Updated: 26 March 2019
To walk through the streets of London is to walk through the pages of time. Its magnificent churches, its celebrated theatres, its renowned galleries, and its towering structures have all been built on the foundations of the buildings that came before it. It’s what makes London a city for the ages and its most celebrated architecture so beloved.
Contemporary architecture in London, like the work that came before it, is not simply a utility of its users. It’s part of its ongoing history and the ethos of its people. Many of the world’s largest architecture firms practice in London, and many of the world’s greatest projects reside here. When I look at its most celebrated projects, I see the pleasure that goes into its details and the responsibility that comes with every design decision. Whether you are talking about the Tate or the Shard, successful contemporary architecture in London has a thumb on the pages of its past.
Check out the MUST-SEE Architecture in London below. I hope you find it useful as you walk its historic streets (there’s a map at the bottom to guide you around). As you see with the date at the top, this list is always updating as new projects are completed. If you want to see your photo featured, hashtag #AVONTUURA on Instagram and I will try my best to include it.
Onwards!
Architecture Guide to London
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30 St. Mary Axe (The Gherkin)
30 St. Mary Axe is arguably the most iconic contemporary building in London. It’s architects, Foster & Partners designed it to be extremely energy efficient to the point that it only consumes half the power of a similar tower. This is achieved through its double-skinned facade that allows hot air to escape up the building while passively heating the interior spaces in the winter.
Visiting Information:
Architect: Foster & Partners
Built: 2003
Type: Office
Address: 30 St.Mary Axe, London, EC3
Open to the Public: Yes
Website: www.thegherkinlondon.com/
Tate Modern Turbine Hall & Switch House
When it opened in 2000, the New Tate Modern became the most important new cultural building in London in over a quarter of a century. The building, a dilapidated but iconic Power Station in the Bankside area, was transformed by Pritzker Prize-winning architecture firm Herzog & De Meuron. Much of the interior structure of the building was maintained including the main turbine hall and the overhead
In 2016, Herzog & De Meuron completed a new
Visiting Information:
Architect: Herzog & De Meuron
Built: 2016
Type: Museum
Address: Bankside, London SE1 9TG, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 10:00am – 6:00pm, Friday to Saturday: 10:00am to 10:00pm
Cost: Free
Website: www.tate.org.uk
Millennium Bridge
Officially known as the London Millennium Footbridge, the steel suspension bridge is a pedestrian crossing over the River Thames connecting Bankside with the City of London. Designed by Foster & Partners, the bridge’s alignment and support structures framing a view of St Paul’s south façade.
Visiting Information:
Architect: Foster & Partners
Built: 2000
Type: Bridge
Address: Thames Embankment, London SE1 9JE, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Cost: Free
Website: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/
Battersea Power Station Redevelopment (ongoing)
Battersea Power Station is a decommissioned coal-fired power station that is currently under redevelopment by a host of world-leading architects. When complete, it will bring homes, offices, shopping, restaurants, and more to South London. Its first phase, Circus West Village, has been completed and is open to residents and visitors.
Visiting Information:
Architect: Foster & Partners, Gehry Partners LLP, Wilkinson Eyre, Bjarke Ingels Group
Built: Redevelopment ongoing.
Type: Commercial, Residential
Address: Nine Elms, Battersea, Wandsworth, South West London
Open to the Public: No. Expected Completion is in 2020.
Website: batterseapowerstation.co.uk/
City Hall
City Hall is located on the south bank of the River Thames near Tower Bridge in Southwark. Designed by Foster & Partners, the glass sphere has no front or back. Much like their design for the new Reichstag, the interior features a helical walkway that ascends around and above the council chamber below while offering views of the city. At the top is an exhibition and meeting area with observation deck that is occasionally open to the public.
Visiting Information:
Architect: Foster & Partners
Built: 2002
Type: Civic
Address: The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Monday to Thursday: 8:30am – 6:00pm, Friday: 8:30am to 5:30pm
Cost: Free
Website: www.london.gov.uk
King’s Cross Station (Restoration)
First opened in 1852 by the Great Northern Railway, King’s Cross Station is one the busiest train stations in the United Kingdom. In 2007, plans for its restoration were approved and the new semi-circular departure concourse (which it is most celebrated for) was completed in 2012.
