• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Archive
    • London Blogs
  • Blog
  • Travel
    • London Theater Tickets
    • Shopping
    • Tips
    • Tours
    • Transport
    • Maps
    • Parks
    • Resources
    • Restaurants
    • Top 10 London
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Buildings
    • Food
    • London Books
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Pubs
  • Londonism
    • Reviews
    • Fun London
    • Iconic London
    • Life in London
    • London Realities
    • Moving to London
    • Politics
  • The Tube
  • London History
    • Great London Buildings
    • Great Londoners
  • Contact
  • Guidebooks
    • 101 London Travel Tips – Guidebook
    • 101 Free Things to do in London

Londontopia

The Website for People Who Love London

You are here: Home / Culture / Buildings / Ten Interesting Facts and Figures about London’s City Hall

Ten Interesting Facts and Figures about London’s City Hall

Oct 27, 2015 By John Rabon

img0

In 1986, Margaret Thatcher’s government dissolved the Greater London Council and its responsibilities were transferred to the government or to boards comprised of members from each borough’s council. In the late 90s, under Tony Blair’s government, the idea of a central London authority was explored again, this time modeled on the America idea of a Mayor-Council system. The new body was established with the Greater London Act of 1999 and officially formed in 2000. Two years later, the Greater London Authority would get a new home with the simply-named City Hall. A futuristic-looking building, it houses the offices for the Mayor, the London Assembly, and numerous city departments. Have a look at ten facts about this municipal building for 21st Century London.

Numbers, Numbers, Numbers

City Hall has 10 floors that cover over 185,000 square feet with an exterior made up of 2100 tons of steelwork and 7,300 square metres of glass. The glass façade has a diameter of 45 metres, which makes it as wide around as the building is tall at a height of 45 metres. In 2010, this caused some controversy as the bill to wash those windows was said to be around £140,000 per year.

Seems Familiar

If the design features on City Hall seem to mirror the Gherkin, that’s no coincidence. Architect Norman Foster designed both buildings and is very fond of using glass in his designs.

What’s in a Name

Simply calling it City Hall was an homage to the America-inspired structure of the Greater London Authority, which was an attempt by the British government to establish a format that was more efficient than the Greater London Council. The bulbous nature of the structure has lent itself to comparisons of a car headlamp, an ashtray, and a fencing mask. Nicknames for City Hall include “The Snail” and “The Onion.” Both former Mayor Ken Livingstone and current mayor Boris Johnson have given it some ruder nicknames.

London_City_Hall_Helical_staircase_-_Oct_2008

Spiraling

City Hall has a long, spiraling walkway that goes from the ground floor all the way to the top, though it is closed to the public when the Assembly is in session (people can still attend Assembly meetings during this time). The ascent is said to resemble a flight on the London Eye.

Get the Scoop

Outside is a sunken amphitheatre known as “The Scoop”, which is open as a performance venue during warmer months.

Open Government?

The glass and open nature of the architecture once receive a complaint from Assembly members that it was “too open-planned” for use by separate political parties. They sought out an alternative building plan, but nothing came of it. Today, four parties comprise the representatives of the London Assembly, with Labour controlling the chamber with 12 members, the Conservatives with 9, Green Party with 2, and Liberal Democrats with 2.

Cost

City Hall cost £43 million and actually isn’t owned by the Greater London Authority, but operates on a twenty-five year lease.

Government for Hire

The top level contains a venue space known as London’s Living Room, which is for hire to private events and organisations for a rate of £5,000 per night. In addition to corporate and charity events, the Living Room was even the location for an after-party following the premiere of the film Minority Report.

57

There were approximately fifty-seven entries into the contest for the City Hall building before Lord Foster’s design was chosen.

It’s Pretty Easy Being Green

In keeping with the trend to more energy-efficient government buildings, City Hall has several features meant to reduce its energy consumption. The roof of the building has solar panels, the air conditioning system uses cold ground water instead of refrigeration, and that water is then used to flush the toilets. The deep floor plan allows for heat to be collected in the building’s core and then dispersed throughout. City Hall’s spherical form helps reduce energy consumption by minimising the surface area. It is self-shaded and naturally ventilating, with all office space windows capable of opening to let in fresh air.

John Rabon
Author: John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

close

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Filed Under: Buildings, Featured, History

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

About John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nancy says

    Oct 27, 2015 at 10:46 am

    Fascinating!

