Jack Hems

I have always admired modernist architecture, probably because its reductiveness lends itself well to photography. I was somewhat baffled then, but unsurprised, to read about King Charles III’s longstanding disdain for it. Notable examples include his criticism of the demolished Birmingham Central Library as a ‘place where books are incinerated, not kept’, and the soft influence that he exerted over the rejection of ABK Architects’ National Gallery extension in 1984, by way of his infamous ‘monstrous carbuncle’ speech. Given that we have a constitutional monarchy in the UK and decision making resides with an elected parliament, I found these personal interventions alarming. In 1993, Charles went one step further; taking matters into his own hands, he began building his own town, on his own land.

Due to be completed in 2028, Poundbury was designed by Léon Krier following the traditional architectural principles outlined by King Charles III in A Vision of Britain: A Personal View of Architecture (Doubleday, 1989). Built on the Duchy of Cornwall’s land and utilising materials that aim to reflect the regional vernacular style of Dorset, Poundbury rejects the modernist notion that form follows function in favour of classicism, resulting in an ornamental and staged environment. Strict regulations ensure that every house has at least one chimney stack, even if it does not work, and, curiously, murals of windows can be found painted over bricked up openings, a form of layered decoration that gives a superficial nod to the window tax of 1696.

Politically and visually, Poundbury is the antithesis of the architecture that I usually photograph – it therefore felt like a natural departure to document it. Owen Hatherley’s writing on modernist architecture has often provided a starting point for my work, and so upon learning that he had given walking tours of Poundbury, I contacted him for a discussion about the town. A transcript of that conversation can be found here.

In December 2025, an excerpt of Model Town – 7 photographs from the series and the conversation between Owen and myself – was published in AA Files 82.