John Outram’s <em>Temple of Storms</em> (1986-88) appears to emerge from the west bank of the Thames, as the river winds around the Isle of Dogs in London’s Docklands. Outram’s design for the pumping station resembles a classical temple, expressed through its Corinthian columns and broken pediment. The gigantic yet short columns illustrate the rising of the building from the water, an effect reinforced by the wavy lines of the courtyard paviours, representing the movement of the water. The brightly coloured fins and scale of the capitals are unusual. The central giant eye in the pediment, while visually captivating, also functions as the extractor fan for the building.<br><br>The pumping station becomes active during periods of heavy rain, pumping excess water from the main sewer directly into the Thames to prevent flooding on the island.<sup>1</sup> It is one of three built as part of the regeneration of 8.5 square miles of east London in the mid-1980s, under Margaret Thatcher.<br><br>For Outram, the building contains symbolism from the natural world. The columns symbolise trees, the rough walls are mountains, the red and yellow bricks represent geological strata, while the pediment is an eagle with outstretched wings.<sup>2</sup> <br><br>The <em>Temple of Storms</em> is associated with Postmodernism, a style that developed as a reaction against the austerity of Modernism and reached its heyday in the 1980s. However, Outram describes his building as Modern because of its ambition to reinvent and improve a classical style, making it relevant to the modern world.<br>