The capital of United Kingdom, ‘London’ has something for everyone and its eclectic architectural heritage is commendable.
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From old to new, traditional to contemporary, art deco to gothic, and many styles in between, there are hundreds of amazing buildings in the city.
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Here we are with a list of some iconic ones for you to not miss on them.
With a height of 1016 feet, Renzo Piano’s spire-like building is momentous. The Shard was inaugurated in 2012, and gives a view of 40 miles in every direction.
#1. The Shard
Dominating London’s skyline for 300 years, until 1965, Sir Christopher Wren’s majestic dome; St. Paul’s Cathedral is hard to miss when in London.
#2. St.Paul’s Cathedral
One major attraction here is the Whispering Gallery, nearly halfway up the 528-step climb to the top of the dome, where hushed tones can be heard from the opposite side due to a quirk in its construction.
The Tower of London is a 900-year-old castle and fortress in central London, that is notable for housing the crown jewels. It is the oldest intact building in the city.
# 3. Tower of London
Lucky guests at the tower can witness some traditions that are still going strong...
This includes the ceremony of the Keys, an elaborate ritual of locking up the tower at night only if they book at least a year in advance.
Established in 1753, the world’s first national public museum, British Museum has been free to all “studious and curious persons”.
#4. British Museum
It has more than seven million objects from all continents. They illustrate and document the story of human culture from its beginning to the present.
Built in the 19th Century, the Palace of Westminster is one of the finest examples of Gothic Revivalist architecture in the world.
#5. Houses of Parliament
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It was redesigned in 1941 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, after it was bombed 12 times in one night during World War II.
Battersea Power Station is the largest brick building in Europe and is known for its lavish art deco fittings and interior.
#6. Battersea Power Station
It is located in the south bank of the River Thames in Battersea, south west London, and hasn’t been in use for more than 30 years.
Norman Foster’s famous bullet-shaped building constructed in 1995 became one of the first truly great extant skyscrapers to carve London’s skyline.
#7. The Gherkin
The glittering glass Gherkin has a height of 180m (590ft) which is three times the height of Niagara Falls.
#8. National Theatre
Built in 1976, National Theatre is an important icon of Brutalism. Prince Charles described it as “a clever way of building a nuclear power station in the middle of London without anyone objecting”
The theatre may seem like a large hunk of concrete on the surface, but a closer look especially at the beautiful board-marked concrete interior, you'll realized its actual beauty.
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With a number of bridges that London has, which connects the north and the south and all designed in a unique way, Tower Bridge is the most famous of all.
#9. Tower Bridge
The colour scheme of this bridge was changed to red, white and blue to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee.
Visited by more than one million people a year, Collegiate Church of St. Peter at Westminster, now known as Westminster Abbey is a marvelous gothic abbey.
#10. Westminster Abbey
It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and boasts more than 1000 years of history. It is one of a small number of churches known as Royal Peculiar.
It’s the place where kings and queens are crowned. It has also hosted numerous royal weddings and funerals. Something to know before you go: there’s an admission charge to enter as a tourist.
If you are a travel freak and architecture is what amazes you the most, London should be on the top of your to go list!!
London is a place which welcomes tourists round the year!! Happy holidays!!