3 Amazing Listed Buildings In London
Listed buildings will always be of particular interest, celebrated for their special architectural and historical interest. The older a building is and how rare examples of its specific kind are, the more likely it is to be listed.
We’re very lucky in England to have more than 400,000 listed buildings around the country and we’re very blessed with an incredibly rich architectural history - particularly in London, which is home to some of the finest examples of architectural design and style.
Going on a tour of the capital looking for some of the best listed buildings to be found there would be a wonderful way to explore the city. Here are just three of our favourite examples of listed buildings in London for you to put on the must-see list.
The decommissioned coal-fired Battersea Power Station is Grade II-listed and can be found on the south bank of the River Thames. It’s one of the biggest brick buildings in the world and is renowned for its original Art Deco interior design and fittings.
It’s made up of two power stations, which were built in two stages between 1929 and 1941. Construction was put on hold because of the second world war and the site was eventually finished in 1955. It was given listed status in 1980 on account of its outstanding interest on architectural grounds.
One of the most iconic features on the London skyline has to be Senate House, a stunning example of Art Deco architecture designed by Charles Holden (best known at the time for designing London Underground stations).
Construction on the Grade II-listed building began in 1932 and it was given listed status in 1969. You may well recognise its beautiful Art Deco interiors, as well as its impressive exterior and courtyard, as it’s been given the Hollywood treatment many times, including in Batman Begins, The Theory of Everything and The Dark Knight Rises.
It was also the inspiration for the Ministry of Truth, the landmark building in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four.
The Lloyd’s building - also known as the inside-out building - is Grade I-listed and prized for its architectural innovation as a late 20th century design by one of the most significant modern architects of the time, Richard Rogers.
The site itself takes its name from Welshman Edward Lloyd who opened a coffee house in Tower Street way back in 1688. The shop served as a meeting place for merchants, shipowners and seafarers, as well as the first-ever underwriters who insured ships and their cargo.
The Portland stone arched entranceway to the building is a World War I memorial arch that was designed in 1922 and is all that survives of the original building, later to be restored and re-erected on Leadenhall Street.
Do you need help with listed building restoration at the moment? Get in touch with the Ovolo London team today to see what we can achieve.