Visiting Information:
Architect: John Mcaslan+ Partners
Built: 2012
Type: Transportation Hub
Address: Euston Road, London, Greater London N1 9AL, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Website: www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations
Coal Drops Yard
Coal Drops Yard is a large shopping district in King’s Cross, central London. Originally a pair of Victorian coal drops receiving coal from Northern England, over the years the ornate cast-iron and brick buildings fell into disrepair and abandonment in the 1990s. In 2014, British architecture firm Heatherwick Studio redesigned the space and extended the inner gabled warehouse roofs, linking them in the middle. This created a flowing, freestanding structure that interlaces heritage with contemporary design.
Visiting Information:
Architect: Heatherwick Studio
Built: 2018
Type: Commercial
Address: Stable St, Kings Cross, London N1C 4DQ, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Monday to Saturday: 10:00am – 8:00pm, Sunday: 12:00am to 6:00pm
Website: www.coaldropsyard.com/
London Aquatics Centre
Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid, the London Aquatics Centre was designed for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Noted for its wave-like roof, the temporary seating has also been removed so that the centre could be more accessible to the public. Check their website for public swimming hours.
Visiting Information:
Architect: Zaha Hadid
Built: 2012
Type: Aquatic Centre
Address: Olympic Park, London E20 2ZQ, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Daily: 6:00am – 10:30pm
Cost: £5.20 Non-member Peak Swim
Website: www.londonaquaticscentre.org
The Shard
The Shard is a 95-story tower with offices, a hotel, restaurants and some apartments. It is also the tallest building in the United Kingdom and European Union. Designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, inspiration for the tower came from early life around the River Thames such as the magnificent spire towers and sailing ship masts that dotted its landscape.
Visiting Information:
Architect: Renzo Piano
Built: 2013
Type: Office
Address: 32 London Bridge St, London SE1 9SG, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Daily: 10:00am – 10:00pm
Cost: £30.95
Website: www.the-shard.com/viewing-gallery
The Great Court at the British Museum Reading Room
The new central courtyard at the British Museum opened one of the world finest museums to itself. A park once occupied the central part of the museum but it quickly became a storage area for the reading room. In 2000, Foster & Partners designed an elegant, glazed canopy with state-of-the-art engineering. The Great Court now serves as an exhibition that has opened the courtyard to everyone who visits.
Visiting Information:
Architect: Foster & Partners
Built: 2000
Type: Museum
Address: Great Russell St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 3DG, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Daily: 10:00am – 5:30pm, Friday: 10:00am – 10:30pm
Cost: Free
Website: www.britishmuseum.org
The London Eye
The London Eye is a cantilevered observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames. The design was conceived by the husband-and-wife team of David Marks and Julia Barfield of Marks Barfield Architects. The wheel is supported by tensioned steel cables and features 32 sealed capsules that hold 25 people each. One rotation takes 30 minutes.
Visiting Information:
Architect: Marks Barfield Architects
Built: 2000
Type: Observation Wheel
Address: Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Varies, check website
Cost: £27.00
Website: www.londoneye.com/
The Serpentine Galleries
The Serpentine Galleries are a pair of contemporary art galleries in Hyde Park called The Serpentine Gallery and Serpentine Sackler Gallery. They’re a short 5-minute walk from each other with a quick journey over the Serpentine Lake bridge. Since 2000, the Serpentine Gallery has commissioned a temporary summer pavilion by a leading architect who hasn’t completed a building in England at the time of their invitation.
Visiting Information:
Type: Gallery
Address: Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00am – 6:00pm
Cost: Free
Website: www.serpentinegalleries.org/
ArcelorMittal Orbit
The Orbit, as it was originally called, is a
Visiting Information:
Architect: Anish Kapoor, Cecil Balmond
Built: 2013
Type: Sculpture & Observation Tower
Address: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, 5 Thornton Street, London E20 2AD, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Weekdays, 11:00am – 4:00pm. Weekends, 10:00am – 6:00pm
Cost: £12.50
Website: arcelormittalorbit.com/
London VeloPark
The Lee Valley VeloPark was built for the 2012 Summer Olympics and the first building completed in the efforts leading up to the games. The design of the roof was inspired to reflect the geometry of cycling while being as lightweight as possible.
