Alastair Philip Wiper documents the inside of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, USA, in the photography project, The Secret City. In the series, the photographer captures the machinery and spaces inside the infrastructure, which was established in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project. The laboratory’s first purpose was to refine uranium and plutonium for the production of atomic bombs, and it became a town that was built quickly to house workers, with the population reaching 75,000 during World War II. The photographer’s name for the project is not random. It is because the community was called The Secret City, referring to its existence being hidden. Most residents did not know the purpose of their work until the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan in 1945.

After the war, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory changed its mission and became a national center for nuclear research, materials science, biology, energy studies, and computer technology. Today, it is one of the largest science and energy laboratories under the U.S. Department of Energy system. Through the photographs of Alastair Philip Wiper, viewers are afforded the inner workings of the laboratory, from the space housing the first continuously operating nuclear reactor in the world to the major facility of the most powerful reactor-based neutron source in the US. In the images, the photographer managed to document the spaces and what resides in them, including the old machinery and control stations as well as the upgraded tools used for the nuclear research.

all images courtesy of Alastair Philip Wiper

alastair philip wiper captures stations in research facility

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory site includes laboratories, hot cells, reactors, accelerators, computing centers, and utility lines. The design of the laboratory reflects its functions: large buildings for reactors, long corridors for accelerators, and shielded cells for radiochemical work. Utility drain lines manage water and waste produced during experiments. Control rooms operate reactors and accelerators. The facility combines steel, concrete, shielding materials, electronic systems, and high-power computing hardware. In Alastair Philip Wiper’s series, the photographer goes through these areas, even capturing the site’s first major project, the X-10 Graphite Reactor. It began operation in 1943 and ran until 1963 and was the first continuously operating nuclear reactor in the world. 

Its purpose was to prove that plutonium could be produced for nuclear weapons, and after the war, the reactor was used to generate the first nuclear electricity. It also produced radioisotopes for medicine, agriculture, and industry, and these isotopes were used for cancer treatments, crop studies, and industrial testing. Another major facility at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory that the photographer captured is the High Flux Isotope Reactor. It remains the most powerful reactor-based neutron source in the US, producing medical isotopes, including plutonium-238, which is used in NASA space missions. Inside the reactor pools, spent nuclear fuel is stored. The blue glow that appears in the water is known as Cherenkov radiation, which shows the presence of recently irradiated fuel.

control room of the oldest nuclear reactor in the world, the X-10 Graphite Reactor

A US-based laboratory that also studies biological materials

One important instrument at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory that Alastair Philip Wiper photographed is the MaNDi neutron diffractometer. It studies biological materials by scattering neutrons off samples to map atomic structures, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, MaNDi was used to investigate the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 protease. The data supported drug development research for the vaccines later on. 

The laboratory also houses the Radiochemical Engineering Development Center, where technicians handle radioactive isotopes inside hot cells using remote manipulators. One isotope, actinium-225, is being tested in clinical trials for leukemia and brain cancer treatment. The hot cells are enclosed rooms with thick shielding that allow remote operations without direct exposure. This, alongside other setups, makes up the series The Secret City, which aims to present the once war-oriented research facility turned into a nuclear research laboratory. 

part of the Spallation Neutron Source particle accelerator

the MaNDi neutron diffractometer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory studies biological materials

detector at the Spallation Neutron Source particle accelerator

remotely operating arms in a hot cell at the Spallation Neutron Source

part of the Spallation Neutron Source particle accelerator

view of the X-10 Graphite Reactor

technicians use remote manipulators to handle actinium-225 inside a hot cell

Thomas Zacharia, former director of ORNL in front of Frontier, the fastest supercomputer in the world

hot cell at the Radiochemical Engineering Development Cente

project info:

name: The Secret City: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA

photographer: Alastair Philip Wiper | @alastairwiper

The post alastair philip wiper’s photographs take us inside ‘the secret city’ laboratory of tennessee appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Alastair Philip Wiper heads inside NIKE’s facility, center, and research lab in Oregon, USA to photograph the brand’s comprehensive archives, machinery, and shoe-making processes. Shown in the first ever museum exhibition about NIKE at the Vitra Design Museum, these images may capture the depth of NIKE’s 60-year presence, far beyond the five-decade ascend of the brand in the exhibition. From the hub of rapid shoe prototyping, which has led NIKE to produce its series 3D printed concept sneakers in Paris back in April 2024, to machines that make the footwear and testing facilities for the athletes, Alastair Philip Wiper has caught them all on camera.

