Once part of the Palace of Whitehall, today Banqueting House is all the remains of this once-great royal palace. Today it is a museum while the rest of Whitehall has been rebuilt as government offices. Banqueting House is important to London for several reasons, including its architectural notoriety and the kings and queens that once […]
Great London Buildings – The Old BBC Television Centre
Now a symbol of London’s ever-changing nature as new development takes over; Television Centre was once home to the UK’s most beloved dramas, comedies, and cultural programs. It was constructed specifically to be the BBC’s first dedicated television broadcasting studios and would oversee the news and such memorable shows as Blue Peter, Doctor Who, Top […]
Great London Buildings – Heron Tower
Bishopsgate certainly has its own contributions to London’s skyline including the Gherkin and the Leadenhall Building. Rounding out the trio is 110 Bishopsgate, better known as Heron Tower (and also known as Salesforce Tower). Finished in 2010, the tower has gained a number of claims to fame including being the tallest building in the financial […]
Great London Buildings – Tower 42
One of the jewels of post-war skyscrapers in London, Tower 42 (once known as NatWest Tower) remains the third highest building in the City of London and the eighth highest in the Greater London area. Interestingly enough, it was actually the very first skyscraper in the City of London. While taller buildings such as Centrepoint, […]
Great London Buildings – King’s Cross Railway Station
Known to most people outside London as the home of Harry Potter’s Platform 9 3/4, King’s Cross Station is a historic railway station in the heart of the city. The southern terminus of the East Coast Main Line that runs up to North East England and terminates in Scotland. Long before being known as the […]
Great London Buildings – 20 Fenchurch Street – Home of the Public Sky Garden
20 Fenchurch Street is one of London’s office buildings that certainly makes a statement. Whether you appreciate its design or decry it as yet another skyscraper built without concern for the city’s skyline, it remains a very visually striking place. Its unique curves have earned it the nickname “Walkie Talkie” from fans and critics alike. […]
Great London Buildings – BBC Broadcasting House
Headquarters of the BBC, Broadcasting House represents the totality of the BBC’s media offerings across radio and television. Originally a building for radio programmes, the expansion in the early 2000s transformed the building into the new centre of the BBC’s activities. The BBC moved its news divisions out of Television Centre and into the new […]
Great London Buildings – One Canada Square in Canary Wharf
Located on the site of the former West India Docks, One Canada Square is not only a skyscraper that puts a stamp on the London skyline; it’s a symbol of economic revitalisation. For over a hundred years, the West India Docks were amongst the busiest ports in the city, but by the 1960s, business […]
Great London Buildings – Oxo Tower on the Southbank
One of the architectural landmarks of South Bank, the Oxo Tower has stood by the River Thames for over a century, its distinctive lettering standing out against the borough’s skyline. Today home to shops, restaurants, and offices, its origins were actually much different. Beginning construction in the late 19th Century, Oxo Tower was finished in […]
Great London Buildings – The Courts of Wimbledon
Perhaps the top tennis championship in the world, Wimbledon is a British institution and one of the iconic places in London. The history of Wimbledon begins with the formation of the All England Croquet Club in 1868. The club embraced “lawn tennis” in 1875, and as the croquet craze died down, tennis became the predominant […]
Great London Buildings – The Tate Britain
The primary building in the Tate art gallery network, the Tate Britain has long been one of the pillars of British art museums. Early in its history, the Tate was known as the National Gallery of British Art from its opening in 1897 to 1932, when it became, simply, the Tate Gallery. As the Tate […]
Great London Buildings – The Palace of St. James
St. James’s Palace may not be a palace where Queen Elizabeth II actually resides, but it still holds a very important function for the government as the de facto seat of the monarchy. Even when ambassadors are received today, they are “admitted to the Court of St. James”. It also still provides a place to […]
Great London Buildings – The Tate Modern
There’s an old line from Monty Python’s Flying Circus that goes, “I don’t know much about art, but I know what I like.” Modern art may certainly seem strange to a lot of people, due to the fact that it can include just about anything, doesn’t necessarily depict traditional subjects, and can utilise some unusual […]
Great London Buildings – The Victoria & Albert Museum
Also known as the V&A, the Victoria & Albert Museum was founded in 1852 as a museum of art and design. Today, it is the largest of its kind in the world, with a permanent collection of more than 4.5 million works of art from a period of more than two thousand years. It sits […]
Great London Buildings – Somerset House
One of the stateliest homes in London, Somerset House at one point was a Tudor palace and today sees use as a venue for the arts and major event location for the city. Its history began in 1547 when Edward Seymour received a land grant from his brother-in-law, King Henry VIII. Following Henry’s death, Edward […]
Great London Buildings – The Admiralty Arch
Standing like a gateway to the royal residence of Buckingham Palace, the Admiralty Arch sits at the end of the Mall abutting Trafalgar Square. Despite the name, the Arch today has actually little to do with the Royal Navy, its only tie being its close proximity to the Navy’s headquarters. Instead, the Arch originated as […]
Great London Places – Trafalgar Square
One of the most well-known spots in London, Trafalgar Square is a gathering place, demonstration locale, and a connecting point for several notable landmarks. With Nelson’s Column at its centre, the square is ringed by such important buildings as St. Matin-in-the-Fields church, Canada House, the South African High Commission, and the National Gallery. Trafalgar Square […]
Great London Buildings – Chiswick House
One of the last Neo-Palladian manor homes left in London, it is named for the area of the city in which it can be found. The original Chiswick House was a Jacobean home built in approximately 1610 and was the property of the Wardour family. It was then sold to Robert Carr, 1st Earl of […]
Great London Buildings: The Churchill War Rooms
The process of constructing the emergency centre began in 1938 when Sir Hastings Ismay ordered the Office of Works to survey Whitehall for a suitable location. That agency determined that the best place for this centre was the New Public Offices. The Office of Works concluded that the building was close to Parliament and possessed […]
Great London Buildings – The London Eye
Since 1999, the London Eye (also known as the Millennium Wheel) has dotted the skyline of London and added its distinctive shape to the buildings that line the Thames River. To some its a tourist attraction, to others, it’s an eyesore. Regardless of one’s opinion on the Eye, it is an iconic part of […]
Great London Buildings – The Royal Festival Hall
Part of Southbank Centre, the Royal Festival Hall is one of the finest concert venues in London. Able to seat 2,500 people, it is the first post-war building in the city to receive Grade I listed status. In fact, it’s partly because of the war that it was even built. South Bank was an area […]
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