Canary Wharf | rama toshi arya's blog

I once took the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to get back to the city. It took me through the Docklands area, and I was smitten for good!

The DLR and Docklands are archetypical expressions of new age, steel and glass, corporate, moneyed urban planning. The Docklands used to be part of the Port of London before, but containerisation, air cargo and the bombing during the World War II blitz led to massive job losses and the area eventually became derelict and unused. The ensuing redevelopment (1981-98) has transformed the docks into THE key economic hub in London, complete with its own airport. Warehouses, once for storage and packing, are now up-market restaurants and apartments. Gleaming edifices by the docks house over 2,500 offices. And the DLR, as its artery, slices through the buildings, running on lines towering above the streets.

It was grey and cloudy, today. Perfect for good pictures. 🙂 Traipsing with my umbrella, backpack and camera, I managed to take the below images. I quite like them. I hope you do too.

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I wanted to do something different this afternoon. To see London a little more closely, a tad more me-ishly.

This is part 1 of a series of photo essays on the London Underground. I went mid-afternoon—the crowds are always lesser at that time—to explore the platforms and escalators on one of the architecturally acclaimed parts of the tube, the Jubilee Line. It was awesome! I knew the CCTVs were recording my every move as I clicked away. Even Security was keeping an eye. But they were really sweet about it. Guess my enthusiasm was contagious. 🙂

I love the tube. It is so lived in. Comfortable, and efficient. But the section of the Jubilee Line that I have here is the most spectacular part. Avant garde, monumental, sleek; scores of feet underground. Enjoy.

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