You may already know about the huge redevelopment of Canada Water in South East London. As a design centre piece for the scheme, Glen Howells has finalised the design for a trademark tower to complement the housing scheme being developed by Barratt homes.

Phase A of the development will see 688 new homes added to the area as well as four low rise blocks and Howells 27 storey tower. The building will front onto Surrey Quays road just near the underground station. It will feature as part of the design shifting planes of glazing with vertical columns running over up the length of the tower.

The Millennium Dome is the largest of its type in the world. The concept of the exhibition arena opened to the public on the 1st of January 2000 (hence the name) and is located on the Greenwich Peninsula.

In its early career the dome was classed as a flop by the press and general public because a use for it could not be found after the millennium. It took until 2005 when the dome was rebadged the O2 arena that a useful purpose could be found for it. It underwent extensive redevelopment into an indoor arena and exhibition space and was opened to the public on the 24th of July 2007 with a concert performed by rock band Bon Jovi.

The Houses of Parliament is an iconic building in the heart of London that is easily recognisable as one of London’s most eye catching buildings. The site is actually the Palace of Westminster which is a royal palace that used to be the residence of the kings of England. The extensive building comprises of 1200 rooms, 100 stairwells, and over two miles of corridors. Amongst these is Westminster Hall which is now used for ceremonial events.

The Palace of Westminster was the residence of the kings of England between the 11th century and the 14th century. By the end of the 14th century all aspects of the court of England was located in the palace.

The Palace of Westminster has several towers, the biggest being 323 feet tall and home to the Parliamentary archives. At the north end of the Palace is the famous Big Ben, it is 316 feet tall and a must see on any visit to London.

Over the next few posts we are going to Focus on London primarily and have a look at the different types of architecture over the ages and discuss pivitol changes in architecture style and the buildings that defined the age.

It goes without saying that one of the most iconic buildings in London’s history is the Globe Theatre, where many of William Shakespeare’s were acted out for the first time. It was built in 1599 to house The King’s Men, Shakespeare’s own theatre company. The thatch caught light in 1613 during a performance of Henry VII and the theatre was badly damaged. It was completely destroyed in 1643 during the English Civil War.

The concept of rebuilding the Globe was the conceptual idea of American actor and Director Sam Wanamaker. He founded the Shakespeare Globe Trust in 1970 and in 1987 building work began on a site on the south bank of the Thames not far from where the original Globe was situated. In 1993 the construction of the actual theatre began and building was completed in 1997.

The theatre stages many shows and events throughout the year and is a must visit on any trip to London.

It’s a easy decision for me as I’m from Blackpool so it’s something that I’ve grown up with from a young age. Opened on 14 May 1894 the tower was based on the Eiffel Tower. Standing at 158m (518ft 9 inches) the tower can be seen from most areas of Lancashire and even on a clear day from Liverpool and Manchester.

As well as the tower the building below is a large building with many areas including a circus, aquairum, resturants, At the top of the tower there is a walk of faith installed in 1998 which is a glass walkway that is 2 inches thick.

Work on the Shard Skyscraper London started this month which will become one of the tallest buildings in eastern Europe. The building located at 32 London Bridge Street London will break the 1000 ft mark with the roof reaching 1,004 ft and the antenna 1,017 ft. The building will have 87 floors.

The building is due to be finishing in 2012 after architects Renzo Piano had to go through a gruelling planning application. The building will contain a hotel and offices to be let, London transport have agreed to be one of the many occupants. 5 cranes will be used to make the huge tower over it’s 2 and half year building process.