original station on the site. On a practical level, it works. The bustling station links London to Birmingham and the North. However, on another level, I would have preferred something along the lines of the previous station that stood on the site.
The brutalist nature of many of the 1960s buildings is the very thing that draws me to photograph it. Often I photograph these buildings in black and white. What draws me to Euston station is its unashamed functionality. I have photographed it in colour as I was often passing through it quickly, en route to another destination.
In 2007, there was an announcement that the train station would be rebuilt. However, in 2011, this was cancelled in favour of a redesign. It will be interesting what they do to the site, but I wonder how much you can improve what is already there.
The St Pancras redevelopment was tasteful and was in keeping with the original Victorian design. I am wondering whether the redesign of Euston will be keeping with the 1960s design or make the building more ‘modern’ in 21st Century tastes.