The City Model & The London Centre
NLA (New London Architecture) is an independent organisation for anyone and everyone with an interest in London’s built environment. Their basic remit is to engage with government, business and the public to educate, challenge, connect and create positive change.
In April 2023 they opened a new facility in the West Wing of the Guildhall complex. It’s a quiet respite filled with meeting rooms and facilities that make it an ideal “hub for the built environment profession”. But it’s free for anyone to enter, so it’s also an ideal place for something else that I encourage everyone who loves London to go see: scale models of the world’s greatest city!
To facilitate city planning and other discussions about buildings, growth and expansion, the Centre houses not one, not two, but three large scale models. Here’s a quick synopsis of each:
City of London Model (1:500 scale)
This is the original model and it’s one for the history buffs. Anything in grey was built before 1945, enabling you to see the extent of central London that was re-built after the Blitz. The scale allows for lots of detail to be articulated — it’s not just boxy blocks — and some of the newest, modern marvel high-rises even light up!
New London Model (1:2000 scale)
In this newer model they’re shrunk the buildings and doubled the footprint of the original, greatly expanding just how much you can see from a virtual “sky-high” vantage point. The model represents a 200 km2 area of Greater London, showing 240,000 buildings using data from 2012. So you can imagine my surprise when I spotted an inaccuracy as I went looking for my flat!
Royal Docks Model (1:1000 scale)
The newest model is fully 3D printed and shows a relatively undeveloped area of Greater London that is sure to see lots and lots of cranes over the next few decades. Plus, it’s got the City Airport.
In addition to the models there are dozens of wall displays exploring various areas, opportunities and the unique London logistics that city planners and builders must consider. The entire centre is a living, working resource that also serves as a fantastic educational opportunity for anyone with an active interest in the seemingly endless queue of expansion, renovation and regeneration projects.
Entry is free so there’s no need to book. Just turn up, and note that on Fridays they host free lunchtime talks from 12:30 - 13:00.
Plan your visit
The London Centre is located at 3 Aldermanbury, London EC2V 7HH
Open Tue-Sat 11:00-17:00
Free entry
Visit thelondoncentre.org for more info about the venue.
Visit nla.london and follow @nlalondon on Instagram for more info about the organisation.
Note: This review supersedes my original review of The City Model published in February 2022.
🖼️ Want more art? Visit the What’s On page to see a list of recommended shows, sorted by closing date. Don’t miss ‘em!