A year on from our first lockdown, we take a look at the photography submitted for our 'Empty Spaces' project - a call for photographs of the empty spaces, streets, and buildings caused by the lockdown in the UK and across the world.
"The outbreak of Covid-19 changed the lives of people around the globe, with unprecedented shutdowns in most of the world’s cities as well as every town and village. We are still in the grip of the virus, and for many people, this has meant being shut off from most of the outside world for an indefinite period, from their place of work, their place of worship, their friends and family, and the precious patch of green where their children play. Previously bustling tourist hotspots have been emptied of people, high streets without customers, shops closed, theatres and cinemas dark. And with that came a very different urban landscape.
Creativity has come through capturing this new landscape. In the past year, many people have taken photographs of this strange new world across the globe and the media has been full of these haunting images. We hope that the next few months will take us back to something closer to normality. Meanwhile, please stay safe"
Colin Tweedy CEO The Building Centre
Submissions
Rush hour, Tyne Bridge, Newcastle, 10 April 2020 © Sara Swanston
A deserted Kings College, Cambridge. © Geoff Robinson
Midtown, New York City, USA, March 24, 2020 © Phil Penman
I work as a street safety inspector in central London which involves walking around 10km per day reporting potential safety hazards to road users and pedestrians. We have a responsibility to keep the roads safe so this makes me a key worker. I decided to start taking my camera with me every day to capture otherwise busy landmarks. All of these submissions were taken during the lockdown in April at different times of the day. © Damien Hewetson
London Bridge Station during morning rush hour, 15 April 2020 © Mark Tyler
Canal boats lining the Grand Union Canal at Crick, Northamptonshire. They can only be used for essential travel. © Geoff Robinson
I work as a street safety inspector in central London which involves walking around 10km per day reporting potential safety hazards to road users and pedestrians. We have a responsibility to keep the roads safe so this makes me a key worker. I decided to start taking my camera with me every day to capture otherwise busy landmarks. All of these submissions were taken during the lockdown in April at different times of the day. © Damien Hewetson
Taken in Bath city centre, on 23rd April 2020 from 2pm © Jenna Mullan
I live in central London and photograph the city whilst I am out on my errands - daily exercise, food shops and so on - and upload them to Instagram to give people a sense of what the city looks\ed like during the coronavirus pandemic. © Luke Abrahams
These were taken early or late morning - either on a Sunday or Monday with the occasional few snapped in the late evening - and aside from the odd ambulance, police car, walker, cyclist and jogger, London was virtually empty. © Luke Abrahams
The London Eye during the coronavirus pandemic © Luke Abrahams
Glasgow, April and May 2020 © Gill Brown
Cambridge, 23 March © Louis Bennett
Asda. I took these images while driving through my home town of St Helens, Merseyside, just before I had to stay at home to self-shield as I have asthma. © Mark Peachey
Eccleston Street. I took these images while driving through my home town of St Helens, Merseyside, just before I had to stay at home to self-shield as I have asthma. © Mark Peachey
Glasgow, April and May 2020 © Gill Brown
These photos were taken in my home town of Penge and Beckenham. They are some of the places that are usually most busy. The empty sports pub, Weatherspoons and McDonalds are sights I never see. Even the launderette which is allowed to be open was shut and empty during its most busy hours. The most touching is the Palm Crosses that were free to take as they had not had human contact due to lack of services. © John Mannell
Lucy looking longingly through the fence at our locked up local park, Betts Park, Penge, 30 April 2020 © Michael James
Queen Street and Gandy Street, Exeter, 30 April 2020 © Andy Dean
These photos were taken in my home town of Penge and Beckenham. They are some of the places that are usually most busy. The empty sports pub, Weatherspoons and McDonalds are sights I never see. Even the launderette which is allowed to be open was shut and empty during its most busy hours. The most touching is the Palm Crosses that were free to take as they had not had human contact due to lack of services. © John Mannell
Cambridge, 23 March © Louis Bennett
Taken in Bath city centre on 23rd April 2020 from 2pm © Jenna Mullan
Kings Cross Underground Station, 27 March © Mark Tyler
These photos were taken in my home town of Penge and Beckenham. They are some of the places that are usually most busy. The empty sports pub, Weatherspoons and McDonalds are sights I never see. Even the launderette which is allowed to be open was shut and empty during its most busy hours. The most touching is the Palm Crosses that were free to take as they had not had human contact due to lack of services. © John Mannell
