Modern London tells the story of how London, a seemingly untameable tangle of a city, became modern. It’s an intriguing tale of struggle between the long-held and esteemed architectural traditions of the island nation and the inescapable influences of modern American and European design. Divided into decades, a century of evolution from the 1920s to the present day is explored through the illustration of dozens of notable buildings; an eclectic mix of popular landmarks, demolished masterpieces and forgotten oddities. Each are placed in their wider cultural context by technological and transport innovations of the time.
Unlike New York with its patchwork grid, and Paris with its long, tree-lined boulevards, London is not the result of a grand plan – it was (and still is) shaped by invisible and often contradictory forces. The pace of change of the cityscape is ever increasing, and so it’s now more important than ever to understand how London came to look as it does today. Reading this book might not only help you understand the capital’s history and present-day visage, but also give you clues as to its architectural future.