England: London, Architecture as Art

The Lloyd’s Building

London is in the midst of a tall building boom. Modern structures are now common and the city has become a hodge-podge of old and new. Some of the modern structures like the Shard and the Gherkin have redefined London’s skyline. Other structures make their impact up close.

 The Lloyd’s Building near Leadenhall Market is of the later category. It makes its best impression close up. Indeed, in 2011, a mere 25 years after its completion, the Lloyd’s Building was protected with a Grade 1 listing from English Heritage. It is the youngest structure to ever receive such a distinction.

All the building activity has made London a curious conglomeration of old and new. Around each corner you never quite know what sort of building you are going to find. There could be an historic brick structure or it could be a stylish glass and steel modern creation. The unpredictable canvas of the city leaves the observer to decide which buildings qualify as art and which are merely utilitarian structures.

Paddington Basin