Building London: The Making of a Modern Metropolis

by Ptolemy Dean (Foreword), Bruce Marshall

The London cityscape has been intensely chronicled in photographs from daguerreotype to digital and is a visual laboratory for understanding the evolution of the modern city. This wonderful collection of images spans the city’s entire history, from ancient byways to beloved icons like St. Paul’s Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, and the neon lights of Piccadilly Circus. Much of modern London was built as recently as the nineteenth century and captured by the immediacy of photography. Included are such paradigm-shifting moments as the rebuilding of Westminster Palace after the devastating fire of 1834 into the Houses of Parliament we know today, the construction of the world’s first underground transportation system, and even the latest architectural wave that has been radically transforming contemporary London, such as Norman Foster’s Swiss Re Tower (aka the Gherkin). Witness how this dynamic city was built (and rebuilt), becoming the popular destination known today for its royal palaces, lively outdoor markets, lavish department stores, peaceful garden squares, naturalistic parks, and many magnificent museums. This is the perfect book for Anglophiles and for anyone who has fallen for London’s many charms.

Genres: Architecture

304 pages, Hardcover

First published September 27, 2007

Reviews

[GoldGato · Rating 4 out of 5]

In New York, they tear down and start again; London tends to retain and restore.

The re-making of London since 1990 has been astonishing. The process had already started during the Thatcherite eighties, and I saw it firsthand as each visit revealed something new and marvelous. Yet, the character of the city that is really a nation remains the same, which is quite a wonderful feat. Wren remains, Adam remains, Nash remains, but London prepared itself for the 21st century with inspiring architecture.

This book is a terrific accompaniment to Lost London: 1870 - 1945, as the reader can mourn for some lost treasures while admiring the new births. The photographs in this volume include 19th century shots, providing the reader with a clear view of the constant changes that have taken place over the decades.

Nowadays, I tell friends to meet up at the 'John Hurt Building'. Known to everyone else as the Swiss Re skyscraper (the Gherkin), I named it differently as it reminds me of the scene in ALIEN where John Hurt investigates the similar shaped objects and then gets the facehugger treatment. Vivid.

Book Season = Spring (of things to come)

[David Bisset · Rating 5 out of 5]

A splendid account of the architecture of London. It is arranged thematically with useful commentary and a stunning collection of historic photographs.