all images courtesy of Alastair Philip Wiper

Rapid prototyping machinery for footwear caught on camera

There are five spaces that Alastair Philip Wiper visits for his NIKE compendium. His lens first shoots the Nike Advanced Product Creation Center (APCC), located in Beaverton, Oregon. Its the home to the brand’s product design innovation, which includes the rapid prototyping machinery that can allow shoe designers to quickly test and refine ideas for their new footwear and apparel. The photographer’s images catch a glimpse of the development process: the stacks of prototype shoes to be tested and fitted, the hundreds of wires and tubes pumping and operating to speed the process of the shoe making, the container of powder used to refine the freshly printed shoes, and a UV oven that cures a primed outsole in preparation for shoe assembly.

inside NIKE’s Bowerman Footwear Lab (BFL)

facilities and an archive section with over 200,000 artifacts

Still in Beaverton, Alastair Philip Wiper brings his camera to the Department of NIKE Archives (DNA). Here, he is bombarded with over 200,000 rare artifacts, prototypes, sketches, and memorabilia the brand has treasured through decades. They range from the first Nike Swoosh design to early mechanical Shox prototypes, match shoes worn by Michael Jordan, Andre Agassi, and Tiger Woods, and much more. It’s an earned invitation for the photographer because the archive isn’t open to the public. But for the viewers who want to look inside, at least parts of the archive facility, Alastair Philip Wiper’s photographs are part of the exhibition and the accompanying book of Nike: Form Follows Motion at the Vitra Design Museum.

NIKE’s facility in Oregon, USA

The Nike Air Manufacturing Innovation (Air MI) facility is the home of the machines. Rows of them play the main character in producing NIKE’s Air technology and its air-cushioning system. Equipment towers over Alastair Philip Wiper, and the consistent noise of the machines whirs like a soundtrack to his ears, but armed with his camera, he points at NIKE Air Max Dn units ready to be inflated and trimmed to get a closer look. Here, viewers can see up close the air flowing between two chambers, each of them tuned to different air pressures (usually higher in the back and lower in the front). Images like this allow the viewers to understand NIKE’s technology and what works under the feet every time they walk or run wearing the footwear.

vacuum forming tools and jigs

When it comes to developing and testing new NIKE shoe ideas, designers hole up at the Bowerman Foot Lab, which is named after the brand’s co-founder, Bill Bowerman. It is in this space that the design teams create and test new shoe designs fast using advanced prototyping machines. Engineers, designers, and athletes collaborate together, so they understand how, why, and where they need to refine and improve the performance, comfort, and durability of the next footwear. In this area, Alastair Philip Wiper also photographs the heel moulds that the brand uses, chilled to help cool down the material that has already been molded by heat and pressure. He also captures the polyurethane moulds used to create midsoles from scratch and the machinery at NIKE’s Pegasus testing lab that revolves continuously for days at a time to assess outsole durability.

a technician dusts the powder off a freshly printed prototype in the Advanced Product Creation Center (APCC)

NIKE’s research lab and facility quest may not be complete without Alastair Philip Wiper visiting the LeBron James Innovation Center. It houses the NIKE Sport Research Lab (NSRL), or the training environment for researchers, designers, and engineers to test their shoes with the athletes. The center comes equipped with 400 motion-capture cameras, 97 force plates, and even environmental chambers that can simulate various weather conditions, so the design teams can study how athletes perform in different environments. 

3D-printed prototype for Erling Haaland as one of NIKE’s 13 A.I.R. (Athlete Imagined Revolution) concepts

The NIKE Sport Research Lab facility also features a full-size basketball court, a 200-meter endurance track, and a 100-meter incline ramp, all designed to monitor and analyze athletes’ movements at full speed and under real-world conditions. It is also here that NIKE explores mind sciences as their growing area of expertise alongside biomechanics, exercise physiology, and functional anatomy, all through images that Alastair Philip Wiper now shares with the viewers for them to experience these too.

