Photographing Southampton’s Watermark

Watermark WestQuay, Southampton, is the work of London-based architectural practice ACME, completed in 2017 for developer Hammerson. The building's distinctive roof wrapped in a curving skin of stainless steel tubes is a deliberate nod to Southampton's maritime and industrial heritage, drawing a visual reference to the Pirelli Cable Works that occupied this site from 1914 until 1990..

These external shots were taken using a 24mm tilt-shift lens from an elevated position. The key elements to document were the form and construction of the roof structure, together with the landscaping and level changes. The light was flat on the day, but a heavy downpour shortly beforehand had left the surfaces wet which added depth and reflection to what might otherwise have been a difficult shooting condition.