Londons - The Polycentric City

Shot by eight photographers, Londons – The Polycentric City maps out the landscape of the capital from eight different perspectives, rejecting a single, monolithic view in favour of a fragmentary, multifarious mosaic. These areas aren’t famous or glamorous, but they’re key to understanding the city. Each photographer worked in a different location. London’s urban sprawl expresses its true contemporary identity, including its constant evolution; as such, it holds clues to its future.

The landscape in Barking, Kingston, and the greenbelt are tightly controlled and partitioned, while the wave of new tower blocks in Nine Elms looks overwhelming. Other areas show past failures, the fading carparks in Croydon, or the grimy land under the Westway. Stratford and Brentford look out over rivers, ancient and yet ever-changing; you can’t step into the same river twice, so the saying goes. London is 2000 years old, and it’s still in the process of shapeshifting.

The eight photographers are: Andrew Meredith, Caroline Charrell, Francesco Russo, Henry Woide, Luca Piffaretti, Simon Kennedy, Sue Barr and Polly Tootal

© Mass Collective - HAH/02 by Simon Kennedy from "Hyenas and Hippopotami"
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HAH/02 by Simon Kennedy from "Hyenas and Hippopotami"

© Mass Collective - Westfield by Andrew Meredith from "Walking the Westway"
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Westfield by Andrew Meredith from "Walking the Westway"

© Mass Collective - Latimer Road by Andrew Meredith from "Walking the Westway"
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Latimer Road by Andrew Meredith from "Walking the Westway"

© Mass Collective - Aberfeldy Vision by Luca Piffaretti from "Sugarcoated Island"
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Aberfeldy Vision by Luca Piffaretti from "Sugarcoated Island"

© Mass Collective - #90979, Snow Heap by Polly Tootal from "True Fictions From An Unreal City"
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#90979, Snow Heap by Polly Tootal from "True Fictions From An Unreal City"

© Mass Collective - #90719, Window Pylon Foliage by Polly Tootal from "True Fictions From An Unreal City"
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#90719, Window Pylon Foliage by Polly Tootal from "True Fictions From An Unreal City"

© Mass Collective - Orbit by Henry Woide from "Road to Nowhere"
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Orbit by Henry Woide from "Road to Nowhere"

© Mass Collective - Painshill by Henry Woide from "Road to Nowhere"
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Painshill by Henry Woide from "Road to Nowhere"

© Mass Collective - Channelsea Island by Luca Piffaretti from "Sugarcoated Island"
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Channelsea Island by Luca Piffaretti from "Sugarcoated Island"

© Mass Collective - Croydon_Motor City 04 by Sue Barr from "Croydon Motor City"
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Croydon_Motor City 04 by Sue Barr from "Croydon Motor City"

© Mass Collective - Urban Beings V by Francesco Russo from "Urban Beings"
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Urban Beings V by Francesco Russo from "Urban Beings"

© Mass Collective - Foundations I by Caroline Charrel from "The River Before Us"
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Foundations I by Caroline Charrel from "The River Before Us"

© Mass Collective - Coronation Stone by Caroline Charrel from "The River Before Us"
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Coronation Stone by Caroline Charrel from "The River Before Us"

© Mass Collective - HAH/01 by Simon Kennedy from "Hyenas and Hippopotami"
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HAH/01 by Simon Kennedy from "Hyenas and Hippopotami"

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