racks of game worn shoes from Nike athletes

from NIKE’s archive section

Air Mag designed by Tinker Hatfleld and worn by Michael J. Fox’s character in Back to the Future II

the archive department has more than 200,000 artifacts

UV oven cures a primed outsole in preparation for assembly

view inside the facility

view of footwear testing

robot arm testing the shoe prototype

machinery and shoe prototype view

project info:

photographer: Alastair Philip Wiper | @alastairwiper

brand: NIKE | @nike

facility: Oregon, USA

The post explore NIKE’s archives and research lab in oregon with photographs by alastair philip wiper appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Under a seemingly normal private residence in Las Vegas lies a bizarre doomsday bunker, which was listed for sale for an astounding $18 million back in 2020. Four years later, the shelter remains an iconic piece of architecture known for its eccentricity. It’s no wonder it piqued the curiosity of Alastair Philip Wiper who takes us on a photographic journey through the 1,400 sqm underground nuclear fallout shelter and its unique features. Designed by millionaire Jerry Henderson in 1978, the residence is complete with artificial trees, faux rocks, lighting to simulate different times of day, and lifelike sceneries painted on the walls to resemble views from around the world.

all images courtesy of Alastair Philip Wiper

Survival and Celebration: Inside Las Vegas’ Underground House

The underground house in Las Vegas reflects the era in which it was created. It looks like Jerry Henderson, a pioneer in underground living, designed the residence to accommodate enough people to form a community during a nuclear fallout situation. The house features five bedrooms and six bathrooms. Additionally, it seems Jerry enjoyed partying and intended to maintain that lifestyle even in a doomsday scenario. The house includes a swimming pool, two hot tubs, a dance floor (complete with a pole), a four-hole putting green, a bar, a barbecue, and a sauna. The house is air-conditioned, equipped with a 1,000-gallon water tank, and has cell phone reception, cable, and internet access underground. Jerry lived in the house with his wife, Mary, for five years until he passed away in 1983. ‘This is a nuclear fallout shelter like no other,’ says Alastair Philip Wiper, alongside his photos of the bunker.

The house is now owned by an organization called the Church of Perpetual Life, which aims to extend human life and cryogenically freeze bodies to bring them back to life when science allows. ‘Yep, I did swim in the pool,’ reveals the Copenhagen-based photographer. 

the residence features lighting to simulate different times of day

1,400 sqm underground shelter stands out for its unique features

the spacious house accommodates enough people to form a community during a nuclear fallout situation

the house reflects the era in which it was created

the residence is complete with artificial trees and faux rocks

the house features five bedrooms and six bathrooms

the shelter remains an iconic piece of architecture known for its eccentricity

the house includes a swimming pool, two hot tubs, a dance floor, a bar, a barbecue, and a sauna

‘this is a nuclear fallout shelter like no other,’ says Alastair Philip Wiper

lifelike sceneries are painted on the walls to resemble views from around the world

project info: 

name: The Underground House 
location: Las Vegas
photography: Alastair Philip Wiper | @alastairwiper

The post inside the bizarre 1978 doomsday bunker of las vegas with photographer alastair philip wiper appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

In his latest photography series, Drugs and Missiles, Alastair Philip Wiper turns his lens on Titan II, the largest and heaviest missile ever built by the United States. The new project not only reveals the rocket’s design, but also draws a thought-provoking connection between nuclear weapons and drug use. As the photographer shares in the project description, American journalist and author Eric Schlosser reports in his book Command and Control that ‘of the roughly 114,000 people who’d been cleared to work with nuclear weapons in 1980, only 1.5 percent lost that clearance because of drug abuse’. By capturing both the intricate interior and the imposing exterior, this photographic exploration illuminates the surreal and unexpected intersection of two seemingly disparate realms.

Alastair Philip Wiper’s images of the Titan II find a place in the book Building Stories, where he delves into the concealed narratives in the realm of architecture. From the childhood home of Steve Jobs to the lavatory of a deceased Albanian dictator, Wiper uncovers stories that transcend the ordinary. Explore more about the book in designboom’s previous coverage, here.

Titan II nuclear missile in its silo | all images courtesy of Alastair Philip Wiper 

Drugs in the Nuclear Sphere: Unveiling a Troubling Nexus

As Alastair Philip Wiper explains in Drugs and Missiles, there is a compelling argument for the main danger posed by nuclear weapons: the unintended risk of self-destruction. History is full of declassified cases, from planes accidentally crashing with nuclear payloads to governments mistaking computer simulations of war for actual events. The accidental release of weapons through human error, such as pulling the wrong handle, and the explosion of missile silos underscore this vulnerability. ‘Once, a bear climbing the fence of an Air Force base was mistaken for Russian special forces beginning an invasion,’ shares the photographer. ‘And then there are the drugs.’

