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
Buildings
Iconic Battersea Power Station to Get Great Glass Elevator in Its Chimney Offering 360 Degree Views of London from 2021
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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!
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
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
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. In addition to its businesses, 20 … [Read more...] about Great London Buildings – 20 Fenchurch Street – Home of the Public Sky Garden
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 wings, creating the largest … [Read more...] about Great London Buildings – BBC Broadcasting House
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 started to dwindle until the port finally closed in 1980. The … [Read more...] about Great London Buildings – One Canada Square in Canary Wharf
The London Fiver – Five Interesting Future Building Developments in London That Will Change It
Cities are always growing, always changing. While we work to preserve the history of graded structures, we also need new developments to meet the city’s needs for transport, business, housing, and more. Lots of proposals never come off the drawing board, but those that do begin construction promise to change the city’s fate. There are presently a wide array of proposed and … [Read more...] about The London Fiver – Five Interesting Future Building Developments in London That Will Change It
Ten Interesting Facts and Figures about the Shard – The Tallest Building in the UK
Threading the skies over London like a great glass needle, the Shard is one of the city’s newest and most striking skyscrapers. Completed in 2013, it has 95 floors and stands at 1,106 feet, making it also the tallest structure in the city and the whole of the United Kingdom. In the short time that it has been a part of London, the Shard has made more of an impression than … [Read more...] about Ten Interesting Facts and Figures about the Shard – The Tallest Building in the UK
The London Fiver – Five of London’s Oldest Hotels
It used to be that travelers’ only accommodations were the pubs and inns located all over the city. As the coaching inns grew in their grandeur and desire to cater to wealthy clients, they transformed into the first hotels, and then into luxury hotels during the later Victorian period. Many of the earliest hotels were built or managed by the railway companies, but many of … [Read more...] about The London Fiver – Five of London’s Oldest Hotels
London Trip Planning: Ten of the Best Views of London
A great view can be absolutely breathtaking. Whether looking out over the distance on the ground or observing everything below when you’re high in the sky, a different look at a place can help give you a new perspective on a place. Every city has some pretty fantastic spots from which to view it, and London certainly possesses some very unique viewing points. On land, water, … [Read more...] about London Trip Planning: Ten of the Best Views of London
Great Londoners – Sir Giles Gilbert Scott – Designer of the Red Phone Box
Giles Gilbert Scott may not be the first person you think of when it comes to architecture in London, but he has certainly made his mark on the city. In fact, most people might consider his greatest design to be that of Liverpool Cathedral, but they walk past his most iconic creation every day. He was born in 1880 in Hammersmith, and one can argue that architecture was in his … [Read more...] about Great Londoners – Sir Giles Gilbert Scott – Designer of the Red Phone Box
Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!