England's capital city is famous for historic buildings such as the Houses of Parliament and St Paul's Cathedral. More recently it has spawned the Lloyds Building and the Swiss Re Tower.
Famous London architects that achieved major architecture works here include Christopher Wren and Norman Foster. The English capital is an organically-planned city based on a series of villages. The economy is driven by financial services in the City of London, known as the Square Mile. In recent decades the city expanded east into the Isle of Dogs, focused on Canary Wharf.

Key London buildings - historic:
1. Banqueting House - Inigo Jones
2. Houses of Parliament - Barry & Pugin
3. St Pancras Station - William Henry Barlow
4. St Paul's Cathedral - Christopher Wren
5. Regent Street - John Nash
6. Albert Hall - Francis Fowke
7. Christ Church Spitalfields - Nicholas Hawksmoor
8. Soane's House - John Soane
9. Hampton Court Palace
10. Tower of London

Key London buildings - contemporary:
1. Lloyds Building - Richard Rogers Partnership
2. Swiss Re Tower - Foster & Partners
3. Tate Modern - Herzog and de Meuron Architects
4. Waterloo Station: Eurostar Terminal - Nicholas Grimshaw
5. Penguin Pool, London Zoo - Tecton [Lubetkin]
6. Highpoint I / II - Tecton [Lubetkin]
7. British Library Great Court - Foster & Partners
8. South Bank Centre incl. Royal Festival Hall - Denys Lasdun et al
9. Isokon, Hampstead - Wells Coates
10. Millennium Dome - Richard Rogers Partnership



London Buildings - alphabetical list of key contemporary architecture

London Architects - buildings arranged by architect

London Building Photos - images of key recent architecture



London Skyscraper Architecture

Key London buildings - contemporary (alphabetical, listed by building):

Abbey Mills : Mangera Yvars Architects


Adelaide Wharf : Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

Photograph © Rob Parrish

The Ark : Ralph Erskine Architects

photograph © adrian welch

Arrowhead : SOM

SOM © Miller Hare Limited

Bankside : Allies & Morrison

photo © adrian welch

Barbican Centre : Chamberlin, Powell & Bon

photo © adrian welch

Battersea Power Station redevelopment : Rafael Viñoly


201 Bishopsgate : SOM Architects

photo © adrian welch

Brit Oval Cricket Ground : Miller Partnership

photo from Miller Partnership

British Library : Colin St John Wilson

photo © adrian welch

Broadgate : Arup Associates / SOM

photo © adrian welch

BT Tower : Eric Bedford & G. R. Yeats

photo © adrian welch

Canary Wharf : Cesar Pelli

photograph © Jason Baxter

Charing Cross Station London : Terry Farrell & Partners

photograph © adrian welch

Christ Church Spitalfields : Nicholas Hawksmoor

Photo © adrian welch

Clore Gallery : JSMW&AL / B+BAL

photograph © adrian welch

Commonwealth Institute : OMA

© OMA

Darwin Centre Phase 2 : C. F. Møller Architects

Photograph : Torben Eskerod

Design Museum : Conran Roche

photo © adrian welch

Doon Street Tower : Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands


Economist Building : The Smithsons

photo © adrian welch

Emirates Stadium : HOK Architects

photo © Hufton and Crow

20 Fenchurch St - Walkie Talkie building : Rafael Vinoly Architects


Finsbury Square : Eric Parry Architects

photo © adrian welch

Highpoint : Berthold Lubetkin Architect

photo © adrian welch

Imperial College Building : Foster + Partners

Photo © adrian welch

Lawn Road Flats : Wells Coates

Photo © Robin Lambert

Liverpool Street Station : Architecture & Design Group

photo © adrian welch

Lloyds Building : Richard Rogers Partnership

image © adrian welch

London City Hall : Foster + Partners

photo © adrian welch

London Eye : Marks Barfield Architects

photo © adrian welch

London Millennium Bridge : Foster + Partners


London Olympic Stadium : HOK Sport


London Olympics Aquatics Centre : Zaha Hadid Architects


Millennium Dome : Richard Rogers Partnership

photo © adrian welch

Number One Poultry : JSMWAL; MWPL

photo © adrian welch

National Gallery : William Wilkins

photo © adrian welch

Natural History Museum : Alfred Waterhouse

photo © adrian welch

O2 arena : HOK Sport


One Hyde Park : Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners


Palestra : Alsop Architects

image © adrian welch

Piccadilly Circus

image © adrian welch

Royal Albert Hall : Francis Fowke

photo © adrian welch

Royal Festival Hall : Leslie Martin

Photo © Dennis Gilbert

Royal Academy of Arts : David Chipperfield Architects

David Chipperfield Architects

Sadlers Wells Theatre : RHWL / Nicholas Hare Architects

photo by Nicolas Kane

South Bank Centre - National Theatre : Denys Lasdun

photo © isabelle lomholt

St Pancras Station : William Henry Barlow

photo © adrian welch

St Paul's Cathedral : Sir Christopher Wren

photo © adrian welch

Swiss Cottage Park : various architects

Photo from Gustafson Porter

Swiss Re - 30 St Mary's Axe : Foster + Partners

photo © adrian welch

Tate Modern : Herzog & de Meuron Architects

photo © isabelle lomholt

Tower 42 - former Nat West Tower : R. Seifert & Partners

photo © adrian welch

Unicorn Theatre : Keith Williams Architects

Photo : Hélène Binet

Victoria & Albert Museum : various architects

photo © adrian welch

Waterloo Station : Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners

photo © adrian welch

London Architecture Studios

Historic London Buildings:
Buckingham Palace
Hampton Court Palace
Houses of Parliament
Kensington Palace
Royal Academy
Senate House
Smithfield Market

English Architecture

Stansted Airport London

English Architects

Trafalgar Square London

New York Buildings



World Architecture : e-architect - a guide to key buildings across the globe

London Railway Station Buildings

RIBA Awards

Famous London Architect - Christopher Wren

London Photos - Scans of old architecture photos

Buildings / photos for the London Architecture page welcome: info@e-architect.co.uk

London Architecture - page © adrian welch / isabelle lomholt