The buildings of Croydon hold many secrets. Over the centuries the town has held countless different identities, as it has grown and changed with the times. From a Saxon Minster to medieval almshouses, grand Victorian town hall to 1920s airport, mid-century office buildings and a brutalist library, we see its history all around us. But who are the holders of their secrets? Croydon Unlocked allows us inside to experience the secret life of some of the borough’s most extraordinary buildings, as seen by the people who know them best: the key holders, caretakers, cleaners and concierges. These are people who see these places as we never do: silent and empty after the day has passed, or as they prepare it for the next.
In summer 2024 photographer Rachel Adams toured these buildings and met those responsible for keeping them running. She has created a unique record of the inner working and private lives of these remarkable landmarks. Here are a collection of portraits of people and places, captured with great humanity and clarity. With an eye for telling detail Adams has captured the fabric of the buildings, the passing of time as light and shadow breaks up and reveals their form, or as she puts it, ‘architecture and cityscapes as a kind of giant, accidental and immersive sundial’. Inside she records the everyday routines and quiet moments of the people who keep these buildings running, and the curious still lifes they create along the way.
Taking pleasure in recording the small things, Croydon Unlocked is a new way of looking at the borough. It will help you see the people and buildings that we pass by every day afresh.
John Grindrod, August 2024
