The beauty of London’s architectural landscape is that it is not characterised by any one style. The capital has acquired its diverse collection of structures over a very long period. Its style progresses through the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries with buildings constructed for the religious and financial institutions, through to the skyscrapers of the 20th century and the more contemporary structures of recent years.
New London Walking Tours operate twice a month and offer the opportunity to discover the new architecture being created around the city. The tours highlight the way the city’s buildings and structures are continuously altering. The guided tours are the perfect way to tour the eight central quarters of London on foot, and discover their distinct character and history. The tours expose major new architectural landmarks along with smaller creations, and demonstrate the ways in which these projects integrate with the historic urban context of the city.
The walking tours take place every second Saturday of the month from 2 to 6pm, and on the final Wednesday of each month from 10.30 to 12.30 pm. Each tour is designed to offer a unique experience. Canary Wharf is a major success story in planning. Aside from being the city’s second financial centre it is a socially integrated district that facilitates the way people work, live and play. Its future development is assured due to the impending arrival of Crossrail. The tour takes a serpentine route from West India Quay through the development’s public spaces and explores the integration of transport, residential and retail and the challenge of building in spaces surrounded by water.
The Midtown tour focuses on the cluster of old London villages that link central London to the city and the West End. The tour of Fitzrovia shows how the area has eliminated its post-war Bohemian past and has transformed into an area filled with high quality design and refreshing urban planning initiatives. The tour of Queen Elizabeth’s Olympic Park is a circular walk that concentrates on the sustainable Olympic legacy of the park’s buildings and transport links. There are further tours available and each one offers the perfect insight into the ever-changing architecture of the city. This is a tour that no architectural enthusiast or budding architect in London should miss.