In London, you don’t just walk past buildings-you walk through layers of time. One moment you’re standing beneath the gothic arches of St. Paul’s, the next you’re staring up at the glass spear of The Shard, reflecting the same sky that once watched horse-drawn carriages roll down Fleet Street. This city doesn’t preserve its past in museums. It lives in its architecture. And nowhere is that more visible than in the way old and new buildings stand shoulder to shoulder, sometimes barely a stone’s throw apart.
The Gherkin and the Bank of England
Walk from the City of London’s financial heart toward Fenchurch Street, and you’ll see it: the curved, bottle-green glass of 30 St Mary Axe-better known as The Gherkin. Built in 2004, it wasn’t just a bold design choice. It was a statement. Its shape wasn’t just for show; it reduced wind shear by 20%, cut energy use by 50%, and became the blueprint for sustainable skyscrapers across Europe. Yet just 200 meters away, the Bank of England’s 18th-century stone façade, with its heavy columns and wrought-iron gates, still guards the nation’s gold reserves. No one’s tried to tear it down. No one’s even thought of it. Instead, the modern tower leans into the past like a respectful neighbor.Architect Norman Foster didn’t design The Gherkin to outshine history. He designed it to coexist. That’s the London way. You don’t erase. You adapt.
Tower Bridge and the Thames
Cross Tower Bridge on a weekday morning, and you’ll see commuters rushing past the same Victorian bascules that lifted for steamships in 1894. Now, they still rise-for tall-masted yachts, river cruise boats, and the occasional Royal Navy vessel. The bridge’s original steam engines were replaced with electric hydraulics in 1976, but the hand-painted warning signs and the iron walkways? Still original. You can even climb the glass-floored walkways and see the machinery below, still ticking like a grandfather clock.Just downstream, the modern Tower Bridge Quay development blends glass and steel with brickwork that echoes the bridge’s own masonry. Nearby, the Tate Modern sits in a converted power station, its turbine hall now hosting massive installations while the original chimneys still pierce the skyline. London doesn’t turn old buildings into tourist traps. It turns them into living spaces.
The Shard and the Roman Wall
From the top of The Shard, you can see the entire city sprawl beneath you. But look closer, and you’ll spot something unexpected: a chunk of Roman wall, barely waist-high, tucked between a Pret A Manger and a coffee shop near London Bridge Station. Built in AD 200, it’s one of the last surviving fragments of Londinium’s defensive barrier. Tourists rarely notice it. Locals step over it without a second glance.That’s the magic of London’s skyline. The Shard, at 310 meters, is the tallest building in the UK. But it doesn’t dominate. It frames. From its observation deck, you can see the Tower of London’s white tower, the dome of St. Paul’s, the brick chimneys of Bermondsey’s old breweries, and the glass curve of 20 Fenchurch Street-the ‘Walkie Talkie’-all in one view. The city doesn’t compete with its past. It arranges it like a collage.
Big Ben and the New Royal Courts of Justice
Big Ben-the clock tower, not the bell-isn’t just a symbol. It’s a working machine. Its four dials are still hand-cranked by a team of clockmakers who climb 334 steps every week to wind it. The mechanism, designed by Edmund Beckett Denison in 1854, still keeps time to within two seconds a week. Meanwhile, just across the river, the New Royal Courts of Justice, opened in 2021, is a glass-and-steel building with a public atrium that lets sunlight flood through its courts. The old courts, with their oak paneling and stained glass, still operate alongside it. Lawyers in wigs argue cases in both buildings. The law hasn’t changed. The buildings just got better at letting people in.
Why This Matters for Londoners
This isn’t just about architecture. It’s about identity. In a city that’s seen plagues, fires, bombs, and rapid immigration, London’s buildings are the only things that have stayed through it all. You can’t buy a new history. You can’t import a legacy. So London keeps what works.When you walk through Covent Garden, you’re stepping on the same cobbles that echoed with street performers since the 1600s. The market stalls now sell artisanal sourdough and vegan pastries, but the arches? Still original. When you take the Tube from King’s Cross to Paddington, you’re riding through tunnels dug by Victorian engineers. The stations have been upgraded, but the tiles still bear the names of the original contractors.
That’s why Londoners don’t get excited about flashy new buildings. They get excited when a new building respects the old ones. When the Bloomberg European HQ, opened in 2017, was designed with a public roof garden that mirrors the shape of the Roman road it was built over. When the new Elizabeth Line stations kept the original brickwork of the old signal boxes. When developers are required by the City of London Corporation to preserve at least 30% of any historic façade during renovation.