In Eric Schlosser’s book Command and Control, it’s revealed that of the individuals authorized to handle nuclear weapons in 1980, 1.5% lost their clearance due to drug abuse, totaling at least 1,728 individuals who were caught using drugs in proximity to nuclear weapons. Fast forward to 2016, a disconcerting reality unfolded as over a dozen Air Force members responsible for safeguarding nuclear missiles were convicted of both using and distributing substances such as LSD, ecstasy, cocaine, and marijuana. This juxtaposition underscores the persistent and concerning intersection between drug use and the guardianship of powerful weaponry.

second stage rocket engine of Titan II nuclear missile

Marijuana in the Titan II Missile Silo

In 1977, an intriguing discovery unfolded in the control center of a Titan II missile silo, located approximately 40 miles south of Tucson, Arizona—two ‘marijuana cigarettes’ were found. This particular silo, housing the Titan II nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile, carried the most potent nuclear warhead ever constructed by the United States. Boasting a staggering 9 megatons, it wielded a destructive power approximately 600 times greater than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Operating between 1963 and 1987, a total of 54 missiles were maintained on a continuous 24-hour alert, 365 days per year, strategically positioned across Arizona, Arkansas, and Kansas. 

The launch sequence took 58 seconds, and the time taken to hit its target in the Soviet Union was about 30 minutes, with the rocket travelling at 26,000 kph. The rocket was 32m long. A 9-megaton blast would result in a fireball with an approximate 5km diameter. The radiated heat would be sufficient to cause lethal burns to any unprotected person within a 32 km radius. Alastair Philip Wiper’s photography series amplifies this historical context, making viewers thnk about what could potentially happen when a person under the influence handles such power. 

‘The Minuteman missile replaced the Titan II, and there are currently 400 Minuteman III missiles, each with a 170-kiloton warhead, ‘on alert’ at air force bases in Wyoming, North Dakota, and Montana,’ says Alastair Philip Wiper. ‘Keep your fingers crossed.’

launch control center of Titan II nuclear missile silo, Arizona, USA – this is where WW3 would have started

the bridge between the control room and the launch duct

rocket fuel handler’s coverall suits (Refco) at a Titan II nuclear missile silo, Arizona, USA – the fuels and oxidizers used in the rockets were extremely dangerous, and technicians spent a year just learning how to work in these suits

Titan II nuclear missile in its silo

rocket fuel holding tanker

the silo from above with door partially open

missile combat crew rest area – four crew members worked 24-hour shifts in the silo

missile combat crew rest area

the key that needs to be turned to launch a nuclear missile at the launch control centre – another key needed to be turned by someone else simultaneously in another part of the room

project info: 

name: Drugs and Missiles
artist: Alastair Philip Wiper | @alastairwiper

The post alastair philip wiper captures the unexpected connection between nuclear missiles and drugs appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Alastair Philip Wiper’s latest photography book, Building Stories, published by Danish Architectural Press, explores the hidden stories within the world of architecture. From nuclear test sites to Steve Jobs’ childhood home and the toilet of a late Albanian dictator, Wiper’s hyper-realistic, cinematic images transport readers into a realm where buildings have personalities, each with its own compelling narrative.

For thirteen years, Alastair Philip Wiper captured the eerie beauty of both overlooked and famous structures around the world. Ordinary supermarket parking lots in Denmark, top-secret government laboratories in the U.S., the works of Marcel Breuer in France, and towering skyscrapers in Hong Kong, are just a few of the protagonists in his photographs, which are created through long exposures of several minutes, and feature vibrant colors, moody atmospheres, and a touch of black humor.

‘I want to bring viewers into a fantasy world where their interpretation of the buildings escapes reality, and people make up their own stories about the personalities of these buildings, those that designed them, and those that use them,’ shares the British photographer. 

‘Apple-2’ house used in atomic bomb test at the Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, USA, 2022 | all images by Alastair Philip Wiper

technology, infrastructure, and humanity through the lens of Alastair Philip Wiper

Building Stories follows Alastair Philip Wiper’s previously acclaimed works (find more here) including Unintended Beauty (2020, Hatje Cantz), in which he vividly portrayed hidden industrial interiors such as shipyards, sausage factories, and particle accelerators (see designboom’s previous coverage here). Wiper’s unique perspective is underscored by his deep understanding of lines, symmetry, color, and a touch of fantasy. He engages with the machines, technology, and infrastructure that surround us, using them as a lens through which to explore humanity’s needs, desires, dreams, and questions of the universe.

When asked if his work can be considered architectural photography, Wiper replies,‘I suppose it’s about trying to capture the spirit of the building, whether or not that’s the spirit the architect wanted to be captured. I’m definitely trying to reflect an atmosphere or a sense of wonder. (…) I’m often taking pictures of things that have typically been designed for functional reasons and drawing out another side of them.’ 

