24th March 2022
London - Old & New
When you think of London, you might think of it's iconic skyline and cityscape, or perhaps you think about its rich and long history! But it's these two perceptions combined that make London such a unique and well-loved City across the globe, with millions of sightseers flocking to the streets every year.
It's the unison of old and new architecture that makes London so iconic. Familiar favourites like The Shard look out directly over to the historic St Pauls, while century old streets criss cross under the watch of The Gherkin and other modern giants. Go for a walk and you will see that there is no clear distinction between what is the 'old' city and what is the 'new', but rather a constant justling between historic and contemporary.
A lovely example is the walk across Tower Bridge, which is another key player making up the London skyline. Looking to one side you have the incredible World Heritage Site that is the Tower of London, an amazing piece of historical architecture, while on the other you have the super contemporary City Hall. And seperating the two, is the unmissable Tower Bridge itself which is an incredible example of Victorian engineering. Within a few miles, you've passed through three very seperate centuries of architecture and history, now brought together as neighbours!
The reason that modern and old live in such close proximity could be due to two major historical events, that quite literally carved space for new developments. The Great Fire of London in 1666 and The Blitz during the Second World War, are arguably two of the key reasons that London looks the way it does now. Many hundreds of builings were destroyed during these events, leaving the need and space for newer buildings. This could lend itself to why we find Victorian townhouses next to modern builds, and Georgian or Tudor architecture next to Brutalist developments like The Barbican.
It may seem that a lot of London's giants such as The Shard and Heron Tower in The City of London will soon be welcoming some new neighbours with the amount of cranes there appears to be, but London's past is what has paved the way for it to become such a unique City for years to come. It's history is celebrated, and this is why there are building regulations in place to ensure that the character of the City is not damaged, and that it's older architectual residents get the respect they deserve. For example, any new tall buildings are not allowed to impede on certain views, such as St Pauls Cathedral - a location born out of The Great Fire of London and survivor of The Blitz.
There's no doubt that London is a fantastic city full of diversity, character and charm - a mish mash of stories told and modern lifestyles but beyond that, there is something for everyone.