Architectural City Guide - London
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Take a scroll and check out our handpicked must see architectural landmarks in London. Feel free to leave a comment in the box at the bottom of the page. We love hearing what you have to say!
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St. Pauls Cathedral
“St Paul's Anglican Cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of London and the mother church of the Diocese of London. It sits on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. The present church, dating from the late 17th century, was designed in the English Baroque style by Sir Christopher Wren. Its construction, completed in Wren's lifetime, was part of a major rebuilding programme in the City after the Great Fire of London”
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Paul%27s_Cathedral
By Mark Fosh (originally posted to Flickr as St Pauls) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Somerset House
“Somerset House is a large Neoclassical building situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The building, originally the site of a Tudor palace, was designed by Sir William Chambers in 1776, and further extended with Victorian wings to the east and west in 1831 and 1856 respectively.”
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somerset_House
CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=303855
Millenium Dome
“The dome is one of the largest of its type in the world. Externally, it appears as a large white marquee with twelve 100 m-high yellow support towers, one for each month of the year, or each hour of the clock face, representing the role played by Greenwich Mean Time. In plan view it is circular, 365 m (one metre for each day in a standard year) in diameter. It has become one of the United Kingdom's most recognisable landmarks.” The architect was Richard Rogers.
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Dome
By http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesjin/ - http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesjin/58712717/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12163126
Old Royal Naval College
“The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, was a Royal Navy training establishment between 1873 and 1998, providing courses for naval officers. It was the home of the Royal Navy's staff college, which provided advanced training for officers. The equivalent in the British Army was the Staff College, Camberley and the equivalent in the Royal Air Force was the RAF Staff College, Bracknell”
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Naval_College,_Greenwich
By Martin Falbisoner - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25424658
Guildhall
“Guildhall is a Grade I-listed building in the City of London, England. It is situated off Gresham and Basinghall streets, in the wards of Bassishaw and Cheap. The building has been used as a town hall for several hundred years, and is still the ceremonial and administrative centre of the City of London and its Corporation. (It should not be confused with London's City Hall, the administrative centre for Greater London.) The term "Guildhall" refers both to the whole building and to its main room, which is a medieval great hall. The building is traditionally referred to as Guildhall, never "the" Guildhall. The nearest London Underground stations are Bank, St Paul's and Moorgate.”
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guildhall,_London
By Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35481656
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London
"Biggest Hindu Temple outside India: The Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Neasden, London, UK, is the largest Hindu temple outside India. It was built by Pramukh Swami, a 92-year-old Indian sadhu (holy man), and is made of 2,828 tonnes of Bulgarian limestone and 2,000 tonnes of Italian marble, which was first shipped to India to be carved by a team of 1,526 sculptors. The temple cost £12 million to build."
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAPS_Shri_Swaminarayan_Mandir_London
Reference: http://www.mandir.org/awards&opinions/Buildings%20and%20structures.htm
By The original uploader was Nikkul at English Wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Oxyman using CommonsHelper., CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5188390
Royal Courts of Justice
“The Royal Courts of Justice, commonly called the Law Courts, is a court building in London which houses both the High Court and Court of Appeal of England and Wales. Designed by George Edmund Street, who died before it was completed, it is a large grey stone edifice in the Victorian Gothic style built in the 1870s and opened by Queen Victoria in 1882. It is one of the largest courts in Europe.[1] It is located on the Strand within the City of Westminster, near the border with the City of London (Temple Bar). It is surrounded by the four Inns of Court, King's College London and the London School of Economics.”
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Courts_of_Justice
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Courts_of_Justice
By Anthony M. from Rome, Italy - Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1114610
30 St Mary Axe
“"The Gherkin" redirects here. For the pickled fruit, see Gherkin.
30 St Mary Axe (informally known as The Gherkin and previously as the Swiss Re Building) is a commercial skyscraper in London's primary financial district, the City of London. It was completed in December 2003 and opened in April 2004.[4] With 41 storeys, it is 180 metres (591 ft) tall and stands on the former sites of the Baltic Exchange and Chamber of Shipping, which were extensively damaged in 1992 by the explosion of a bomb placed by the Provisional IRA in St Mary Axe, the street from which the tower takes its name. After plans to build the 92-storey Millennium Tower were dropped, 30 St Mary Axe was designed by Norman Foster and Arup Group and it was erected by Skanska, with construction commencing in 2001.
The building has become a recognisable feature of London and is one of the city's most widely recognised examples of contemporary architecture.”
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_St_Mary_Axe
By Aurelien Guichard from London, United Kingdom - 30 St Mary Axe, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15203317
The Shard
“The Shard, also referred to as the Shard of Glass, Shard London Bridge and formerly London Bridge Tower, is a 95-storey skyscraper in Southwark, London, that forms part of the London Bridge Quarter development. Standing 309.6 metres (1,016 ft) high, the Shard is the tallest building in the United Kingdom, the 105th tallest building in the world, and the fourth tallest building in Europe. It is also the second-tallest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom, after the concrete tower at the Emley Moor transmitting station.
The Shard's construction began in March 2009; it was topped out on 30 March 2012 and inaugurated on 6 July 2012. Practical completion was achieved in November 2012.”