Visiting Information:
Architect: Hopkins Architects
Built: 2012
Type: Arena
Address: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Abercrombie Rd, London E20 3AB, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Daily, 9:00am – 10:00pm
Website: www.visitleevalley.org.uk/
Laban Dance Center
Herzog & de Meuron won a Sterling Prize in 2003 for their design of the Laban Dance Centre. The use of
Visiting Information:
Architect: Herzog & de Meuron
Built: 2003
Type: Institutional
Address: King Charles Court, East Greenwich, London SE10 9JF, UK
Open to the Public: No
Website: www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/
The City of London Information Centre
Located next to the south transept of St. Paul’s Cathedral, The City of London Information Centre has a dynamic, angular form that picks up on the movement of visitor’s paths through the site. Clad in 220 stainless steel panels, the building is braced with a steel frame and structural ply.
Visiting Information:
Architect: Make Architects
Built: 2007
Type: Institutional
Address: St. Paul’s Churchyard, London EC4M 8BX, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Monday to Saturday,
Website: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/visit-the-city/
Town Hall Hotel
Completed in 2010, the Town Hall Hotel is a luxury hotel, restaurant, and bar in London’s East End. The existing 1910 Edwardian town hall on the property was left vacant in 1993 after years of neglect and the architects, rare, were tasked with providing a contemporary solution that was sympathetic to the buildings past. The solution was a combination of traditional motifs and contemporary manufacturing technology to produce an impressive, laser cut powder coated
Visiting Information:
Architect: rare
Built: 2010
Type: Restaurant, Hotel
Address: 8 Patriot Square, London E2 9NF, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Website:www.townhallhotel.com/
Central St. Giles Court
It’s hard to miss this complex by Renzo Piano and Fletcher Priest Architects. With its striking ceramic facades of green, yellow, red, and orange, the buildings are part of a larger
Visiting Information:
Architect: Renzo Piano, Fletcher Priest Architects
Built: 2010
Type: Commercial
Address: 1 St Giles High St, London WC2H 8AG, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Website: www.centralsaintgiles.com/
Evelyn Grace Academy
The Evelyn Grace Academy was designed by Zaha Hadid as a progressive institution of learning in the historic residential London neighbourhood of Brixton. Based on the academy’s ideology of ‘schools within a school’, the design of the building creates a series of four smaller schools with a series of open interior and exterior spaces that encourage communication and dialogue.
Visiting Information:
Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects
Built: 2008
Type: Institutional
Address: 255 Shakespeare Rd, Brixton, London SE24 0QN, UK
Open to the Public: No
Website: evelyngraceacademy.org/
V&A Courtyard & Gallery
Designed by Amanda Levete Architects, the V&A Courtyard and Gallery was a competition-winning design that opened up the Sackler Courtyard to the public which was previously hidden. The new entrance emerges from the ground and takes visitors down to the museum’s subterranean exhibitions.
Visiting Information:
Architect: AL_A
Built: 2018
Type: Gallery
Address: Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Daily, 10:00am – 5:45pm
Cost: Free
Website:www.vam.ac.uk/
Crossrail Place Roof Garden, Canary Wharf
The Crossrail Place Roof Garden is a
Visiting Information:
Architect: Foster & Partners
Built: 2015
Type: Roof Garden
Address: Crossrail Pl, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AB, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Daily, 6:00am – 9:00pm
Website:canarywharf.com/arts-events/crossrail-place-roof-garden/
One New Change
One New Change is a shopping centre in London’s Cheapside neighbourhood by Jean Nouvel and Sidell Gibson Architects. The highlight of the design is the blurred glass that provides framed and reflected views of the iconic St. Paul’s Cathedral. The interior corridors of the shopping streets are marked by a distinctive red
Visiting Information:
Architect: Jean Nouvel, Sidell Gibson Architects
Built: 2010
Type: Shopping Centre
Address: 1 New Change, London EC4M 9AF, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: varies
Website: onenewchange.com/
10 Hills Place
The narrow streets and alleyways of Oxford meant that drawing attention to the building would require an unconventional and unique design in limited space. Inspired by the art work of Lucio Fontana, architect Amanda Levete created a sculptural facade with curved skylights and a stainless steel mesh that creates a dynamic effect on the exterior.