I took this photo on Friday 11th April on my way into work. The weather was incredible and the light was perfect. The streets were nearly empty, but I have never seen so many cyclists on London roads. © Richard Lawrence
These photos were taken in my home town of Penge and Beckenham. They are some of the places that are usually most busy. The empty sports pub, Weatherspoons and McDonalds are sights I never see. Even the launderette which is allowed to be open was shut and empty during its most busy hours. The most touching is the Palm Crosses that were free to take as they had not had human contact due to lack of services. © John Mannell
These photos were taken in my home town of Penge and Beckenham. They are some of the places that are usually most busy. The empty sports pub, Weatherspoons and McDonalds are sights I never see. Even the launderette which is allowed to be open was shut and empty during its most busy hours. The most touching is the Palm Crosses that were free to take as they had not had human contact due to lack of services. © John Mannell
Cambridge, 23 March © Louis Bennett
This photo was taken on Tuesday 7th April. I was trying to get a snap of the Minster peeping through and suddenly my sons ran in and sat like this. I thought it was a lovely moment of quiet friendship in the deserted streets of York. © Laura Bird
I took this photo on Friday 11th April on my way into work. The weather was incredible and the light was perfect. The streets were nearly empty, but I have never seen so many cyclists on London roads. © Richard Lawrence
Empty Playground, Connecticut, USA, 18 March © Chris Craymer
The start of rush hour at Oxford Circus in lockdown. Usually full of people coming up from the underground but not at the moment. The shops lights still hopeful that customers will come when the doors reopen. © John Mannell
Cheddar Gorge on 9 April - normally a huge weekend in the tourist year © Helen Batt
Taken on 28th March while cycling past Buckingham Palace. © Adam Becksmith
The M5 at Exeter on Easter Bank Holiday Monday at about 4pm. Usually today would be bumper-to-bumper as the Easter holiday makers return home, but not this year as everyone stayed away. © Fiona French
Covent Garden, London, April 16 © Jonatas Moutinho
The Boulevard, Stockport © William Bullock
Covent Garden, London © Annabel Maclachlan
Leadenhall Market, London © Dom Wilkinson
This was taken around 11.35pm on Monday 4 May, outside BBC New Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, during lockdown. © Holly Jones
London, Wimbledon, 25 March 2020 © Virginia Jennings
Portobello Road, Notting Hill Gate, London © Anne Fry
Millennium Bridge, London, 4 April © Katy Nicol
The Cross, Ruyton, Shropshire, 6 April © Irena White
City of London © Olivier Joly
Trafalgar Square, London © Annabel Maclachlan
Chinatown, London © Alicia Worsley
Golden Jubilee Footbridges, London © Annabel Maclachlan
Oxford Circus, London, 20 April © Nicholas McBride
Exhibition Road, London, April © Alicia Worsley
The City, taken at the start of Friday evening rush hour. 24 April. © Adam Becksmith
Horseguards Parade, March 2020 © Alicia Worsley
London, Regents Canal, 26 April © Andrew Curley
Covent Garden, 21 April © Anne Fry
East Finchley Station (Gt North Rd), London N2: Looking south. 26 April, 9.07 am © George Demetri
Finchley Lido Leisure Centre, London N12. A car park chock-a-block with empty spaces and closed retail and leisure outlets. 26 April, 11.07am. © George Demetri
The Great North Rd: looking north towards Highgate. Taken from 'suicide bridge', Sunday 26 April, 9.53 am. © George Demetri
Hong Kong, 19 March 2020 © Mark Beech
London Underground, 30 March © Mark Tyler
Taken in my home city of Bath. The usually very busy Avon Street multi-story car park was totally empty and deserted. © Mark Dunscombe
Piccadilly Circus, London, 27 March © Mark Tyler
Cambridge, Green Street, 11.00am Saturday 11 April 2020 © Murray Hudson
Cambridge, Trinity Street, 11.00am Saturday 11 April 2020 © Murray Hudson
March 2020 Lockdown in Venice, Itlay. Nobody about, and such clear water in the canals that you can spot the fish © Robin Frood
Contemporary Post-It Note rainbow, April 2020 © Mark Tyler
March 2020 Lockdown in Venice, Italy. Nobody about, and such clear water in the canals that you can spot the fish © Robin Frood
Famagosta Underground, Milan, Italy, 9 March, 2020 © Roberto Milano
Clerkenwell, London, 14 April 2020 © Mark Tyler
© Damien Hewetson
Taken in Bath city centre, on 23rd April 2020 from 2pm © Jenna Mullan
Smithfield Market, East London, 9.30am, 14 April 2020 © Mark Tyler
This was taken on 7th May 2020 at Kensington Gardens. In combinations with the reflections it's like Pac-Man. © Yeliz Haslak
Regent Street, London on May 12th © Richard Lawrence
Embankment Station, London, May 13, at 16.59. © Richard Lawrence
Deserted streets around the Gherkin during rush hour, London, May. © Richard Lawrence
Looking down the Mall towards Buckingham Palace May 12, 8.50am © Richard Lawrence
Oxford Street, Sunday 3rd May at 4pm © Alice Hall
