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The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Fortress, sculpture or place of worship? A tour of Scotland's modernist churches
Modernist Churches of Scotland is a book that explores the remarkable postwar boom in church building. It shows buildings that are often tucked away in housing schemes and largely unnoticed by the wider public. These churches were built to serve emerging new communities. At no time before or since were so many churches built so quickly Modernist Churches of Scotland by Matthew Dransfield is available here Cumbernauld was designated a new town in 1955, and is infamous for its divisive brutalist shopping centre (1967), which is thought to be Britain's first shopping centre and the world's first multi-level covered town centre. Cumbernauld is also famous for appearing in the film Gregory's Girl. A key design element for the town was the separation of pedestrians from cars, achieved through bridges and underpasses instead of pedestrian crossings. Cumbernauld is regarded as representing a significant moment in modernist and brutalist town design This Grade A listed colossus of a building – red brick and brutalist in style – is acknowledged as one of the finest works of postwar church architecture in the country. More akin to a fortress than a place of worship, the Guardian described it as 'an architectural and spiritual outlier, a brooding, brutalist box, with thick brick walls, which aped the heft of medieval Caledonian castles'. Due to structural problems, the 90ft high campanile, which consisted of two brick slabs with slatted timberscreen infilling, was dismantled in 1987 This Category B listed church is situated on a steeply raised site in the centre of the mid-20th century new town housing scheme of Livingston. It features a modernist, brutalist style with an angled roof rising to a prominent singular point to the south. The church cost £88,000 to complete. The congregation space is Scandinavian in style, with a terrazzo floor, a raised curved altar plinth, curved whitewalls with doors to confessionals, and a radially boarded timber ceiling. Despite alterations, the church has retained its original character This striking, almost windowless Category A listed building is a hidden gem. Despite being only a couple of streets away from one of the main arteries in and out of Edinburgh, you can only catch a glimpse of it if you know where to look. The original timber seating is arranged as in an amphitheatre or hillside hollow, reminiscent of conventicle churches of the 1800s where worshippers met in hillside hollows south of Edinburgh. There was originally a moat, but it proved problematic to the building's fabric Rosyth is located on the Firth of Forth and is Scotland's first Garden City. It is best known for its dockyard. Rosyth and nearby Charlestown were centres for ship-breaking, salvaging much of the German fleet scuttled at Gutter Sound, Scapa Flow, as well as the Cunard Line's RMS Mauretania and the White Star Line's RMS Olympic. The naval base closed in 1994, and no Royal Navy ships are based at Rosyth, though small ships return for docking and refit activities This Category C listed church features a dramatic hyperbolic paraboloid roof, finished internally with timber. Windows with plain coloured glass between the roof and the walls light the interior This Category A listed building was commissioned in 1958 as a church, parochial centre and manse. It was subject to a very tight budget of £34,000. Alberto Morrocco created the large mural, The Way of the Cross, completed in 1962 St Francis Xavier's church was designed by the Edinburgh-based architect Alexander Ritchie Conlon. It replaced an earlier church destroyed by fire in 1955. The church features a modern block design of exposed concrete. The distinctive entrance tower showcases the architectural talent of the time. The carved concrete figures at the base of the fins represent the four Evangelists – lion, man, eagle and ox - created by Elisabeth Dempster. The prominent carving of St Francis Xavier was crafted by Maxwell Allan from a single block of Blaxter stone This Category A listed church features a light mustard-coloured rendered brick (originally cream render), built on a slope and connected to the presbytery. The church features stained glass by Sadie F McLellan, a renowned Scottish stained glass artist The Church of Scotland is consolidating and merging some congregations. This one merged with the nearby Old Kirk which was sold in 2015, and the congregations merged with Cramond Kirk. In the 1980s, the Muirhouse housing estate and its residents were blighted by drug addiction, crime and antisocial behaviour. Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh lived in Muirhouse, as did former Scottish footballer Gordon Strachan. Major redevelopment of the area is underway This church is a prime example of A-frame construction, typical of its era. It is in immaculate condition and doesn't look over 60 years old St Andrew's parish church is the only church built in Scotland by Sir Basil Spence, who designed Coventry Cathedral. Spence reused stone from the earlier Drumsheugh parish church. The cross and ball on the bell tower were covered in gold leaf, and this 'light of Christ' was intended to be seen over the Forth in Fife. The interior of the church reflects Scandinavian influences, which were common at the time Photograph: Matthew Dransfield Not a church, but a significant modernist religious building that is Category A Listed. Light floods into the building dramatically through coloured glass. Located in the south of the city, the building comprises a main structure with two large chapels and a cremation and services block, a separate private chapel, a garden of remembrance and staff residences. A pyramid on the roof serves as a spire and also allows light into the large chapel, directly over where the coffin sits during the funeral service. The main chapel has seating for 250 people St Gabriel's is a Category B listed example of postwar ecclesiastical architecture, retaining its original character and form with its unusual modernist concentric circular design. The church features a sloping flat roof with three bands of roof lights. The main congregation space has solid curved walls and no windows, with natural light provided at floor level by a horizontal glazed band. Shallow concrete ponds, emptied in 2013, were located under the decorative windows, designed to reflect sunlight through the stained-glass window Sir Frank Mears & Partners were appointed as architects to design Wester Hailes, Edinburgh, with construction beginning in 1967. The Wester Hailes Association of Tenants formed soon after. Their newsletter reported: 'A primary school, a shop and lots of houses – that about sums up Wester Hailes. We need a secondary school quickly, we need a community centre, nursery or pre-school facilities for the very young children and their mothers, a club of some kind for our teenagers, more shops, a post office, letter boxes. You name it, we haven't got it' Photograph: Matthew Dransfield
Vogue
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Meet Esben Weile Kjær, the Danish Artist Who Constructed a Castle in a Parking Lot in Willamsburg
Yes, Esben Weile Kjær is 6'5' with blue eyes, but he's a man in fine art rather than finance—and the world is better off for it. The ascent of this 33-year-old Dane has been breathtaking, but the artist, a man at ease with himself, is taking it all in stride. His latest adventure takes place in a parking lot in East Williamsburg, where, at the invitation of Amant, he constructed Shell, a concrete-covered wooden edifice that Frankesteins together, he explained on the phone, 'a castle and a factory and a war bunker and a brutalist playground [and] a Soviet bus stop.' The hollowness of the building is intentional; part of its function was as a proscenium for a one-night only performance. On the far side of Shell, to a soundtrack by fellow Dane Loke Rahbek (known as Croatian Amor), Kjær recently gathered 1,000 white roses and four local performers, who joined him in running out from the castle to strew flowers on the ground and attach some of them to their bodies with packing tape. The chorography had a dance-like-nobody's-watching vibe, which saw the group writhing, bending like Gumby, air boxing, and 'eating' flowers, while sparkle machines intermittently shot columns of light into the appropriately dramatic cloudy sky. 'I love that they put glitter into the air around the trapped performers and the brutalist castle,' Kjær said, going on to explain that the roses, more than being 'a symbol for a new beginning,' were an insistence of one, 'even though it can be hard in the times we live in now.' Kjær studied sculpture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, but he comes from music and works across genres and media. (Fashion-friendly, he's collaborated with Ganni.) Although the artist often engages with architecture (at times as a kind of set design), his work is anything but static—especially his site-specific performances. To this attendee, the production for Shell in Brooklyn had a distinctive Euro flair—quite apart from the musical performance, arranged in collaboration with the Berlin-based art center Trauma. Crenellated towers aren't native to the United States, nor are the WWII and Cold War bunkers that Kjær referenced, although the satellite dish was familiar. 'I think the sculpture is sending something out, communicating something,' he said. Its message? Affirmative, positive, and rooted in notions of togetherness. Even outside of his group performances, Kjær addresses the latter theme through his examination of nostalgia, a kind of collective memory that runs counter to the hollowness and isolation of the digital age. Indeed, Shell is designed to alter your course and make you engage—even if only for a moment.
