Wren’s Desire
London. Over 2000 years of urban history winding along the Thames. Everywhere one looks there is a constant reminder of the past among the present. Roman masonry across the street from Richard Rogers’ high-tech expressionism. World Heritage Sites among ostentatious skyscrapers. Royal palaces in the foreground of world financial centers. Olympic villages on top of reclaimed brown fields.
As London has evolved, it’s kept much of its previous DNA, even if as appendices in many cases. As the city continues to change, what will we decide to save and discard? The things we produce and keep as a society reflect our needs and values. London is an incredible menagerie of what we hold dear, even if for the wrong reasons.
If New York was delirious then London is raw. Faced with confronting plague, the Great Fire, and the Blitz, it has kept its markers of preservation while carrying on with progress.
London Wall and 88 Wood Street
Tower of London and Beyond
Queen’s House and Canary Wharf
I really appreciate all of your photos that you have provided in this post, especially the picture from the Observatory because I did not have a chance to wander over there. I also found the quote that you took a picture of in Greenwich intriguing, as well. Thinking about architecture throughout the years is pretty amazing. The fact that an architects work is on display at all times is something amazing and hard to come by in an occupation. Architecture is an unmatched part of history that will always be evolving and hopefully becoming more and more sustainable. Your post is well written and opens up an entire discussion about how architecture is is incredibly unique.