Selfridges Building, Birmingham.

Four storeys high, and wrapped in a sinuous, seamless outer skin decorated with 15,000 spun aluminium discs painted blue, like some XXXL dress by Paco Rabanne, Selfridge’s is a truly audacious achievement. Designed by Future Systems, architects of the Space Age-style press pavilion at Lord’s cricket ground in St John’s Wood, it has about it, from the outside at least, not just something of a Pop era frock, but something of the sea and even the ocean depths – something, too, of outer space exploration.

A great building, very intriguing, very reflective, very big and yet simply a shop!

No matter how much you read about this building it is still an impressive sight when you first see it. It belongs to and is part of the re-developed Bullring area of Birmingham but it stands out from it and puts all of the other buildings in the shade.

Top image - although taken at noon and on a sunny day I converted it to mono to make the most of its abstract nature. I was impressed with the lines of discs as they snaked around the contours of the building and moved around the building until I could use the curves of the building to enhance the lines.

Middle image - the edge of the building set against St Martins Church.

Bottom image -  colour image highlighting the colour discs set against the blue midlands sky.

Canon 30D, Canon 17 - 85mm lens.