|
|
|
 Architecture Tour
Historic yet cosmopolitan, traditional yet cutting-edge; the capital is a melting pot of attitudes, styles and tastes, and this is proudly reflected in the extraordinary architecture on show around London Bridge.
We have taken the liberty of selecting a range of buildings and structures that we feel are of interest to anyone with a casual interest in architecture.
 1) Leave London Bridge station and walk across Borough High Street to Borough Market to marvel at this unique space under the Victorian viaduct. Avoid the crowds on non-market days (Sun-Weds) to fully appreciate the structure and stop for a coffee at the famous Monmouth coffee shop on Park Street.
2) Walk around the north side of Southwark Cathedral and into Tooley Street. Having passed under London Bridge itself you will discover St. Olaf's House, a striking art-deco building designed by Harry Stuart Goodhart-Rendel and built 1929-1931.
3) Continue east along Tooley Street, past the London Dungeon, until you see signs left towards Hay's Galleria. Follow these and you will enter the vast structure of this former wharf building. The narrow dock was filled in during the 1980's renovation to create this unique covered gallery.
 4) Exit Hay's Galleria along the riverpath and walk east towards Tower Bridge. Just after you pass HMS Belfast you will see the gleaming structures of the More London Estate on your right hand side. Designed by Foster and Partners, More London includes the iconic City Hall building and The Scoop - an inspired sunken amphitheatre next to the Thames (check for events on www.morelondon.com).
 5) Behind the Scoop you will see a pathway running between 4 More London (LG Legal) and the under construction 7 More London. As you hit Tooley Street you will discover the Unicorn Theatre for young people. Both theatre and building have won awards, with the architects Keith Williams collecting a number of accolades for their work here.
6) East again along Tooley Street, an industrial looking gate on your left welcomes you to Potters Fields Park which was re-designed by award-winning landscape architects Gross Max and opened in May 2007. Passing through the seasonal garden, London's newest riverside park opens out to expose views of Tower Bridge, City Hall and across the river to the Tower of London.
 7) Having stopped to soak up the vista, head east under Tower Bridge Road, into Shad Thames and through the complex of former wharf and warehouse buildings that make up Butlers Wharf. The overhead goods gantries add to the industrial ambience, but once you find yourself back on the riverpath the refined aromas coming from the riverfront Conran restaurants soon bring you back to the present day.
8) Walk up to Tower Bridge Road and continue south away from the bridge. Having crossed over Tooley Street you will shortly find Tanner Street on your left. Turn along here until you hit Bermondsey Street and turn right. By now you shouldn't be able to miss the bright orange facade of the Fashion and Textile Museum, designed by Mexican architect Ricardo Legoretta.
As you walk back to London Bridge station imagine how the skyline will change in 2012 when Renzo Piano's Shard of Glass will rise 72 stories above the ground. What will be the capital's tallest building will sit beside the station on St Thomas' St, adjacent to Guy's Tower.
This walk should take approximately 1 hour, not including stops.
See our other itineraries: Modern History Tour, Early History Tour, Design and Arts Tour, Highlights Weekend
Find all Places to Visit in our comprehensive directory. |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
RELATED NEWS
|
|
|
| |
|
LATEST FEATURE
|
|
|
| |
|
QUICK POLL
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
SUBSCRIBE |
Subscribe to receive eNews & keep
up-to-date with what's on in the London Bridge area
User
Registration >>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|