Modern Architecture

Modern Architecture

The renaissance of modern architecture in the capital has two major cues: the City boom and the brouhaha of the millennium. During the mid-'80s, the financial City deregulated and broke its boundaries socially, geographically -- spreading east to Docklands -- and architecturally, too. New buildings surged upward between the traditional classic pillars of Wren and Soane. Richard Rogers was responsible for the strident and beautiful Lloyds building in the City early on in 1986, although the sexiness stakes have been upped by Sir Norman Foster, whose recent portfolio includes the groundbreaking "Gherkin," the cucumber-shaped tower for the Swiss Re headquarters (30 St. Mary Axe) in 2003, and, on the vegetable theme again, the mushroom-shaped City Hall for the London Assembly headquarters by Tower Bridge in 2002. Other architects have complemented rather than outshone their neighbors, such as Stirling, who designed No. 1 Poultry to work with the surrounding Wren, Hawksmoor, and Lutyens designs.

The millennium celebrations also inspired many updates for old institutions, such as Norman Foster's awesome glass roofing and design of the Great Court at the British Museum. Glass is featured again in Rick Mather's revamp of the Maritime Museum and the Wallace Collection, and likewise in Dixon-Jones's internal facelift at the National Portrait Gallery and overhaul of the Royal Opera House. Richard Rogers broke the mold with the inspiring and controversial Millennium Dome, and not to be forgotten are other stars of the millennium: the bridges and the wheel. Foster's sculpted "blade of light" pedestrian footbridge had a wobbly beginning, but is now a firm attraction (at the doorstep of the tremendous Tate Modern powerstation makeover by Herzog & de Meuron). The Hungerford Bridge by Lifschutz Davidson from Charing Cross to the South Bank Arts Centre crept into the postmillennium, but is no less dazzling. The British Airways London Eye observation wheel by David Marks and Julia Barfield was almost eclipsed by the publicity surrounding the Dome downriver, yet it opened on time to spectacular success -- and remains a tourist magnet and landmark on the constantly regenerating London horizon.