2004 Olympic aquatic complex, Athens, Greece, 2015

Chalet l’Ours II, Avoriaz, France, 2012

the Danish National Archives (Landsarkivet), Copenhagen, Denmark, 2022

Vitra Schaudepot, Weil am Rhein, Germany, 2016

Underground Nuclear Fallout Shelter, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, 2022

Pal’s sudden service drive-through burger restaurant, Tennessee, USA, 2022

Silver Legacy resort casino, Reno, Nevada, USA, 2022

European Space Agency Research and Technology Centre Laboratory Building, Noordwijk, Netherlands, 2013

corridors of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland, 2013

Underground Nuclear Fallout Shelter, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, 2022

the Governor’s Hall, built to hold the House of Representatives in the event of a nuclear attack, Greenbrier Resort, West Virginia, USA, 2022

communal showers at secret US government nuclear bunker, Greenbrier Resort, West Virginia, USA, 2022

Underground Nuclear Fallout Shelter, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, 2022

the Danish National Archives (Landsarkivet), Copenhagen, Denmark, 2022

Jean Prouvé petrol station, Weil am Rhein, Germany, 2016

the cover of Building Stories

project info: 

name: Building Stories – available here
photographer: Alastair Philip Wiper
published by: Danish Architectural Press

The post alastair philip wiper shoots nuclear test sites & steve job’s childhood home in uncanny photo book appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

the RealDoll workshop, where 20-30 fully customisable sex dolls are made by hand, california | read more here
all images by alastair philip wiper | @alastairwiper

designboom spoke with alastair philip wiper about his interest in spaces of scientific and industrial significance, some of the surprising things he’s encountered on his visits, and the celebration of the human achievement behind the scenes.

designboom (DB): can you start by telling us about your background, and how you became involved in photography?

alastair philip wiper (APW): I came to photography quite late, in my late 20’s. I grew up in a town called guildford, south-west of london, and then studied philosophy with politics at the university of southampton. I was 21 when I finished my bachelor degree, and had no idea what I wanted to do, I just knew I wanted to get out of the UK and see something else, get away from the grey and the rain. ironically I ended up living in denmark, which is not exactly famed for its sunshine. after university I went to south america, did a couple of seasons as a ski bum in the alps, spent a summer as a cook on a greek island, worked as a roofer, lived in a camper van in south west france trying to surf, did all sorts of crappy and sometimes fun, sometimes awful jobs. I met a danish girl in 2004 when she was moving home I thought ‘why not?’ so I moved to copenhagen. I thought I would be here temporarily but now it’s been nearly 17 years…

building the largest ship in the world, the maersk triple E, south korea | read more here

APW (continued): I was working as a cook when I came to denmark — food is another big passion in my life — but I knew I didn’t want to end up working as a chef for the rest of my life, so I was looking for something else, I didn’t know what. one day, for some reason I can’t quite explain as I had never done anything like this before, I started drawing designs for some T-shirts. I met someone that could print them, sold them all, and from that point decided I wanted to be a graphic designer. so I taught myself to use illustrator and photoshop, and was lucky to get a job with artist and fashion designer henrik vibskov doing prints, flyers, lookbooks, all the graphic work. it was great fun, I really learned a lot. they didn’t have a house photographer, so I started to take all the photos for the company — campaigns, shows — and then slowly I became more and more interested in the photography, I built a darkroom in my apartment and started experimenting with old film cameras, and then at one point about 10 years ago I decided I wanted to go full on with the photography on my own.

ITER nuclear fusion experiment, france | read more here

DB: how do you prepare in advance of a shoot?

APW: if it is a self initiated project, then gaining access to locations is the biggest part of the preparation. sometimes this can be surprisingly easy, sometimes painful — finding the right person to speak to, getting their attention, convincing them to let me in and that it will lead to something good. it is an art in itself. once I have access, if I can get any idea of the location or see some photos of it beforehand then that is great, but often I go in blind not knowing what to expect — which is also fun, that’s when the great surprises come.

full scale plywood model of part of the atlas detector at CERN, switzerland, used for training | read more here

DB: when you arrive on site, what is the first thing you do?

APW: I try to take quick tour of the facility to get a sense of how big it is, where I want to spend my time, and how to approach the areas I want to concentrate on. the places I visit are usually utterly fascinating and I am often shown round by a scientist or engineer, so I try to suck up as much of that experience as possible.

sphere gap at the high voltage laboratory at the technical university of denmark | read more here

DB: you’ve recently had a book come out — how do you characterize the work included in ‘unintended beauty’? is there a common thread that underpins your work overall?