  2. sabtts says

    Jan 12, 2017 at 11:01 am

    It’s rather ugly, though, isn’t it?

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Get the Anglotopia/Londontopia App

Our Advertisers

If you are a mobile gamer, you may want to take a look at UK’s new mobile casinos and slots reviewed by NewCasinoUK.

Join the London Forum

  • Mudlarking
  • MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN LONDON
  • What's Your Favorite Place in London?
  • Paddington Station

London Guide

  • Ten Cheap Things You Can Do in London on a Budget
  • Ten London Exhibitions to Look Forward to in 2023
  • London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
  • Trip Planning: Top 10 Exhibitions To Plan Your 2018 Trips to London Around
  • London Guide: Our Favorite Restaurants in London – London Restaurant Recommendations for Americans – What’s Your Favorite?

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Support Londontopia

Search our Extensive Archive

Top 10 London

  • Ten Unusual Exhibits to See in London
  • London Pubs: Ten Thameside Pubs for a Pint and a View
  • Top 10 London: Ten More Things to Do Along the River Thames
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Shopping Centers in London
  • Museums of London: Ten Overlooked London Museums
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haggerston
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haringey
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Redbridge
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Hillingdon
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Canonbury

Recent Posts

  • Poet Lemn Sissay ‘over the moon’ to receive Freedom of the City of London
  • English Heritage has unveiled six new blue plaques for London
  • National Portrait Gallery to reopen in June with two special exhibitions
  • Exploring The Cosmic House in London
  • Ten Social Media Accounts to Follow for Londonphiles
  • New Royal Academy Exhibition: Treasures from Spain and the Hispanic World
  • Pollock’s Toy Museum in London Has Closed Unexpectedly
  • The Fiver:  Five Live-Action Children’s Shows Set in London
  • In Pictures: Winter Lights festival returns to London for first time since 2020
  • Tube and London bus fares to rise by nearly 6% from March

Best Posts on Londontopia

  • 101 London Travel Tips
  • Top 100 London Attractions
  • How to Find the Cheapest Airfares to London
  • 10 Things NOT to do in London
  • Best London Guidebooks
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • London Lingo – A London Word Dictionary
  • Top 7 Tips for Doing London on the Cheap
  • Top 11 Myths American Believe about London
  • Guide to Eating in London
  • Best Times of Year to Travel to London
  • London Packing Tips
  • Top 11 Movies Set in London
  • Top Attractions off the Tourist Track
  • Top 5 Most Amazing London Hotels
  • Top 10 Hostels in London
  • Best Views in London Restuarants
  • London Taxi Ettiquette
  • Top 12 London Views
  • Great Fire of London
  • A Guide to Five of London’s Bridges
  • 10 Random Facts and Figures about Trafalgar Square
  • Top 100 British Slang Words

London Places to Explore

Bloomsbury Buckingham Palace Canary Wharf City of London Covent Garden Cutty Sark Greenwich Hampstead Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Houses of Parliament Hyde Park Imperial War Museum Islington Kensington Kensington Palace Leicester Square London London Eye London Transport Museum Museum of London National Gallery Notting Hill Piccadilly Circus Putney Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Regent's Street Royal Academy Selfridges Somerset House Southbank Southwark St Pancras St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern The City Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square V&A Wandsworth West End Westminster Westminster Abbey

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Recent Videos

Walk Around London Virtually Right Now – Watched Walker is the YouTube Channel We All Need Right Now

Jason Hawkes Shares a Beautiful Video of London From Above That We All Need Right now

London Tube: You’ve Got to Watch This Amazing Mesmerizing Animation That Shows the Real Geography of the London Underground

Video: The Basics of Crossrail – London’s New Underground Line

London History: The Place Where Old London Double Decker Buses Went to Die

London Video: A Look at the Great Smog of London

Tube and London bus fares to rise by nearly 6% from March

What is Crossrail 2 and What is Its Current Status?

London Alert: Strike by London Underground workers to go ahead after last-minute talks fail

London Mayor hails Elizabeth line as direct routes and Sunday services begin

Elizabeth line fully opens and offers more direct journeys

Tube poet encourages writers to ‘bring who they are to the field’

Footer

About Londontopia

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!

When We’re in London Next

We don’t currently have any travel plans to London but hope to visit at some point in 2021.

  • SEO Backlinks
  • Travel Blog

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Copyright © 2023 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in