See the capital from a whole new angle at Upside Down London, a camera obscura opening at Alexandra Palace this summer.
For just nine days, arts organisation Pinhole London offers you the chance to see the famous view from the Terrace of the north London building — with landmarks including the Shard and the BT Tower — turned on its head. The foreground of the view shows Alexandra Palace Park, so expect to see people moving about in real-time too.
What is a camera obscura?
Literally meaning ‘dark chamber’, the concept of a camera obscura sounds modern, but it’s an old technique which led to the invention of photography as we know it. A small hole is made in a dark box or room, resulting in images from outside the box being projected onto the opposite wall of the box, resulting in an upside-down view.
This isn’t London’s first camera obscura. The Royal Observatory Greenwich has one in its Meridian Courtyard, offering a topsy-turvy view towards the Thames, including the Royal Naval College. Similarly the Photographers’ Gallery in Oxford Circus has a camera obscura, looking down neighbouring Ramillies Street, while visitors to the House of Illusions in Edinburgh may have used the camera obscura there to get a view down the world-famous Royal Mile, and the city’s rooftops.
Pinhole London is at Alexandra Palace 1-9 August 2026, open 2pm-6pm daily. Tickets are available now (walk-ins also welcome), suggested donation £3.