APW: unintended beauty is a photographic exploration of scientific and industrial facilities around the world, which I have photographed over the last 10 years. showing things that happen behind the scenes, things that people don’t get to see every day, or don’t realise exist, is a big part of what I do. it is documentary in the sense that the things I photograph are very real, but I try to add an element of fantasy — I choose angles that show what I want to show, that don’t reveal too much or too little, so that hopefully people’s imaginations can get fired up about exactly what is happening in the picture. people should be drawn to the colours and the graphical elements, and then sucked into the details of the picture, and left wanting to know more about it. the idea of not understanding everything is important — I’m interested in the contrast between the things that the average person thinks they understand about the world and how much more complicated it really is.

large space simulator at the test facilities of the ESA, the netherlands | read more here

DB: when did you become interested in spaces of scientific and industrial significance, and what draws you to these fields?

APW: when I decided that I wanted to pursue photography full time, I was looking for a niche, a subject that I could make my own. one day I discovered the work of some old industrial photographers, most notably wolfgang sievers and maurice broomfield, who were working in the 50’s and 60’s, and I had a lightbulb moment — I realised that that was what I wanted to do. I would travel the world seeing and learning about the most extraordinary things, and I could mix art with commercial and editorial work. one day I just decided that was what I was going to do, and went for it 100% trying to get access to any kind of facility I could and build up a portfolio. I wasn’t particularly interested in those subjects growing up, but perhaps that was an advantage, it was like a whole new world opened up for me.

aurora cannabis, the largest producer of medical cannabis in europe, denmark | read more here

DB: so much photography captures something finished and polished, but your images often focus on things in production, progress, or a state of experimentation. what do you find beautiful about these scenes?

APW: I’m fascinated by the ingenuity of humans, the way that we can come together like ants and collaborate to build incredible machines and infrastructures that provide for us, and try to answer our questions about life and the universe and why we are here. I see the machines and facilities that I photograph as symbols of our dreams and desires as humans, they represent all the things we need and want, born of our own imaginations.

I also like the accidental nature of the aesthetics of these places — they are designed for practical reasons rather than aesthetic ones, and the result is often just bonkers. of course the idea of beauty is subjective, and I’m being deliberately provocative in calling my latest book ‘unintended beauty’ — some of the images are certainly not conventionally beautiful and many would argue represent the ugly side of humanity — but I believe that most beautiful things have a little bit of ugliness to them, a twist that makes them interesting.

the factory floor at doc johnson in los angeles, where 450 employees produce 75,000 dildos per week

DB: while many of your images depict complex machinery and tools, they are also a real celebration of the human achievement behind the scenes. what do you hope they communicate about the people who work in these places?

APW: it’s true that many of my images don’t contain people, or that the people are relatively insignificant in the pictures — but I see my work as being all about people. everything in my images is man-made, born of our ingenuity and our ability to collaborate. it’s true that there are some geniuses at the top of the chain who come up with groundbreaking designs and experiments, but it takes normal people working together to make those ideas become real, and the ability of humans to achieve on mass what one person on their own could not, never ceases to amaze me. whether building giant container ships, or insanely complicated particle accelerators, or machines that stuff sausages, the things we build are usually impressive when you look closely.

factory floor at adidas’ PWI shoe factory in indonesia | read more here

DB: in your visits to factories, testing facilities, and laboratories, what was the most interesting, or surprising, thing that you’ve learned?

APW: there has been a lot, but one thing that sticks out (no pun intended) is when I visited the dildo factory of doc johnson in los angeles. they are producing so many insanely large dildos, I realised that there are a lot of people in the world sticking very, very large objects inside their bodies.

danish crown slaughterhouse, horsens, denmark | read more here

DB: is there something you’d like to photograph that you haven’t had access to?

APW: there is a chocolate factory just outside copenhagen that I have been trying to get access to for years, called toms. it was designed by the famous danish architect by arne jacobsen. whatever i do, they won’t let me in — I’ve had commissions to shoot it from big international media, in-flight magazines, danish national newspapers — but whatever I come with, they won’t let me in. I don’t know what they are hiding, it’s like willy wonka’s chocolate factory. I can get access to the large hadron collider, google data centres and nuclear power plants, but I can’t get into toms.

playmobil factory, malta | read more here

DB: what advice would you give to today’s young and aspiring photographers?

