Walking tour of London Bridge
A walking tour of the extraordinary architecture around London Bridge, Southwark and the Square Mile created for Shangri-La The Shard
Listen to Open City’s new on-demand audio guide — led by the eminent architect Charles Holland — which explores the architectural landmarks surrounding London Bridge and the Square Mile.
Designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, The Shard is the tallest building in the United Kingdom. Its 72-storeys include offices, homes, an observation deck and the five-star Shangri-La The Shard hotel. Completed in 2013, the landmark building occupies a prominent position close to London Bridge, bordering the historic precincts of Southwark and the Square Mile.
This landscape is defined by centuries of ambitious architecture on both sides of the River Thames – reflecting the dreams and hopes of the millions of visionary people from around the world who have visited London for trade and leisure and who have also made it their home.
This tour tells its story…
Route Notes
This circular route is designed to be undertaken s a walking tour starting and finishing at Shangri-La The Shard and taking approximately 2.5 hours to complete, depending on the length of your stops.
Find out more about the route and listening point below
Listening Point 1 - The Shard
Architect: Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Date completed: 2013
Listening Point 2 - Hay’s Wharf
Architect: Harry Stuart Goodhart Rendell
Date completed: 1931
Listening Point 3 - London Bridge
Architect: William Holford
Date completed: 1971
Listening Point 4 - The Monument
Architect: Christopher Wren & Robert Hookes
Date completed: 1677
Listening Point 5 - St Mary Woolnoth
Architect: Nicholas Hawksmoor
Date completed: 1727
Listening Point 6 - New Court
Architect: Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA)
Date completed: 2011
Listening Point 7 - Bank of England
Architect: John Soane & Herbert Baker
Date Completed: 1833 - 1933
Listening Point 8 - No 1 Poultry
Architect: James Stirling & Michael Wilford and Associates
Date Completed: 1997
Listening Point 9 - Bracken House
Architect: Albert Richardson, Hopkins Architects & John Robertson Architects
Date Completed: 1958 - 2019
Listening Point 10 - Tate Modern
Architect: Herzog & de Meuron
Date Completed: 2000 - 2016
Listening Point 11 - Borough Market
Architect: Henry Rose & Greig and Stephenson Architects
Date Completed: 1851 - 2015
Meet your tour guide
Charles Holland heads up his own international architecture and design studio — Charles Holland Architects. Their work is multi-disciplinary in scope and includes buildings, exhibitions, public art and urban design as well as teaching and research.
Before forming CHA, Charles was a founding director of Ordinary Architecture and a director of FAT. Whilst at FAT he was the director in charge of a number of key projects including A House For Essex, the practice's collaboration with Grayson Perry.
Alongside his practice activities Charles is involved in teaching, writing and research. He is a Professor of Architecture at the University of Brighton and a Visiting Professor at the ABK in Stuttgart.
The production of this tour and audio guide was sponsored by Shangri-La The Shard