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shard#/media/File:The_Shard_from_the_Sky_Garden_2015.jpg
By © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39978232
The Lloyds Building
“The Lloyd's building (sometimes known as the Inside-Out Building)[1] is the home of the insurance institution Lloyd's of London. It is located on the former site of East India House in Lime Street, in London's main financial district, the City of London. The building is a leading example of radical Bowellism architecture in which the services for the building, such as ducts and lifts, are located on the exterior to maximise space in the interior.
Twenty-five years after completion in 1986, the building received Grade I listing in 2011; it was the youngest structure ever to obtain this status. It is said by Historic England to be "universally recognised as one of the key buildings of the modern epoch".”
Architect: Richard Rodgers
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd%27s_building
By Stephen Richards, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32629651
Buckingham Palace
“Buckingham Palace is the London residence and administrative headquarters of the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focal point for the British people at times of national rejoicing and mourning.
Buckingham Palace. This is the principal façade, the East Front; originally constructed by Edward Blore and completed in 1850. It acquired its present appearance following a remodelling, in 1913, by Sir Aston Webb.”
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckingham_Palace
By Diliff - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6488843
20 Fenchurch
“20 Fenchurch Street is a commercial skyscraper in London that takes its name from its address on Fenchurch Street, in the historic City of London financial district. It has been nicknamed 'The Walkie-Talkie' because of its distinctive shape. Construction was completed in spring 2014, and the top-floor 'sky garden' was opened in January 2015. The 34-storey building is 160 m (525 ft) tall, making it the sixth-tallest building in the City of London and the 12th tallest in London.
Designed by architect Rafael Viñoly and costing over £200 million, 20 Fenchurch Street features a highly distinctive top-heavy form which appears to burst upward and outward. A large viewing deck, bar and restaurants are included on the top three floors; these are, with restrictions, open to the public.”
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_Fenchurch_Street
By © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49125586
Westminster Abbey
“Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, is a large, mainly Gothic abbey church in the City of Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United Kingdom's most notable religious buildings and the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English and, later, British monarchs. Between 1540 and 1556 the abbey had the status of a cathedral. Since 1560, however, the building is no longer an abbey nor a cathedral, having instead the status of a Church of England "Royal Peculiar"—a church responsible directly to the sovereign. “
Reference:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Abbey
By Σπάρτακος (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
The Leaden Hall Building
“122 Leadenhall Street, or the Leadenhall Building, is a 225 m (737 ft) tall building on Leadenhall Street in London. The commercial skyscraper, opened in July 2014, was designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and is informally known as "The Cheesegrater" because of its distinctive wedge shape. It is one of a number of new tall buildings recently completed or currently under construction in the City of London financial area, including 20 Fenchurch Street, 22 Bishopsgate, and The Scalpel.
The building is opposite the Lloyd's building, also designed by Rogers, which is the home of the insurance market Lloyd's of London.”
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/122_Leadenhall_Street
By © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33297697
Big Ben
“Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and often extended to refer to the clock and the clock tower. The tower is officially known as Elizabeth Tower, renamed to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2012; previously it was known simply as the Clock Tower. The tower holds the second largest four-faced chiming clock in the world (after Minneapolis City Hall). The tower was completed in 1859 and had its 150th anniversary on 31 May 2009, during which celebratory events took place.”
Reference:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Ben
By Diliff - Own work, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3660614
British Museum
“The British Museum is dedicated to human history, art and culture, and is located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection, numbering some 8 million works, is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence and originates from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present.”
Referencehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Museum
By Ham - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1553456
Sir John Soane's Museum
“Sir John Soane's Museum was formerly the home of the neo-classical architect John Soane. It holds many drawings and models of Soane's projects and the collections of paintings, drawings and antiquities that he assembled.
The museum is located in Holborn, London, adjacent to Lincoln's Inn Fields. It is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.”
Reference:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_John_Soane%27s_Museum
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=649451
Kensington Palace
“Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century, and is the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.”
Reference:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensington_Palace”
By Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12321311
Victoria and Albert Museum
“The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A), London, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.”
Reference:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_and_Albert_Museum
By Diliff - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31813288
Horse Guards
“Horse Guards is a large Grade I listed building in the Palladian style between Whitehall and Horse Guards Parade in London. The first Horse Guards building was built on the site of the former tiltyard of Westminster Palace in 1664. It was demolished in 1749 and was replaced by the current building which was built between 1750 and 1753 by John Vardy after the death of original architect in 1748 William Kent. Horse Guards Road runs north-south on the western boundary of the parade ground, while Horse Guards Avenue runs east from Whitehall on other side of the building, to Victoria Embankment.”
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_Guards_(building)
CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=580141
Clarence House
“Clarence House is a royal residence in London, situated on The Mall, in the City of Westminster. It is attached to St. James's Palace and shares the palace's garden. For nearly 50 years, from 1953 to 2002, it was home to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. It has since been the official residence of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Clarence House also served as the official residence for Prince William from 2003 until his 2011 marriage and for Prince Harry from 2003 until 2012. It is open to visitors for approximately one month each summer, usually August, and is one of many royal buildings in London. Clarence House has been a Grade I listed building since 1970.”
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence_House
By Funguy06 (talk) - Own work (Original text: I created this work entirely by myself.), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47144117