APW: the most amazing thing about being a photographer is being able to choose anything you are interested in and have a reason to find out more about it. be interested in the world — think less about photography and more about discovering and good work will come from that.

a solar furnace at an experimental solar energy facility in the french pyrenees

gøl sausage factory, denmark | read more here

construction of enghave plads metro station, copenhagen, denmark | read more here

The post pleasure points, sausage factories and CERN: alastair philip wiper goes inside secretive spaces of science and industry appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

absolut vodka distillery, sweden | all images © alastair philip wiper

with his series ‘unintended beauty,’ alastair philip wiper reveals unrecognizable systems of industry and monumental objects of machinery. on view at MADD bordeaux, the collection depicts the results of human ingenuity which have been continually evolving across millenia, through trial and error. the images brings forth to the viewer an acute awareness of how unfamiliar these systems are, which produce such familiar items. in his book, now available for purchase, alastair philip wiper quotes the late american astronomer carl sagan: ‘we live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology.’ 

aurora nordic medicinal cannabis greenhouse, denmark

alastair philip wiper’s ‘unintended beauty’ offers a complex and inorganic collection of geometries and patterning. the images represent the unending vastness of a factory floor, and the great complexity which might make up a single, highly specific piece of machinery. on the production floor of toy company playmobil, the photographer captures an intricate network of pipes and tubing, seemingly complex but with a clear logic. this machine, known as ‘the octopus,’ sucks plastic pellets around the factory. in the forward of ‘unintended beauty,’ theoretical physicist marcelo gleiser elaborates: ‘alastair philip wiper calls to our attention the sheer awesomeness of our machines, big and small. the story being told here, of human inventiveness, is one of triumph and drama.’

alastair philip wiper’s ‘unintended beauty’ is on view now through january 3rd, 2021 at MADD bordeaux. 

sex doll workshop, realdoll, USA

circular knitting machine at kvadrat febrik’s innofa textile mill, netherlands

maersk triple E container ship under construction, daewoo shipbuilding & marine engineering (DSME), south korea

odeillo solar furnace, france, 2012

radio anechoic chamber, technical university of denmark

adidas superstar shoes being produced, indonesia

‘the octopus,’ a machine that sucks plastic pellets around the factory, playmobil, malta

‘unintended beauty’ by alastair philip wiper

photographer alastair philip wiper

project info:

series title: unintended beauty

photography: alastair philip wiper

exhibition location: MADD bordeaux

exhibition date: june 18th, 2020 — january 3rd 2021

book: ‘unintended beauty’ available for purchase

The post alastair philip wiper captures the monumental ‘unintended beauty’ of the industrial world appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

taro de tachiche, 1968, © alastair philip wiper 2014

upon first discovering these strange ecological utopias, english photographer alastair philip wiper returned to the island to shoot a series of the fantastical architecture. wiper captures the strangeness of the spaces by displaying both their rocky, often subterranean qualities together with the inescapable 1960s design aesthetics. the ragged, black volcanic rock bleeds into whitewashed modernism. wiper reveals the full scope of manrique’s hand — where the architect conditioned his interiors most, and where he let the island’s natural geology take the lead.

taro de tachiche, 1968, © alastair philip wiper 2014

alastair philip wiper, currently based in copenhagen, photographs subjects of infrastructure and architecture through an anthropological lens. he seeks the unexpected beauty in industry and has captured little known architectural masterpieces around the world, such as france’s brutalist ski resort by marcel breuer. wiper’s photography can be followed on his instagram @alastairwiper

jardins de cactus, 1990, © alastair philip wiper 2014

jameos del agua, 1966, © alastair philip wiper 2014

casa de los volcanes, 1966, © alastair philip wiper 2014

mirador del rio, 1974, © alastair philip wiper 2014

casa del campasino, 1972, © alastair philip wiper 2014

the restaurant at timanfaya national park, 1968, © alastair philip wiper 2014

the restaurant at timanfaya national park, 1968, © alastair philip wiper 2014

the restaurant at timanfaya national park, 1968, © alastair philip wiper 2014

The post alastair philip wiper captures césar manrique’s volcanic sixties-era utopias of lanzarote appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

presented in conjunction with the copenhagen photo festival, ‘SOLAR / ANECHOIC’ deals with the unintentional beauty of science and research facilities: in particular, the anechoic chambers at the technical university of denmark and the and the four solaire in the french pyrenees – the world’s largest solar furnace. the solo exhibition by copenhagen-based photographer alastair philip wiper at the etage gallery captures these purely functional facilities in a new light, highlighting how they push the limits of heat, radio and sound waves.  influenced by how these intricate architectural volumes have contributed to the advancement of mankind – both on our planet and in space, the exhibit provokes an analysis of the complexities and magnificence of human ingenuity, celebrated in a visual documentation.

