The Brit List: Five Eye-Catching London Buildings

: If you lose your bearings when knocking around London, the stellar dome atop St. Paul’s Cathedral will help you find your way back to the main road. Venturing inside the structure you will discover 1,161 steps standing between you and the top of the dome which holds the Golden Gallery. Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were married at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London on July 29, 1981.

: The Shard, aptly named, was inaugurated on July 5, 2012 and is now Western Europe’s tallest building towering at 1016 feet. The structure is a one-stop wonder with floors dedicated to office space, hotel and spa, apartments, restaurants and viewing areas for all to access. It has 44 elevators total, with two Willy Wonka-like, high-speed ‘kaleidoscopic’ elevators which can propel guests from ground level to the 68th floor in a mere 30 seconds!

: The Gherkin sits in the City of London’s financial district providing spectacular 360 degree views of the city from within the breathtaking glass dome which boasts a two-level restaurant and bar, 40/30, located on the 39th and 40th floor. The missle-shaped building is considered one of the city’s “greenest” buildings by combining natural ventilation with an enormous amount of natural light.

: This ultra modern, egg-shaped structure serves as the HQ to the Mayor of London and London Assembly. It features a large spiral staircase that ascends to the top of the ten story building. City Hall is located in Southwark, on the south bank of the Thames. Directly next to the building is the Scoop, a sunken outdoor amphitheater in which free concerts, plays, and film screenings are held in the summer.

: Banksy, an English graffiti artist known for his satire and activism, examines the world of art in the HBO documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop. Property owners might gripe about having spray paint on their wall but before white washing over it, they may like to know that a Banksy could increase the value of their property by tens of thousands of dollars. If you’re lucky, you might spot a Banksy in London … actually, you never know where he or his work might pop up!