Fruit & Wool Exchange

Fruit & Wool Exchange Pavilion by Sheppard Robson by Alex Upton

Sheppard Robson new Fruit & Wool Exchange Pavilion in Spitalfields , London. Photography: Copyright © Alex Upton

Sheppard Robson new Fruit & Wool Exchange Pavilion in Spitalfields , London. Photography: Copyright © Alex Upton

In late 2018 i was commissioned to photograph this small, but unique building located in Spitalfields, London by Sheppard Robson architects. The small angular pavilion their team designed is located on the perimeter of the new Fruit & Wool Exchange development and has become home to a day and night Crispin Café. The main part of the development, located behind the pavilion, opposite Old Spitalfields Market was designed by another architectural practice, Bennetts Associates.

Rear entrance to the pavilion detailing the extended angular roof

Rear entrance to the pavilion detailing the extended angular roof

From an architectural photographers perspective this was a particularly tricky building to shoot at that time of year. Its low, extended profile in context to the higher surrounding buildings meant that when the sun did meet with it’s exterior, the shadows of those buildings intermittently draped themselves over it surface obscuring from view the pavilions finer details. It was with these limitations to the architectural photography that I obtained most of the images at dusk.

Architectural Photography of the Fruit & Wool Exchange Pavilion

Architectural Photography of the Fruit & Wool Exchange Pavilion

Surrounding the cafe is a new public space with landscaping undertaken by Robert Myers Associates. The most striking external feature of the metal-clad pavilion is it’s dynamic roof design, which sweeps up from the sides of the building an meets to form a sharp, piercing point at it’s apex. The juxtaposition to the brick facade of Bennetts Associates Fruit & Wool Exchange is quite sticking, but downplayed by its low profile. While I only obtained a few photographs of the pavilion due to the size of the project and ongoing works surrounding it you can take a look at the rest by visiting the projects page above.

Project Team:

Developer: Exemplar Properties
Architect: Sheppard Robson
Photography Client: Sheppard Robson
Architectural Photographer: Alex Upton