Grazia USA
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Grazia USA
AFW: At The Frontier, Seven Australian Designers Tease Their Latest Collections
AFW 2025 / Image: Catinella 'The Frontier show was curated collectively to spotlight designers with a global perspective,' Courtney Zheng told GRAZIA ahead of her unique Australian Fashion Week debut. 'Being part of a group format made sense—it reflects the shared energy we're all bringing to the table, and allows that message to be amplified through strength in numbers.' 'For me, it is an opportunity to present a focused edit that communicates the essence of the brand and signals where it's headed, both aesthetically and strategically.' In a quietly commanding moment at AFW, seven Australian and New Zealand designers—Courtney Zheng, Wynn Hamlyn, Paris Georgia, Matin, Esse, Common Hours and Amy Lawrance —unveiled a distilled edit of just eight looks from their upcoming collections. The show took on a collective presentation format in the expansive Carla Zampatti room of Sydney's Carriageworks, with no distinction between the brands other than their distinct respective visions. Ahead, we break down the inspiration and processes that went into the show. Courtney Zheng 'The collection began with the idea of brutalist stealth—something that felt quietly powerful and architectural,' Zheng told us about her collection. 'I was drawn to the rawness of brutalism: exposed structure, material honesty, and a kind of stark elegance.' On the runway, this translated into sculptural silhouettes—strong shoulders, cinched waists, and a playful tension between sturdy and fluid fabrications. Distressed denim, raw-edge wool, leather, and sheer georgette were employed in myriad ways, while a palette of steely greys and blues was punctuated by vibrant red. Pieces were pleasing on the eye, but without compromising on functionality. When it comes to fusing artistry with wearability, the two aren't opposing forces to Zheng. 'I'm interested in pieces that are visually impactful but function in real life,' she says. 'The technical construction is always considered with wearability in mind: how it sits on the body, how the fabric feels, how it moves, how it can be layered or reinterpreted by the wearer.' 'The runway is an opportunity to showcase the depth of our atelier's skill,' she adds. 'There's as much artistry in restraint as there is in drama, and finding that balance makes a garment enduring.' Image: Courtney Zheng Image: Courtney Zheng Image: Courtney Zheng Image: Courtney Zheng at AFW Amy Lawrance Newcomer Amy Lawrance quickly impressed the industry last year when she presented as part of the Next Gen runway last year. This year, she finds herself part of another collective with The Frontier. 'It's a real privilege to show among some of Australia and New Zealand's most innovative fashion designers,' she told GRAZIA in the lead-up to the show. 'I see the group show format as an opportunity to present a carefully selected collection of garments. I really love the challenge of refining a larger body of work into a concise and impactful line-up.' With a distinct aesthetic vision and technical direction, the Melbourne-based designer has already established a strong visual language that sees her pieces stand out. 'Paper-based dressmaking ephemera (such as home dress-making manuals and commercial paper patterns from the first half of the 20th century) were a specific point of reference while designing and making the collection,' she explains. 'I wanted to play with the idea of making garments composed of flattened and folded shapes, that at a glance, look like paper patterns that have been folded up and stored in a box for decades.' For this collection, raw silk tussah was starched to bring a 'papery' quality to the fabric, evoking the delicate paper patterns that inspired the collection. But while inspiration is found in paper and the designer is drawn to shift and A-line silhouettes, Lawrance's garments are cut to work with the body's natural shape, not mask it. 'I am continually trying pieces on throughout the pattern making and toiling process, and considering how seamlessly the garment hangs from and moves with the body,' she tells us. 'Although my pieces aren't designed to be worn every day, function is always at the forefront when I'm designing because I think for a garment to be timeless and worthy of holding onto for a lifetime, it ultimately needs to feel beautiful on the body.' Image: Anna Lawrance Image: Anna Lawrance Image: Anna Lawrance Image: Anna Lawrance at AFW Paris Georgia While they're no strangers to the Australian fashion landscape, Paris Mitchell Temple and Georgia Cherrie are back on the AFW schedule with their label Paris Georgia after years of opting out. 'The starting point for this collection was a nostalgic yet empowering look at the Sex and the City characters of the '90s and early 2000s—a nod to the ultimate incarnation of the career woman in all her forms,' the duo told GRAZIA. 'These women have always served as a source of inspiration for Paris Georgia: bold, dynamic, and unapologetically themselves.' Though the brand has evolved over the years, their mission to deliver us a wardrobe that is as effortless as it is dynamic has served well as their North Star. 'Our muse is a woman who is just as confident in a cocktail dress as she is in double denim,' they explain. 'She doesn't just wear the clothes—she embodies them, radiating power, sensuality, and effortless style in equal measure… never confined to a single definition.' Through the runway, the brand sought to capture the energy of the main character—'She is a muse—not just to us, but to everyone around her.' But while confidence and impact are strong themes, functionality is never compromised. '[We] constantly dissect each garment, considering who it's for, where she'll wear it, and how it will make her feel,' says Mitchell Temple. 