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Built London: Top Ten Most Beautiful Victorian Buildings in London

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What we think of as “Victorian” architecture more refers to the period rather than a particular architectural style.  In fact, there were really several styles prevalent during the period that were revivals of previous designs:  Gothic, Italianate, Romanesque, Renaissance, Queen Anne, and Neoclassical.  Other methods and styles also developed as new materials came into … [Read more...] about Built London: Top Ten Most Beautiful Victorian Buildings in London

Laura’s London: Take a First Look at the Beautiful Restored Painted Hall in Greenwich – Re-opening in March!

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Editor's Note: We have a real treat this week - Laura was given an exclusive tour of the newly restored Painted Hall in Greenwich before its re-opening so we're chuffed to bits that she's written up a huge report about it. Please consider subscribing to the Londontopia Magazine as it allows us to commission great articles like this. As reported here recently, The Painted … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: Take a First Look at the Beautiful Restored Painted Hall in Greenwich – Re-opening in March!

Future London: Take a Look at London’s Future Symphonic Concert Hall

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London is a world-class city and one thing it lacks right now is a world-class symphonic concert hall. Yes, it has the Royal Albert Hall, but that's over 150 years old and not exactly to the standard of modern concert halls. This is set to change in the coming years and we now have our first good look at what the place could look like. The London Centre for Music is due to … [Read more...] about Future London: Take a Look at London’s Future Symphonic Concert Hall

Top 10 London: Top Ten Georgian Buildings in London

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With the coming of the Hanoverian kings came a new style of architecture that bore their name—Georgian.  This style of design was defined by symmetrical features, front entries with crowns, pilasters, and transom windows, corner quoins, cornice dentils, and typically made of stone or brick.  These features had their roots in ancient Greek and Roman design and the name stuck … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: Top Ten Georgian Buildings in London

London Alert: The Painted Hall in Greenwich to Re-Open in March After Multi-year Restoration

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Great news! After being closed for almost two years and undergoing at £3 million restoration, The Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich will be re-opening to visitors! This place is sometimes referred to as the UK's 'Sistine Chapel' and it's an incredible sight to see in person. If you've been the Greenwich the last few years, you may have been … [Read more...] about London Alert: The Painted Hall in Greenwich to Re-Open in March After Multi-year Restoration

Top 10 London: The Ten Best London’s Stately Homes To Visit

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Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the Londontopia Print Magazine last summer. Support great long-form writing about London by subscribing to the Londontopia Print Magazine - the only print magazine dedicated completely to London. You can subscribe here. London is an incredibly posh city and some of the greatest places to live.  Beyond the palaces of royalty, … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: The Ten Best London’s Stately Homes To Visit

Alexandra Palace’s East Wing Opens To the Public After £27 Million Restoration – See Images of the New Interiors!

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It's so lovely to see London's iconic buildings get a new lease of life after restoration. The latest building in London to get the treatment is Alexandra Palace. While not really a 'palace' in the palace sense, Alexandra Palace has been a destination for entertainment since it was built in the Victorian Era. It's most famous as the place where the BBC started broadcasting … [Read more...] about Alexandra Palace’s East Wing Opens To the Public After £27 Million Restoration – See Images of the New Interiors!

Unbuilt London: Fun Look at Bonkers London Projects That Never Happened

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London has had many projects that never took off the ground. They were either ridiculous, impractical or too expensive. But it sure has created some interesting planning applications and proposals throughout London's history. The folks over at Barratt Homes have taken the historical proposals and did some photoshop magic to imagine what these plans would look like in modern … [Read more...] about Unbuilt London: Fun Look at Bonkers London Projects That Never Happened

Ten Interesting Facts and Figures about the Dorchester Hotel

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One of the pinnacles of prestige in London, the Dorchester Hotel is a five-star accommodation that is as known for luxury as the number of famous names who have stayed there since it opened in 1931.  Its guests have included everyone from poet Cecil Day-Lewis (father of actor Daniel Day-Lewis) to Queen Elizabeth II.  Designed in an art deco style, the hotel has maintained that … [Read more...] about Ten Interesting Facts and Figures about the Dorchester Hotel

Iconic Battersea Power Station to Get Great Glass Elevator in Its Chimney Offering 360 Degree Views of London from 2021

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No, Willy Wonka isn't building a chocolate factory in London. Battersea Power Station, made famous by the iconic Pink Floyd's album cover and then became more famous as a white elephant changing hands several times, is to get a new tourist attraction. They're going to put a glass elevator in one of the smokestacks and offer travelers a chance to get 360-degree unobstructed … [Read more...] about Iconic Battersea Power Station to Get Great Glass Elevator in Its Chimney Offering 360 Degree Views of London from 2021

Built London: Brutalist Architecture in London

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Cold, geometrical, bland.  These are some of the words used to describe the aptly-named “Brutalist” style of architecture.  Brutalism had its heyday from the early 1950s through the mid-1970s and is largely associated with government buildings or government-sponsored projects.  In the United States, we can see examples of it in the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., Boston … [Read more...] about Built London: Brutalist Architecture in London

Stanfords, My Favorite Bookstore in London, Is Moving From its Iconic Current Location after More than a Century