Where to See This Collision in Person
If you want to feel this blend for yourself, here’s where to go:- Walk from Leadenhall Market to the Cheesegrater (122 Leadenhall Street)-a 15-minute stroll through a 19th-century covered arcade into a 2014 steel-and-glass wedge.
- Visit the Barbican Estate-a brutalist housing complex built in the 1970s on the ruins of a bombed-out medieval church. The church? Still there. Rebuilt. Now used for concerts.
- Head to Southwark and stand between the Globe Theatre (a 1997 reconstruction of Shakespeare’s original) and the modern Shard. The same river flows between them.
- Take the Circle Line from St. James’s Park to Westminster. Look out the window-you’ll see the Houses of Parliament, the Westminster Abbey cloisters, and the new Crossrail building all in one glance.
The Unspoken Rule of London Architecture
There’s a quiet rule here: never let the new erase the old. Even when a building is condemned, London finds a way to keep its soul. The old Battersea Power Station? Turned into luxury flats, but the four chimneys were preserved exactly as they were. The old Smithfield Meat Market? Now a tech hub, but the butchers’ stalls still line the walls. Even the abandoned railway arches under London Bridge are now filled with street food vendors, their signs painted on the same brick that once held coal carts.This isn’t nostalgia. It’s practicality. Old brick holds heat better. Old stone lasts longer. Old layouts make better foot traffic. And in a city where space is precious, reusing what’s already there saves money, energy, and memory.
What This Means for Visitors and Newcomers
If you’re new to London, don’t just visit the postcard spots. Look down. Look up. Look sideways. Notice how the brick of a 17th-century pub matches the cladding of a 2020 office tower. See how the wrought iron of a Victorian lamppost is mirrored in the railing of a new riverwalk. These aren’t accidents. They’re choices.When you eat at Dishoom in Covent Garden, you’re in a space designed to feel like a 1960s Bombay café-but the building is a 1920s former bank. The original safe is now a wine cellar. The teller windows? Now serving chai.
That’s London. It doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. It doesn’t fake history. It lets history sit beside the new, and lets both breathe.
What’s Next for London’s Skyline?
The next big project? The London Riverside scheme near Canary Wharf. It’s a 20-year plan to build 10,000 homes, but it’s also a chance to reconnect the river with the city. New buildings will be no taller than the 19th-century warehouses along the Thames. The old grain silos? Still standing. The old crane? Still there. Just repainted.There’s talk of a new bridge near Tower Bridge-this time, for cyclists and pedestrians. But the design brief? Must echo the original’s arches. Must use the same red-and-white color scheme. Must not block the view of St. Paul’s.
That’s the rule. Always.
Why are London’s old buildings still in use instead of being replaced?
London’s old buildings are still in use because they’re built to last. Many were constructed with high-quality materials like London stock brick and Portland stone, which outlast modern concrete. Plus, the city’s planning laws require developers to preserve historic facades and structures where possible. Reusing buildings is also cheaper and greener than demolition and rebuilding-something London takes seriously in its climate goals.
Which London building best represents the blend of old and new?
The Barbican Estate is the clearest example. Built in the 1970s on the site of a WWII-bombed area, it combines brutalist concrete with medieval church ruins, Tudor-style gardens, and a world-class concert hall. The original St. Giles Cripplegate church still stands inside the complex, fully restored and used for performances. No other place in London so clearly layers centuries into one living space.
Are there guided tours focused on London’s architectural contrasts?
Yes. The London Architecture Walk, run by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), offers themed tours like "Modern Meets Medieval" and "Steel and Stone: The City’s Evolution." Local guides point out hidden details-like how the Gherkin’s spiraling form echoes the curve of the Thames, or how the Shard’s glass reflects the pattern of the Roman road beneath it. Many tours start at London Bridge Station and end at the Tate Modern.
Can you visit the inside of iconic buildings like The Gherkin or The Shard?
The Gherkin is mostly private office space, but you can book a meal at its top-floor restaurant, Sky Garden, which offers free public access with advance booking. The Shard has a public observation deck on the 68th, 69th, and 72nd floors, with ticketed entry. Both offer stunning views that let you see how the old and new buildings align across the city.
What’s the most underrated building that shows this blend?
The former General Post Office on St. Martin’s Le Grand. Now home to the Royal Mail’s headquarters, its 1890s façade still stands, but inside, the old sorting halls have been turned into a high-tech data center. The original postal chutes? Still visible-now used as lighting shafts. It’s a quiet masterpiece of adaptive reuse.