'Striking the right harmony between novelty and wearability is at the heart of every design.' Image: Paris Georgia Image: Paris Georgia Image: Paris Georgia Image: Paris Georgia Matin Unveiled as a distilled edit of just eight looks, Michelle Perrett presented Matin Pre-Fall 2025, a collection encapsulating the brand's core philosophy: effortless freedom, rendered in natural fabrics and anchored by timeless silhouettes. 'There's something really special about that collective atmosphere,' Perrett said of the show's format. 'Together, we've created something greater than the sum of its parts.' Pre-Fall 2025 felt like a masterclass in gentle power, where soft tailoring met crisp cotton, and pleat work, raw hems and sculptural folds revealed themselves upon closer inspection. Each piece prioritised wearability and creativity with a modern prowess, proving that longevity and style go hand-in-hand. In a fashion landscape often dominated by noise, Matin offered a welcome moment of stillness and continuity. It was a collection for those who dress with bold intent—not for show, but for the self. Image: Matin Image: Matin Image: Matin at AFW Image: Matin at AFW Wynn Hamlyn With a tightly curated edit that comprised men's and women's ready-to-wear, Wynn Hamlyn offered a cerebral take on resort dressing for 2026. For this collection, New Zealand designer Wynn Crawshaw reworked signature codes through an experimental lens, presenting a collection that balanced intellectual rigour with everyday elegance. 'We took elements from our archive and reimagined them with a sense of craft-driven luxury, specifically focusing on deconstructing and rebuilding our knitwear,' Crawshaw told GRAZIA. 'We wanted to create something that feels effortless yet thought-provoking.' As the brand has become a go-to for pieces that go beyond occasion or aesthetic moulds, practicality and craft are laced together in a striking balance. 'For us, it's about ensuring the artistry serves the wearer. The detail and craft are always at the forefront, but so is functionality,' he explains. 'We want our pieces to feel like an extension of the wearer, not just something they put on. That's why we focus on making each design not only visually compelling but also wearable. For example, the functional buttons in this collection aren't just a design feature—they create a silhouette that feels fresh yet familiar. It's about art that feels like a second skin, beautifully constructed but with comfort at its core.' The decision to join a collective show at Australian Fashion Week—rather than pursue a solo spotlight—felt aligned with the brand's quiet confidence and ongoing cult status. 'It was about creating a space where the clothes could speak for themselves,' Crenshaw noted. And speak they did: asymmetrical tailoring, tactile knitwear, and intricate button appliqués told a story of elevated craft in just a few mixed looks. In this preview, a distinct sense of ease lingered beneath the surface of bolder aesthetics—think slouchy silhouettes sharpened with technical precision, or sculptural detailing softened by touchable textures. Image: Wynn Hamlyn Image: Wynn Hamlyn Image: Wynn Hamlyn Image: Wynn Hamlyn at AFW ESSE Presenting Edition No.13, Charlotte Hick was inspired by impact and attitude over pragmetism fir ESSE's latest offering. 'The seed was the idea of quiet motion—a woman who moves with presence rather than noise,' she told GRAZIA ahead of the show. 'I wanted Edition No. 13 to feel like a wardrobe of modern artefacts: sculptural, intentional pieces that hold space for the wearer. I began by exploring refined dualities—masculine tailoring tempered by drape, lush textures grounded in purpose… this led to eight tightly edited looks where textures collide yet breathe. Each silhouette is sharp yet relaxed—strong and sleek, softened by sensuality.' With outerwear and minimalist silhouettes that will live in our brains long after the runway, ESSE doubles down on its timeless design ethos of restraint. 'It's in the detail and the subtle collision of texture,' Hick explains. 'Every line, surface, and proportion must earn its place. I start with the question: Will she reach for this tomorrow, and five years from now? 'The goal is poetry that can be lived in: pieces that read as art in motion yet slip effortlessly into a real wardrobe.' Image: ESSE Image: ESSE Image: ESSE Image: ESSE Image: ESSE at AFW Common Hours In a departure from its signature art prints, Common Hours presented a collection that put sensuality front and centre. 'This capsule is less heavily art-based than some of our collections have been in the past; it's more of a private musing on subversion and dissent, leaning into provocation and austerity through hidden details,' says its founder, Amber Keating. 'Specifically, I was thinking about the notion of pure evil. Fragility versus subjugation, the sexual tension within the narrative of feminine and masculine: resistance and rebellion acted out in silence, with cocooning wools or aggressive overcoats enveloping something more delicate and vulnerable, like distressed, laddered barely-there dresses… It's a disciplined capsule, with an undertone of antagonism and resistance.' 'Ultimately, this capsule's goal was to add more streamlined, restrained silhouettes to our existing library of art-based pieces, expanding on the concept behind Common Hours,' Keating continues. 'As always, our foremost focus is composition: exceptional fabrications from leading European mills, translated through deceptively simple silhouettes that hide complex, meticulous construction.' As for what compelled the designer to join The Frontier? 'We are all Australian brands dealing with distance, risk, and various impediments and issues in participating in this industry,' she says. 'Yet, we share a compulsion to create and make. I like to think we can support each other and the broader Australian fashion industry.' Image: Common Hours Image: Common Hours Image: Common Hours Image: Common Hours at AFW topics: AFW 2025, Australian Fashion Week, AFW, RESORT 2025, fashion, Fashion news, fashion week, Fashion Shows, Runway, Courtney Zheng, Amy Lawrance, Paris Georgia, Matin, Wynn Hamlyn, ESSE, Common Hours, Trending