Visiting Information:
Architect: AL_A
Built: 2009
Type: Office Building Facade
Address: 10 Hills Place, Soho, London W1F 7SD, UK
Open to the Public: No
London Metropolitan University
Designed by Daniel Libeskind, the 10,000 square foot graduate centre for the London Metropolitan University serves as a gateway to the institution along Holloway Road and is composed of three intersecting volumes embossed with stainless steel panels.
Visiting Information:
Architect: Daniel Libeskind
Built: 2004
Type: Institutional
Address: 166-220 Holloway Rd, London N7 8DB, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 8:00am – 9:00pm
Website: www.londonmet.ac.uk/
Strata SE1
Nicknamed “The Razor”, Strata SE1 is a 148-metre residential tower at Elephant and Castle in the London borough of Southwark. Strata SE1 is noted for being one of the first buildings in the world to incorporate wind turbines into its structure at the top. The three 9-metre turbines were anticipated to generate a combined 50MWh of electricity per year but have been rarely used since opening.
Visiting Information:
Architect: BFLS
Built: 2011
Type: Apartments
Address: FWV2+56 Lambeth, London, UK
Open to the Public: No
W London Leicester Square
Completed in 2011 by Jestico + Whiles, this glamorous hotel at Leicester Square features a double-skinned facade that features a pixelated screen capable of projecting dynamic light installations at night.
Visiting Information:
Architect: Jestico + Whiles
Built: 2011
Type: Hotel
Address: Leicester Square, 10 Wardour St, London W1D 6QF, United Kingdom
Open to the Public: Yes
Website: www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/lonhw-w-london-leicester-square/
Donnybrook Quarter
The Donnybrook Quarter is an innovative, low-rise and high-density housing development in East London. The plan for the block is based on two parallel streets that lead to an open square for the quarter. Every unit has its own front door and outdoor garden or terrace with shops lining the main street.
Visiting Information:
Architect: Peter Barber Architects
Built: 2006
Type: Housing
Address: 20 Eden Way, London E3 2JD, UK
Open to the Public: No
Website: www.peterbarberarchitects.com/donnybrook-quarter/
20 Fenchurch Street
20 Fenchurch is a commercial skyscraper in the historic City of London. Nicknamed “The Walkie-Talkie” due to its distinctive shape, the tower is top-heavy to take advantage of more expensive floor space at the top of the building. A garden on its rooftop is arguably London’s highest park.
Visiting Information:
Architect: Rafael Viñoly
Built: 2010
Type: Office
Address: 20 Fenchurch St, London, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Daily, 10:00am – 9:00pm
Website:skygarden.london/
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Architect: Rafael Viñoly
Built: 2010
Type: Office
Address: 20 Fenchurch St, London, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Daily, 10:00am - 9:00pm
Website: skygarden.london/
Architect: Peter Barber Architects
Built: 2006
Type: Housing
Address: 20 Eden Way, London E3 2JD, UK
Open to the Public: No
Website: www.peterbarberarchitects.com/donnybrook-quarter/
Architect: Jestico + Whiles
Built: 2011
Type: Hotel
Address: Leicester Square, 10 Wardour St, London W1D 6QF, United Kingdom
Open to the Public: Yes
Website: www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/lonhw-w-london-leicester-square/
Architect: BFLS
Built: 2011
Type: Apartments
Address: FWV2+56 Lambeth, London, UK
Open to the Public: No
Architect: Daniel Libeskind
Built: 2004
Type: Institutional
Address: 166-220 Holloway Rd, London N7 8DB, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 8:00am - 9:00pm
Website: www.londonmet.ac.uk/
Architect: AL_A
Built: 2009
Type: Office Building Facade
Address: 10 Hills Place, Soho, London W1F 7SD, UK
Open to the Public: No
Architect: Jean Nouvel, Sidell Gibson Architects
Built: 2010
Type: Commercial
Address: 1 New Change, London EC4M 9AF, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: varies
Website: onenewchange.com/
Architect: Foster & Partners
Built: 2015
Type: Roof Garden
