Croydon Unlocked Exhibition

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 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.

Commissioned by Croydon Council as part of Open House Festival, artist and photographer Rachel Adams has developed a new body of work celebrating the borough’s iconic architecture and the people who look after these buildings. The images feature the fabric of local buildings and portraits of their keepers.