Like any respectable architect, I have been doing my homework. In two weeks, I am heading off on a quick 5-day trip to London to attend the London Design Festival, Decorex, 100% Design, and Tent London as part of a flotilla of US Design and Lifestyle blogger’s (and 1 architect) organized as Blog Tour 2011. It will be a design intensive 5 days but just like Anthony Bourdain, “I’m hungry for more”.
Armed with only my arms, the internet, a pad of paper, a Lamy pen, my lunch, black framed glasses, a Jack Spade messenger bag, 60 minutes (okay – a bunch of things), I put together a list of some places I would like to visit while in town. Since I have been to London a few other times, I kept some of the obvious destinations off this list (anyone who recommends St. Paul’s Cathedral wins the “I’m So Obvious I’m A Massive Dullard” award).
A n y w a y s ……
Here is my list, hopefully there will be a pub located by each one of these places – looking at buildings is thirsty work and if you plan on taking pictures of those buildings… well, I can guaranteed that you will become dehydrated. I made it this far in an hour but I’m sure that others can add to this list of must see buildings in London.
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Central St. Giles Court / Renzo Piano & Fletcher Priest Architects
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Swiss Re Building / Foster & Partners
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London City Hall / Foster & Partners
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Laban Dance Centre / Herzog & de Meuron
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The Blue Fin Building / Allies and Morrison
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Grand Union Walk Housing / Grimshaw Architects
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The City of London Information Centre / Make Architects
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One New Change / Jean Nouvel and Sidell Gibson Architects
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Donnybrook Quarter / Peter Barber Architects
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W London Leicester Square / Jestico + Whiles
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Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form / Jestico + Whiles
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Town Hall Hotel / rare
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Evelyn Grace Academy / Zaha Hadid Architects
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Longford Community School / Jonathan Clark
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London Metropolitan University / Daniel Libeskind
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The Great Court of the British Museum / Foster & Partners
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So what do you think? Surely I have a few obvious and embarrassing omissions in this list. Let me know in the comment section below –
Cheers!
ps – I think I am going to create time one night to meet a few people from London for a pint. If you are in London and are interested in being part of some weird pub thing, let me know and we’ll put some sort of list together.
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