At Regent Land & Developments, we have had the opportunity to work with some brilliant architects based in and around London. The city of London is undoubtedly one of the most architecturally interesting cities in the world. There aren’t many places where the difference between the old and the new is so dramatic and visible. In this blog we look at five of the most architecturally interesting buildings in London.
King’s Cross Station
Architect, John McAslan and Partners
JMP Architects’ transformation of King’s Cross Station in 2012 turned the previously run-of-the-mill railway station, into an instantly recognisable London landmark. The stand-out Western concourse has created a 21st century transport hub and is Europe’s largest single-span station structure. One of the most interesting things about the new design is that it combined the re-use, and restoration of old parts of the building with areas of the new building.
Serpentine Sackler Gallery
Architect: Zaha Hadid
Completed in 2003, the Serpentine Sackler Gallery is one of London’s most recognisable buildings due to its iconic curved white roof. The building is a synthesis between the modern new design and the classic 1805 building it was converted from. The abstract nature of Zaha Hadid’s design is the perfect exterior for a building that now houses some of London’s most unusual and abstract artwork.
St Pancras Renaissance Hotel
Architect: George Gilbert Scott
George Gilbert Scott’s Victorian palace, attached to St Pancras Station, is an imposing structure with a fascinating history. Back in its prime in 1911, the building was the Midland Grand Hotel but it remained unused for 26 years prior to a major restoration project in 2011 that brought it back to its former glory. The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, as it is now known, has retained its exterior gothic charm and the new hotel has made a feature of the medieval style in its interior decoration.
No. 1 Poultry
Architect: James Stirling
With its round clocktower, stripy exterior and colourful courtyard, the building at 1 Poultry is likely to cause some differences of opinion when it comes to taste, but it is undeniably a great example of postmodern architecture in the City of London. The structure was the last completed work of architect James Stirling and contains shops, five floors of offices, a roof garden and restaurant.
Leadenhall Market
Architect: Sir Horace Jones
Although Leadenhall Market actually dates from the 14th century, the building as it currently stands was the design of Sir Horace Jones in 1881. Jones replaced the earlier stone structure with a wrought iron and glass structure. The Victorian meat market that Leadenhall was famous for remained until the mid 20th-century but then the building started to develop into a place for shops and restaurants. These days it is a shopping arcade but the building does retain its Victorian feel and has Grade II heritage listed status.
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