I work as a street safety inspector in central London which involves walking around 10km per day reporting potential safety hazards to road users and pedestrians. We have a responsibility to keep the roads safe so this makes me a key worker. I decided to start taking my camera with me every day to capture otherwise busy landmarks. All of these submissions were taken during the lockdown in April at different times of the day. © Damien Hewetson
Glasgow, April and May 2020 © Gill Brown
Glasgow, April and May 2020 © Gill Brown
For the past few years I've been observing and documenting people in London queuing to board the bus, to get a coffee or to see an exhibition and most recently, with the current lockdown situation, for all essential needs. © Agnese Sanvito
Coming from Italy, no one queues as the English do and quoting Hungarian-born British author George Mikes 'An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an orderly queue of one.' © Agnese Sanvito
The fascination with the stereotypical English queue starts from a curiosity on how people patiently organise themselves in a fair and orderly line. Within this framework the different quirky behaviour and poses to pass the time emerge, people are checking their phones, reading, kissing or simply staring at the line or feeling pleased that the queue grows. © Agnese Sanvito
Since the lockdown and with the two metre gap between everyone, the lines are growing even longer at local groceries, DIY shops, post offices, pharmacies and supermarket which I've been photographing in my neighbourhood in North London. © Agnese Sanvito
London, Gower Street, 17 May © John Bonning
Deal Pier, 10 April © Colin Tweedy
North Circular Road, at junction with High Road N2, looking west towards Golders Green and Brent Cross. Sunday April 26, 2020, around 11am © George Demetri
Nelson Monument, May 21st © Anne Edwards
Calton Hill Edinburgh, 21 May, without the usual visitors © Anne Edwards
A deserted Edinburgh in early May. © Anne Edwards
Euston Station May 4th, 09.45am © Richard Lawrence
A background of St Pauls early morning on May 4th © Richard Lawrence
Taped off benches by the Thames. May 13, 5.09pm © Richard Lawrence
These photos were taken the last week of March (27th and 31st) in central Oxford. In the 14 years that I have lived in Oxford I have never seen the historic centre that empty. It is always full of students and/or tourists! Those that have visited Oxford they will recognise in these pictures the most popular tourist spots in the city's historic centre, usually full of people walking around and taking photos. © Anastasia Mylona
The photo was taken on a Thursday, before the last May bank holiday. It was the midday and I'm familiar with this place as I used to work not far away from it. The square was always crowded and filled with noise. Used to take my lunch breaks around here. Now, for the first time, there was something eerie beautiful about it. The feel of the space, empty, silence, you could here the bird chirping and the echo of the construction sites in the city. Even though it felt a bit weird and uncomfortable, it was fascinating actually see the place. © Andra Antonescu
This is a photo taken in the first week of Lockdown, and was taken along the normally very busy A13, a busy main road from London to Southend-on-sea in Essex. This stretch of the A13 was taken in Leigh-on-sea, Essex. © Helene Robinson
This is a photo taken in the 2nd week of Lockdown, and was taken outside a supermarket on the A13, a normally very busy road, from London to Southend-on-sea in Essex. This stretch of the A13 was taken in Leigh-on-sea, Essex. There waa no traffic on the roads, it was almost eerie, and scenes of people queuing socially distanced, scenes we are now getting more used to seeing. © Helene Robinson
Gatwick Airport South Terminal on the 1st June without passengers © Kimberley Fok
The famous James Smith & Sons umbrella shop, Holborn, London, late May, just before the rain came down that day © Richard Lawrence
St Marks, Venice May 17th, just before lockdown was lifted © Robin Frood
St Marks, Venice May 17th, just before lockdown was lifted © Robin Frood
St Marks, Venice May 17th, just before lockdown was lifted © Robin Frood
I saw them because there was no one else around. They looked like teenagers in love. First flush. Walking hand-in-hand then stopping to look at each other and kiss. I took two shots with an iPhone that I was holding. The full frame is wider than this. It felt too architectural so I cropped it slightly, but not so much that you lose the sense of isolation and emptiness in a street usually busy at 6pm on a Saturday. It's on Hatton Garden, the road lined with jewellers. I like the cool blue horizontal line, from the shop front, through his outfit to the crates and child sculptures on the building, and the perpendicular warm line from the sun, the no entry sign and her hair and outfit. I like that compositionally they're rooted by the arrows and lines on the road, and the vertical lines on the building behind. I don't often shoot street photography, but there was a tenderness to the moment, and what felt like a distillation of love in the time of coronavirus. © William Hall
Taken in Weymouth, a seaside lovely town which has gorgeous beach and coastline. Stop was taken in front of a beautiful 'Free Renaissance' style © Jie Zhou
Taken in Weymouth, a seaside lovely town which has gorgeous beach and coastline. © Jie Zhou