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  This news has gutted me. I try to take the changing face of London in stride. London is an ever-changing city that has never existed in a static state. But this one hurts. Stanfords, the iconic travel bookstore, has been based in their Long Acre Street location since 1901. Famed for their selection of maps, explorers and adventurers throughout history have bought … [Read more...] about Stanfords, My Favorite Bookstore in London, Is Moving From its Iconic Current Location after More than a Century

Top Ten London: 10 Fascinating and Beautiful London Housing Estates

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Since the Victorian period, the British government and local councils have taken it upon themselves to ensure that housing was provided to the working classes.  Part of this was out of concern for the health of lower-income persons who were often packed into slums as well as being a progressive step toward municipal planning.  In the wake of destruction caused by the London … [Read more...] about Top Ten London: 10 Fascinating and Beautiful London Housing Estates

Exhibition Alert: Laura Visits the 2018 Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace – Prince Charles’s Favorites in the Royal Collection

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For ten weeks each summer we get to go inside Buckingham Palace and see the State Rooms while the Queen is away at Balmoral (Scotland). There's also a special exhibition included and this year, to mark the 70th birthday of The Prince of Wales, the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace includes a special display of over 100 works of art personally selected by His Royal … [Read more...] about Exhibition Alert: Laura Visits the 2018 Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace – Prince Charles’s Favorites in the Royal Collection

Travel Alert: Reminder – Big Ben is Still Covered in Scaffolding and Will Ruin Your Tourist Pictures Until 2021

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I was reading the Sunday Times yesterday, as one does, and came across an amusing article that then made me irritated. Apparently, there are lots of people who still don’t know that Big Ben/Elizabeth is covered in scaffolding right now and will remain so until at least 2021. As a result, tourists are leaving negative reviews on TripAdvisor, complaining that their dream trips … [Read more...] about Travel Alert: Reminder – Big Ben is Still Covered in Scaffolding and Will Ruin Your Tourist Pictures Until 2021

Laura’s London: A Look Behind the Scenes of the New Royal Academy of Arts Renovations Opening This Weekend

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The Royal Academy of Arts is hardly new. In fact, it's celebrating it's 250th anniversary this year. But to mark the occasion the RA has undergone an enormous transformation and expansion. And the new Royal Academy is opening on Saturday 19 May 2018. About The Royal Academy The RA was founded in 1768 by a group of 40 artists and architects who became the first Royal … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: A Look Behind the Scenes of the New Royal Academy of Arts Renovations Opening This Weekend

Westminster Abbey Gets a New Tower

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Westminster Abbey is a living building. It's been constructed, altered and added to over its over 1,000 years of history. It is not a static building, stuck in time. And the big news is that Westminster Abbey has officially added a new tower to the building. The newly named Weston Tower, so named after the organization that paid for it, will provide access to the new museum … [Read more...] about Westminster Abbey Gets a New Tower

The London Fiver – Five Ancient Ruins in London to Visit That Haven’t Been Swept Away By Time

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London is an ancient city.  Even before the Romans established their settlement of Londonium, people had lived in the area.  However, the Romans were the first to erect permanent structures here, some of which have survived today as ruins, hiding amongst the buildings that succeeded them and today’s skyscrapers.  Of course, not all of these buildings are Roman, and some of … [Read more...] about The London Fiver – Five Ancient Ruins in London to Visit That Haven’t Been Swept Away By Time

The New Piccadilly Circus Billboard: A Review

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In this article, I’m going to review a billboard. But not just any billboard, the most famous billboard in the world. Well, in London at least. I’m talking about, of course, the new electronic billboard that has replaced the previous iconic billboards at the heart of Piccadilly Circus. First some terminology - in Britain they don’t really use the word billboard. It’s a … [Read more...] about The New Piccadilly Circus Billboard: A Review

Great London Buildings – Banqueting House

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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 called it home.  We’ll explore the history … [Read more...] about Great London Buildings – Banqueting House

Great London Buildings – The Old BBC Television Centre

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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 of the Pops, Monty … [Read more...] about Great London Buildings – The Old BBC Television Centre

Great London Buildings – Heron Tower

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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 district and the third tallest … [Read more...] about Great London Buildings – Heron Tower

Great London Buildings – Tower 42

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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, Millbank Tower, and BT Tower were constructed … [Read more...] about Great London Buildings – Tower 42

London Alert: The Iconic Lights in Piccadilly Circus Have Been Turned Back On!

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We reported earlier this year that the iconic billboards in Piccadilly Circus were being switched off for refurbishment. Many Londonphiles were very disappointed to hear this as it meant that tons of tourist photos would be ruined by scaffolding and hoardings. This was the longest stretch of time the lights were turned off since The War.  Well, fear not! The renovations are … [Read more...] about London Alert: The Iconic Lights in Piccadilly Circus Have Been Turned Back On!

Spooky London: Ten of the Allegedly Most Haunted Places in London

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This month we’ve covered haunted castles and haunted places in the United Kingdom, but with the exception of the Tower of London, we’ve deliberately left out the nation’s largest city.  As you might figure from the Tower of London’s history, London itself has plenty of haunted places from pubs to palaces.  The ghosts include famous figures, malicious poltergeists, and harmless … [Read more...] about Spooky London: Ten of the Allegedly Most Haunted Places in London

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