Address: Crossrail Pl, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AB, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Daily, 6:00am - 9:00pm
Website:canarywharf.com/arts-events/crossrail-place-roof-garden/
Architect: AL_A
Built: 2018
Type: Gallery
Address: Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Daily, 10:00am - 5:45pm
Cost: Free
Website: www.vam.ac.uk/
Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects
Built: 2008
Type: Institutional
Address: 255 Shakespeare Rd, Brixton, London SE24 0QN, UK
Open to the Public: No
Website: evelyngraceacademy.org/
Architect: Renzo Piano, Fletcher Priest Architects
Built: 2010
Type: Commercial
Address: 1 St Giles High St, London WC2H 8AG, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Website: www.centralsaintgiles.com/
Architect: rare
Built: 2010
Type: Restaurant, Hotel
Address: 8 Patriot Square, London E2 9NF, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Website:www.townhallhotel.com/
Architect: Make Architects
Built: 2007
Type: Institutional
Address: St. Paul's Churchyard, London EC4M 8BX, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9:30am - 5:30pm. Monday, 10:00am - 4:00pm
Website: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/visit-the-city/
Architect: Herzog & de Meuron
Built: 2003
Type: Institutional
Address: King Charles Court, East Greenwich, London SE10 9JF, UK
Open to the Public: No
Website: www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/
Architect: Hopkins Architects
Built: 2012
Type: Arena
Address: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Abercrombie Rd, London E20 3AB, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Daily, 9:00am - 10:00pm
Website: www.visitleevalley.org.uk/
Architect: Anish Kapoor, Cecil Balmond
Built: 2013
Type: Sculpture & Observation Tower
Address: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, 5 Thornton Street, London E20 2AD, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Weekdays, 11:00am - 4:00pm. Weekends, 10:00am - 6:00pm
Cost: £12.50
Website:arcelormittalorbit.com/
Type: Gallery
Address: Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00am - 6:00pm
Cost: Free
Website: www.serpentinegalleries.org/
Architect: Frank Anatole, Nic Bailey, Steve Chilton, Malcolm Cook, Mark Sparrowhawk, Julia Barfield, and David Marks
Built: 2008
Type: Ferris Wheel
Address: Lambeth, London SE1 7PB, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Daily: 10:00am - 10:30pm
Cost: £23.45
Website: www.londoneye.com
Architect: Foster & Partners
Built: 2000
Type: Museum
Address: Great Russell St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 3DG, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Daily: 10:00am - 5:30pm, Friday: 10:00am - 10:30pm
Cost: Free
Website: www.britishmuseum.org
Architect: Renzo Piano
Built: 2013
Type: Office
Address: 32 London Bridge St, London SE1 9SG, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Daily: 10:00am - 10:00pm
Cost: £30.95
Website: www.the-shard.com/viewing-gallery
Architect: Zaha Hadid
Built: 2012
Type: Aquatic Centre
Address: Olympic Park, London E20 2ZQ, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Daily: 6:00am - 10:30pm
Cost: £5.20 Non-member Peak Swim
Website: www.londonaquaticscentre.org
Architect: John Mcaslan+ Partners
Built: 2012
Type: Transportation Hub
Address: Euston Road, London, Greater London N1 9AL, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Website: www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations
Architect: Foster & Partners
Built: 2002
Type: Civic
Address: The Queen's Walk, London SE1 2AA, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Monday to Thursday: 8:30am - 6:00pm, Friday: 8:30am to 5:30pm
Cost: Free
Website: www.london.gov.uk
Architect: Herzog & De Meuron
Built: 2003
Type: Museum
Address: Bankside, London SE1 9TG, UK
Open to the Public: Yes
Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 10:00am - 6:00pm, Friday to Saturday: 10:00am to 10:00pm
Cost: Free
Website: www.tate.org.uk
Architect: Foster & Partners
Built: 2003
Type: Office
Address: 30 St.Mary Axe, London, EC3
Open to the Public: Yes
Website: www.thegherkinlondon.com/
