The London skyline is one of the most famous in the whole world. It is instantly recognisable thanks to the wonderful range of architectural feats across the city. For over 90 years the work of architects has changed and redefined the capital, making it what it is today. Some of these properties have disappeared, others still remain, and new structures are appearing all of the time as the work continues.

The stories of the buildings that have redefined London are numerous and there are several worthy of note. A recent collection of images recounts these.

One of the oldest noteworthy buildings is the OXO Tower. The building was first built as a power station but it changed hands in the 20s, becoming a cold storage facility for the maker of OXO cubes. Much of the original property was demolished, excluding a section along the waterfront. An art deco property was built in its place. The company originally planned to use the tower for advertising but when permission was denied they spelled the brand name out in the windows.

The building is still prominent to this day. It is now mixed use, including 78 flats, a collection of art, craft and design shops, gallery space and a restaurant.

The Royal Festival Hall is another very interesting story. It cost an incredible £2 million when it was constructed in the 1950s. The concert venue was one of the first in London to be built with acoustic principals in mind. It has since been extensively refurbished twice, the first time in 1967 and the second in 2007. The latter came at a cost of £111 million. The property is now Grade II listed.

The BT Tower has an incredible story. When it was built in 1964 it became the tallest building in the UK. It held this title for twenty years. The most fantastic thing though was the fact that it was originally left off of ordnance maps. This was done because it was deemed worthy of extreme secrecy because of the importance in terms of communications.

The tower at Guy’s Hospital in Southwark held the title as the tallest hospital building in the world from its completion in 1974 until 2008. It reclaimed this in 2014 following renovation work and remains a recognisable part of the skyline.

At Coffey Architects we really love the London skyline and the fact that it is constantly changing. This gives the city an image of growth, as if the whole area is alive and evolving all of the time. We are inspired by this as much as we are by the unique aspects of many of the designs.