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St. Pancras Station, The Gherkin, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Palace, The Shard - some of the most iconic buildings of London cityscape. Close your eyes for a moment and think of London skyline. Which buildings come to your mind first? Let’s have a quick tour around the most iconic buildings of London. Perhaps the most recognised building in London is The Palace of Westminster, or Houses of Parliament. This is one of the prime locations where every new visitor rushes to, when arriving at London for the first time. Today the oldest existing part of the Houses of Parliament is Westminster Hall. Built in 1097, in the period of King William II, It is the oldest ceremonial hall in Britain. The present gothic palace was built in 1854 by Charles Barry. It has over 1100 rooms and 100 staircases. The most famous part of the building is the Elizabeth Tower that houses Big Ben - the great bell that strikes every hour since 1859. Next stop - St. Pancras Station and Renaissance Hotel. This is one of the marvels of Victorian Gothic Architecture and one of the most elegant stations in the world. St. Pancras, built by the Midland Railway Company in 1868, was designed by George Gilbert Scott, William Henry Barlow and Rowland Mason Ordish. It was the jewel of British railway system and the main gateway to London in the 19th century. It was one of the first train stations that had an integrated hotel. Being a crossroad of both domestic and international rails, and knotting several Underground lines, St. Pancras still remains one of the main transport hubs of the United Kingdom. St. Paul’s Cathedral is an essential part of London’s skyline. The site's history dates all the way back to 604 AD, but the actual building we see today was built in the 17th century. It’s the masterpiece of Sir Christopher Wren, one of the most famous architects of Britain. The dome of St Paul’s reaches a height of 111 meters. It was the tallest building in London up to 1962. But London is not just about Gothic architecture. Let’s have a look at a building that embodies the financial world of the city for over a decade. 30 St Mary Axe is better known by its nickname The Gherkin; it’s a 40-story building and is one of the most distinctive skyscrapers in the financial district of London. The building was designed by famed architect Norman Foster and was open to public in 2004. It’s covered uniformly with glass panels and is rounded off at the corners. It has a lens-like dome at the top, that serves as an observation deck. Today the Gherkin is primarily an office building, hosting the headquarters of many large companies. When talking about contemporary architecture, you can’t avoid one of the newest signature buildings of London - the Shard. The Shard is perhaps one of the most controversial architecture projects; Londoners either love it or hate it. Its cutting-edge design resembles a glass shard and changes colour depending on the weather and the seasons. The idea belonged to Irvine Sellar, the developer of the Shard. In 1998 he started the construction of what was supposed to be the tallest building in Europe. He commissioned architect Renzo Piano, who came up with the innovative pyramid design. The construction encountered numerous problems, including financial difficulties which significantly slowed down the process. However, in 2008 the State of Qatar decided to invest in the Shard and saved the project. The building was finally completed by 2012 and was officially opened by the Prime Minister of Qatar. #London #history #architecture
