10 Most Iconic Buildings in London

The Royal Albert Hall is located in London's Kensington neighbourhood and is among the most popular concert halls in the UK and the home of the Proms concert series. The magnificence of the circular auditorium building cannot be understated, and its natural acoustics are nothing short of spectacular. Not only does the Royal Albert Hall host classical music performances, but it's also a popular venue for mainstream artists from all over the world, including off-beat shows like orchestras covering new wave and goth bands. From classical music to hip hop, heavy metal and beyond, this is an iconic location for just about every kind of live music and entertainment performances.

Wembley Stadium is a massive football stadium that's among the largest in Europe and is the home of the England national football team and the FA Cup finals. The stadium offers 90,000 seats and is crowned by the famed Wembley Arch that rises 134 metres high and supports 75% of the stadium's roof load. Besides football matches, Wembley is a home for major live entertainment events. International artists who have played here in the past include George Michael, Bon Jovi, U2, Metallica, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Taylor Swift, Coldplay, AC/DC and Roger Waters. If you're on a trip to London, this stadium is a must-visit site, and it's easily serviced by 2 London Underground stations.

Southbank Centre is a complex of venues on the South Bank of the River Thames that form one of the largest art centres in Europe. It's composed of 3 main performance venues and an art gallery and attracts over 4 million visitors every year. The centre puts on over 2,000 music, literature and dance performances annually, and those are just the paid performances. Besides professional shows, the centre also hosts more than 2,000 free events, educational programmes, workshops and guest speakers. In addition, up to 6 major art exhibitions are on display at the Hayward Gallery every year.

The Shard is an awe-inspiring spike that pierces the sky in central London, rising nearly 310 metres into the air and offering its own vertical cityscape inside. This iconic tower was inaugurated in 2012 and has become a symbol of the city. From the top, you can see 40 miles in all directions, past the River Thames to the rolling hills beyond the city. The Shard was designed by Renzo Piano, who originally had no interest in designing a skyscraper, which he thought would be garish. Still, once the idea took hold, Piano agreed and created this steel-and-glass structure blocks from the London Bridge that symbolizes the city that has withstood hardship but also celebrated victory and tradition for centuries.

St Paul's Cathedral was for 3 centuries the dominating feature of the London skyline and today is an iconic, historic baroque structure that's part of the city's myth and majesty. It opened in 1711 and is considered a national treasure. Prince Charles and Princess Diana were married here, while Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a famous sermon in the building. It has even appeared in such popular works as 'Harry Potter' and 'Mary Poppins'. The cathedral withstood the London Blitz and a 1913 Suffragette plot to blow up the throne of the bishop. It's famed for its vast Whispering Gallery, where you can whisper to someone far across the room due to its unusual acoustics.

The Tower of London has played a role in British history for nearly a millennium, from a famed prison and execution tower to the home of the Crown Jewels. It was originally built in the heart of London by William the Conqueror as a sign of British power. In the 13th century, it functioned as a royal zoo. The tower is famed as the torture and execution place for such figures as Anne Boleyn, Sir Walter Raleigh and Guy Fawkes, and as the modern home of the Crown Jewels. Lucky visitors today can witness the nightly Ceremony of the Keys if they book at least a year ahead of time.

The Palace of Westminster is the heart of British politics where Parliament meets and is informally known as the Houses of Parliament, offering centuries of history and tradition. The formal name is derived from Westminster Abbey next door. It's owned by the British monarch and for ceremonial purposes still functions as a royal residence. The palace is one of the most visited attractions in London and was called 'a dream in stone' by Russian Tsar Nicholas I. It is a Grade I-listed building and a World Heritage Site. No casual access is permitted, but ticketed admission is permitted to certain restricted areas, as well as queued access to view committee sessions. Scheduled guided tours are also held for free.

Tate Modern was originally the first oil-fired power station in Great Britain and today is a cultural icon that houses a famed modern art museum. It was built in the 1940s but was shut down in the 1980s, where it sat crumbling until 2 relatively unknown artisans won a contest to turn it into the art museum it is today. It's one of the most visited museums of modern art in the entire world. Tate Modern is not only a landmark, but it has also played a major role in revitalising the South Bank area of the River Thames. Here you can view this historic building and its collection of thousands of important works of art spanning decades of history.

The Gherkin is among the first great contemporary skyscrapers to pierce the London skyline and rises 180 metres above the ground, thrice the height of Niagara Falls. This architectural wonder is officially named 30 St Mary Axe after a legendary church that supposedly vanished and contained Attila the Hun's axe. During its construction, the body of a Roman girl was found in the excavation. She was given a proper funeral and buried nearby. The bullet-shaped skyscraper was ridiculed when it was announced, but upon its opening it became an instant hit with the locals and has since become a destination for visitors. The steel-and-glass structure is nominally an office building, but the exterior is a great Instagram attraction.

The National Theatre features unique architecture that has been controversial among Londoners, but since its opening it has been a destination for London culture. The building was opened in 1976 and has made the lists of both the most hated and most beloved buildings in London ever since. The National Theatre is a neighbour of Southbank Centre and has an ultra-modern, angular beauty that's iconic of the Brutalist architectural style. Architecture tours of London highlight this building. It's also, of course, a place to take in publicly funded performing arts performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company and Royal Opera House, among others.