“Concrete Dreams – Chris Leslie” has just been shortlisted for this year’s Portrait of Britain award.

John Kirkhope, a retired architect, witnessed both the birth and impending demolition of Cumbernauld Town Centre —the UK’s first megastructure brutalist shopping centre. A bold embodiment of the late 1960s’ “brave new world” architectural vision, it became a defining example of brutalist design.

I photographed John for a book chronicling the centre’s final days. During the interview, he recalled his early memories of the Town Centre’s construction with awe, describing it as dreamlike-like a vast ship emerging from the mist.

Afterwards, we walked to the now-deserted car park to take his portrait. As a winter fog rolled in, John turned to face the Town Centre one last time-saying goodbye to the building, and to the memories it held.