Photo's of Loose Flanges and London

London is one of the greatest cities in the world;  full of great architecture, fantastic museums and wonderful things to see and do. There are a few well known sights that are on every one's list of things to see while in London, including the Tower Bridge, Big Ben, St. Pauls Cathedral and the new 'Gherkin' skyscraper. The construction of all of these monuments is an amazing achievement, and cast iron and steel definitely had a part to play in the more modern creations. Every day in London you can see tourists taking photos of these fantastic buildings, most of them probably unaware of the many different construction techniques used in the various buildings. Some of the more contemporary buildings use a lot of steel for framing and support, as well of course as the steel that is used in the nails, screws and other fittings. London has a number of great steel buildings that are well worthy of being photographed.

Often the many different processes and aspects of industrialisation go hand in hand, due to big developments that affect a number of different industries simultaneously. This is what happened when people found an efficient and inexpensive way to produce steel. It was not only pure steel parts such as Loose Flange (Lose-Flansche) components that were affected by this development, but the very nature of buildings and large infrastructure projects in the city of London as well. When it became possible to use steel as a major part of the building process, the very nature of London architecture and building practices changed forever.

Buildings from earlier times used to use cast iron as a structural component, however steel has the ability to span much larger openings and support a much greater area of the floor and roof of a building. From 1866 it became possible to roll steel joists whole, and this saw the development of several large skyscraper projects in the United States of America. This successful development in the USA inspired a new type of architecture and building in London as well as all over Europe. The new 'Gherkin' building in London is one example of a building that would not have been possible without the use of steel. While the more traditional buildings are photographer more often, there is a number of photographers becoming interested in the newer steel creations of London.

London City Hall has its admirers and its critics too, but either way it has had an effect on the skyline of the city. London Canary Wharf and the London Eye are two other structures that often photograph magnificently, as does the BT tower when seen in appreciative lighting conditions. There are also a growing number of much smaller steel buildings dotted around London. Steel and glass are something of a fashion in contemporary buildings, and for the DIY builder and decorator, London offers a number of inspiring buildings. Websites such as - rofi.de - allow someone with a constructive bent to delve into incorporating steel components into their very own house. 

There are almost as many famous photos of London buildings as there are famous London buildings themselves.  However, just as architecture and building styles change, so do styles of photography. Indeed the very nature of what people find interesting enough to photograph has changed a lot in recent decades. The modern London which is surrounded with factories, steel and neon streets is appealing to a younger generation of photographers and inspiring some fantastic contemporary pictures.