Wyndham Court celebrated in major art exhibition
Wyndham Court celebrated in major art exhibition
One of Southampton’s most iconic buildings, Wyndham Court, which is home to hundreds of council tenants, has been celebrated in a major art exhibition by local photographer Rachel Adams to mark its 50th birthday.
Housing 184 flats and 22 shops, the distinctive block was built for the local authority in the late 1960s, a time when the Brutalist architecture movement using exposed concrete and angular shapes was popular. Its bold and unique design has been dividing opinion ever since, and now half a century since the first residents moved in, Rachel’s exhibition, entitled Life Is Brutalist, aims to explore not just the building but the residents who live inside.
Alongside photographs capturing life at Wyndham Court, Rachel recorded interviews with local people about their experiences of living in the block.
Southampton musicians Emma Richardson and Russell Marsden from Band of Skulls also composed an original soundscape to add to the exhibition, inspired by the voices and their love for this iconic building.
Rachel says she aimed to “turn the grey, concrete façade inside out with faces, colour, and imagery. The aim of the project is to ask people to stop and consider the lives behind this “brutal” exterior, as well as this particular moment in local history.”
Some of the residents at the block have lived at Wyndham Court for nearly 50 years and they add their voices and memories to the exhibition. Although the exhibition cannot be on public display at the moment due to coronavirus restrictions, it is hoped that it will be exhibited in the future. In the meantime, you can view it on the Life is Brutalist website as well as a short trailer on YouTube video called Life is Brutalist: a portrait of Wyndham Court.
