London Skyline

London’s Modern Skyline

London’s skyline was historically dominated by the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral, where buildings even up to the 1960’s were not to exceed that height. London’s skyline compromised of church tops (now almost completing engulfed), Cathedrals, the Tower of London, Power Stations, Westminster Palace and Regal residences. The last 20-30 years have shown an attitude where developers are told to aim for the sky, beginning with Center Point in 1966, followed by the Natwest Tower in 1980.

Canary Wharf is a familiar skyline for any Londoner. The Red light flashing on the point of One Canada Square, completed in 1991, and is the centre piece of Canary Wharf in the Isle of Dogs. It stands proud alongside 25 & 8 Canada Square, 25 & 40 Bank Street, 10 Upper Bank Street and 1 Churchill Square. North Quay and Canary Riverside South will be new additions currently under construction to the Docklands area.

Until the mid 1960’s canary wharf was a busy cargo warehouse at the centre of West India Docks which closed in 1980. East India Docks and St Katherine’s Docks had already been closed from the technological advancements by The Port of London Authority in 1968.

In 1982 under London’s Docklands Development Corporation the area became an enterprise zone, attracting commerce and creating the Dockland’s Light Railway Network (jubilee station part of the expansion in 1993) aided by City Airport opening in 1987. The area is still being developed.

The IRA’s bombing of the Dockland’s and South Quay lead to further redevelopment of London’s current skyline. The two tall residential buildings of 1 Millharbour otherwise known as Pan Peninsula were constructed on the site of derelict office buildings involved in an explosion in 1996.

The City of London’s skyline is engulfed by skyscrapers such as Tower 42 (Natwest Building), recently completed (2009) Broadgate Tower, Shakespeare Tower and 99 Bishopsgate amongst others.

London’s architectural masterpiece The Gherkin, otherwise known as 30 St Mary’s Axe, is an influential and powerful addition to London City’s skyline. Lord Norman Foster (and his firm Foster and Partners) created this office block for financial insurance giants Swiss Re in the heart of the city, highlighting the evolution in London architecture within the last couple of decades.

London watched during the three years as the spiral of The Gherkin rose up into the city skyline 180m tall, can be easily distinguished from the other skyscrapers. Built on the previous site the Baltic Exchange which was near an IRA explosion in April 1992 it did not pose any threat to certain viewpoints of St Paul’s and was in need of redevelopment. Plans for Millenium Tower were rejected as it was too tall, but in 2003 the Gherkin was given the go ahead.

Environmentally friendly in its approach maximizing daylight, The Gherkin has gaps in the floor creating six shafts providing natural ventilation for the whole building. It was completed in December 2003 and opened in March 2004 and succeeds in utilizing London’s small amount of space, reflecting it at all angles, neatly disappearing in the shadow of other buildings until you are right underneath it.

London Eye added a modern landmark over Westminster (Houses of Parliament) and Big Ben, the Old City Hall (now London Aquarium and other businesses) and Guy Tower and hospital. On a walk from Cheapside, Southwark along the Thames the wheel peers around the Oxo Tower (once part of the power station for post office, bought as a cold store by Oxo then rebuilt Art Deco in the late 1920’s) once you have passed the Tate Modern (former Bankside power station)and Globe theatre.


Walking from the City along The Thames is a highly recommended walk (with the potential of local buses should it become too tiring or start raining). Not only does it offer the potential of seeing London’s present skyline but also the historic one.

This year (2010) will see the completion of 22 Marsh Wall otherwise known as The Landmark. In 2009 the go ahead was given to ‘The Shard of Glass’ or ‘Shard London Bridge’ to be completed by 2010. Upon completion this will be the largest building in London, making up of 71 floors and 66 storeys.

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