the exhibit deals with the unintentional beauty of science and research facilities
all images © alastair philip wiper – with permission

the anechoic and resonating chambers of DTU — ‘an anechoic chamber (an-echoic meaning non-echoing or echo-free) is a room designed to completely absorb reflections of either sound or electromagnetic waves. they are also insulated from exterior sources of noise. the combination of both aspects means they simulate a quiet open-space of infinite dimension, which is useful when exterior influences would otherwise give false results.’

the exhibit deals with the unintentional beauty of science and research facilities

the photographs capture these purely functional facilities in a new light, shown as they push the limits of heat, radio and sound waves

the radio anechoic chamber at DTU opened in 1967, and is currently operated in cooperation with the european space agency for the testing of microwave antennas for use in satellites and mobile networks, among other things. the idea is to minimize any reflections of microwaves, and the big foam spikes are filled with carbon powder to absorb the radio waves. this tests the effectiveness of the antennas without any external intrusion, simulating the conditions of, for example, space. many of these chambers are blue in colour, and according to sergey pivnenko, the professor in charge of the chamber, most of them were black in the old days – then some bright spark noticed that it was a bit depressing to work in a black spiky room all day, so the manufacturers of the spikes started to produce them in blue.

the spikes on the walls, ceilings and floor absorb all sound waves, so there is no echo at all

the audio anechoic chambers work in much the same way as the microwave anechoic chamber, but the point is to remove reflections of audio waves rather than radio waves. the spikes on the walls, ceilings and floor absorb all sound waves, so there is no echo at all – it’s quite strange to stand in the room. there is a net in the middle of the room that acts as the floor, so when you stand in the middle, there is an equal distance to the floor and ceiling, which is also quite strange. the room is used for testing all sorts of audio devices and the amount of noise they make.

the anechoic and resonating chambers removes reflections of audio waves rather than radio waves

many of these chambers are blue in colour, and according to the professor in charge of the chamber, most of them were black in the old days

the exhibit provokes an analysis of the complexities and magnificence of human ingenuity, celebrated in a visual documentation

view of the chambers in scale

views of solar furnaces at night in the french pyrenees

the solar furnaces of the french pyrenees — due to the excellent conditions for solar energy, the region of cerdanya in the french pyrenees has been a site for solar experimentation for over half a century. the region enjoys almost 2400 hours of sunshine per year, very low wind and a high elevation to provide stronger sunlight. the mont-louis solar furnace, built in 1949 by dr. felix trombe, was the first of its kind in the world, and was the precursor to the incredible, huge solar furnace just down the road at odeillo. the solar furnace concentrates the power of the sun into a tiny area where objects can be heated to extremely high temperatures; this heat is completely pure because there are no burning substances that can pollute the heat. the furnace was originally designed to test scientific principles and how different materials react to high temperatures, but nowadays it is used to fire clay, and for educational demonstrations. the organization that owns the furnace now is developing programs to take the technique to tropical countries to create cheap, sustainable energy and ovens.

built in 1949 by dr. felix trombe, the mont-louis solar furnace was the first built of its kind in the world

the solar furnace concentrates the power of the sun into a tiny area where objects can be heated to extremely high temperatures

in 1970 dr. trombe opened the worlds largest solar furnace a few kilometers away at odeillo, and the furnace works on the same principle as its older, smaller brother: the sun’s energy is reflected on a series of mirrors and concentrated on one very small point to create extremely high temperatures. it is still used by space agencies like NASA and the ESA, scientists, and technology companies to research the effects of extremely high temperatures on certain materials for nuclear reactors and space vehicle reentry, and to produce hydrogen and nanoparticles. the immense parabolic mirror, tall as the arc de triomphe in paris, reflects the countryside and sky, giving an ever changing patchwork view of the surrounding area that is beautiful and fascinating to watch, and focuses the sun’s rays onto a point about the size of a cooking pot, where temperatures reach 3,500 °C.

the furnace was originally designed to test scientific principles and how different materials react to high temperatures

the furnace technique is being applied in tropical countries to create cheap, sustainable energy and ovens

the immense parabolic mirror, reflects the countryside and sky, giving an ever changing patchwork view of the surrounding area

1/5

 

 

 

 

 

The post the unintentional beauty of science and research facilities appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.