The Stories Behind London’s Best Architecture

Like its people, London is full of stories, and nowhere is the history better charted than its architecture. Every day we walk, cycle, train and bus past buildings as familiar to us as old friends. Yet how many of them have histories we know nothing of? And how many of those histories have more than meets the eye? We’re handpicking some of London’s best architectural stories in a series to show you yet another side to our sprawling city. This week, we head to the centre for some of our more notable architecture.

St Paul’s Cathedral

So yeah, it’s a really obvious choice. Of course it is – it’s been the centre of the city since it was built and has had a say in every building surrounding it. Did you know that nothing was allowed to be built higher than St Paul’s for 250 years after its reconstruction? That’s why there’s still a dearth of Shard-like buildings surrounding it. There are also protected views to St Paul’s from spots all over the city that halt high-rises in their tracks. Of the 13 protected London vistas, 8 are to the cathedral.

For that matter, did you know St Paul’s Cathedral was a reconstruction? The building as we know it was constructed after the Great Fire in 1666 by Christopher Wren, the architect who shaped London after the blaze. If you haven’t seen what it looked like before… well, just take a look. You’re in for a surprise. Gone is the iconic dome, gone the white Portland stone – it’s a Gothic cathedral through and through. It’s amazing to see just how different a building could be, and how radical Wren’s change was.

What’s more incredible is that Wren’s is not the second but fourth incarnation. St Paul’s really is London’s phoenix from the very literal flames. The cathedral has been stone, wood and stone again; it has survived dilapidation and disrepair, two significant bomb strikes, two fires, three reconstructions, numerous monarchs, Occupy protests, and of course, tourists by the bucket-load. You have to hand it to St Paul’s: it’s the most stalwart, long-suffering Londoner we know.

Tate Modern

You’ve probably noticed Tate Modern’s resemblance to the beloved Battersea Power Station. It doesn’t take much to guess that it too was once a power station – Bankside. Tate has celebrated the fact, keeping the original Turbine Hall as a single gallery, despite the possibilities for its size and space.

What isn’t well known is that the Tate Group were actually stuck between whether to site their new gallery in Bankside Power Station or Battersea. Both had the look they wanted, having been built by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott – the man who also gave us our red telephone boxes, would you believe. In the end, the decision came down to space. Tate didn’t think they would ever have enough visitors to make purchasing the much bigger Battersea worthwhile. Ahh, the benefit of hindsight, hey?

Tate Modern was overwhelmed with gallery-goers, far exceeding what they would have needed for Battersea. Since its purchase, the group has had good and bad luck with their Bankside building. Tate had hoped to use the central stack as a gallery, but those hopes were swiftly stomped on. Turns out, that innocent looking chimney is to this day chock-full of asbestos. Seeing as most people don’t like their Louise Bourgeois with a side of lung disease, they’ve been forced to leave well alone.

Conversely, the building has been bountiful. Originally, the redeveloped Bankside was meant to be coal-fired. However, a 1947 coal shortage forced them towards oil, meaning three massive underground storage tanks were built. A serendipitous situation that gave us The Tanks in 2016 – the most anticipated modern art space in recent years.

For us, Tate Modern shows exactly what London is capable of against the odds. It’s the ultimate architecture fairy tale: the phenomenal rebirth of a building once overlooked, unloved and set for demolition.

Leadenhall Market

It doesn’t take much to see the beauty of Leadenhall Market once you find it. Tucked away off Gracechurch Street, you’d be forgiven for walking straight past, but one quick turn will have you stood in one of London’s oldest markets, dating from the 14th century.

The market stands on what was once the great forum of Londinium – the centre of Roman London. By the 1300’s, it had become the Manor of Leadenhall. Despite its grand name, this manor is where the humble market origins began. The area became a place to gather, attracting poultry and cheese merchants, until the use simply stuck.

Dick Whittington, London’s legendary mayor, turned the manor over to the citizens. It was then changed into a school, granary and chapel where the market boomed, with food taking over till the present day. Despite its proximity, the market survived the 1666 fire unscathed and was only rebuilt as the colourful, bustling Leadenhall we know today in 1881.

The most famous resident of Leadenhall was named Old Tom. He was quite the character, and a great favourite amongst the stalls and pubs. He lived on free grub from the locals until his death at the age of 38. Tom was so loved by all that after his passing, he was laid in state at the market itself and buried there too. Old Tom also happened to be a goose.

Where one finds an Old Tom and a legendary Dick, some form of Harry can’t be far behind. It took until 2000 for him to arrive, but he was worth the wait. Leadenhall was used in the first Harry Potter film – find it on the lead up to the Leaky Cauldron. You might have caught another glimpse of it in 2012, when it became part of the Olympic Marathon course.

The reason I love Leadenhall Market is that it’s a living, breathing slice of our city’s history. It’s been a Roman forum and Medieval manor, a place for the people, a world stage, with food as its main feature and an inexplicable animal love affair thrown in. If that isn’t London, I don’t know what is.

The post The Stories Behind London’s Best Architecture appeared first on Felix Magazine.