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Architectural information
Who thinks about London, probably refers to famous buildings, such as the Saint Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, The Towerbridge, The Houses of Parliament and many, many other famous building. But these buildings are reasonably old with a history. The modern architecture in London is often forgotten. However, if you take a close look at the diversity of buildings (including modern architecture), London is one of the most remarkable and charactaristic architectural cities of Europe.
Before 1800
Saint Paul's Cathedral
St Paul 's Cathedral, 1675-ca1710 Sir Christopher Wren
Just before the Great Fire of London of 1666, Sir Christopher Wren designed a new dome for the former St Paul's. But just after the fire, it appeared that the whole cathedral had to be rebuilded. In 1675, the first stone was placed on the site we now know as St Paul's Cathedral. The building process would consist of the following 35 years, in which the design was often adjusted by Sir Christopher Wren.
One of the most remarkable aspects of the construction is the amazing dome. Many architects refer to the dome as one of the most beautiful domes in the world. A Remarkable fact of the St Paul's dome, that is not just one dome, matter fact the dome consists of three domes. The inner dome that can be seen from inside the cathedral, the outside dome that can seen from outside and a middle dome, that carries the 580 tons heavy 'Great Tom' bell.
From 1800 until 1950
Westminster Palace
Westminster Palace, 1837-ca1860 Charles Barry & A.W.N. Pugin
After the former palace burned down in 1834, architects were asked to design a new Palace. Seven years after the former Palace burned down, the first stone of the new building was places. The House of Lords was opened in 1847, the clocktower was opened in 1858 and the Victoria-tower was opened in 1860. The many decades that followd, many smaller buildings were builded on the premises of Westminster Palace. This resulted in one of the best known Gothic building in the world. Westminster Palace is still known as the national symbol of the United Kingdom and can still be seen in it's glory.
After 1950
Lloyds building
1986 Sir Richard Rogers
Richard Rogers is mostly known from the Centre Pompidou in Paris (which he designed together with Renzo Piano). Centre Pompidou resembles a steel construction with all the technology outside the building. The Lloyds building in London is similar to Centre Pompidou, with lots of steel and glass with many of the technologies visible for the eye. The Lloyds building is one of the examples of London's High-Tech architecture.
The Great Court at the British Museum
The Great Court at the British Museum, 1994-2000 Lord Foster
The British Museum started to become of of the most popular museum in London, but the existing buildings could not manage the amount of people that were visiting the museum. For that reason, Foster designed an enormous roof of glass which covered the inner court. From then on, the inner court was the main acces to all of the galleries.
The library and reading room designed by the architect Smirke is now the most central point of the British Museum.
Swiss Re HQ
, 1997-2004 Lord Foster
One of the other Foster buildings, also with a combination of steel and glass, with special and charactaristic shape resembles the headquarters of Swiss Re. From street view, the Swiss Re HQ is a building just like any other buidling, but if you go up, all the way to the 40th floor, you will know why this is such a remarkable building. On the top floor is a bar with a 360 degrees clear view of London. This is not the only view that the tower gets, from more than 20 miles distance the Swiss Re HQ can be admired.
In 2005 the Swiss Re HQ was chosen by architects from whole over the world as "most amazing building of the world".
This resembles just a few of many famous buildings in London. However, this selection gives you clear few on what to expect in London: the diversity mentioned here is also the diversity that can be seen and experienced in London.
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