Unbuilt London

Unbuilt London: The 500 foot high Skyport One heliport

In the early days of the motorcar, architects were already looking to what would replace it as the popular transport of the upper classes, and obviously, private helicopters were to be the transport of choice.

Unbuilt London: A balloon barrage surrounding the city

In 1938, as ideas were being made for the defence of London, plans were shown off to surround London with a massive “aerial mine-field” made from over a thousand deadly balloons.

Unbuilt London: A giant pyramid for Hyde Park

Compared to the great monuments of ancient lands, there are few if any buildings in London which can withstand the ravages of the millennia, and it’s time to build a mighty monument so that future generations can remember the grandeur that is the capital of a mighty empire.

Unbuilt London: Trafalgar Square as a Multi-Storey Car Park

Trafalgar Square’s a big empty space isn’t it. Surrounded by roads full of cars looking for somewhere to park. What a waste of space it is. Lets turn it into a car park!

Unbuilt London: A cable car across the Thames

There were once plans to build a cable car that would link the Millennium Dome with the DLR on the north side of the river. Obviously, no such cable car was ever built.

Unbuilt London: Turn St James’ Park into a giant roundabout

In the early 1890s, a Scottish architect published a grand scheme to rebuild central London. Away with tired old narrow streets and hello to Parisian boulevards. Goodbye to St James’ Park and hello to a massive road network and roundabout.

Unbuilt London: High Paddington

Today, the land behind Paddington station is an array of glossy office blocks. But they shouldn’t be there. It’s supposed to be a 1960s array of housing towers.

Unbuilt London: The Thames Airport

No not that one, the other one. No, not that one either, the other one. Yes, this one — the giant airport right in the centre of London on the Thames, next to Parliament.

Unbuilt London: The 1960s Fun Palace

In an age where people were thinking the future of mankind was more leisure and less work, thoughts turned to how such pleasure was to be enjoyed.

Unbuilt London: A 500 Foot Tall Monument to the Battle of Britain

A massive pyramid, topped with a pillar, and then some more — not the Post Office Tower, but a monument to the Battle of Britain.

Unbuilt London: Straightening the River Thames

The River Thames is a rather curvy beast, especially around the Isle of Dogs, but had a plan in 1796 been carried out, it would be considerably straighter.

Unbuilt London: Britannia Triumphant upon Greenwich Hill

Greenwich could today be less famous for its observatory and meridian, than for a gigantic statue which would have dominated the area.

Unbuilt London: Replacing buses with a monorail network

In 1967, the Conservative Party published a document calling for the scrapping of buses in central London – and replacing them with a huge Monorail network.

Unbuilt London: The 1,000 foot tall Golden Tower

In 1832, Parliament passed the Great Reform Act, and London’s skyline was nearly as radically reformed, with a 1,000 feet tall gold plated column to commemorate the occasion.

Unbuilt London: The King’s Cross Airport

When planes were small and buildings expected to be large, putting an airport right in the center of a city was seen as a very sensible idea. And thus it was that in 1931, an architect showed off one of…

Unbuilt London: The Iron Bridge

Just over 200 years ago, plans were shown off to replace the venerable London Bridge with a massive single span iron bridge.

Unbuilt London: Stepney’s Massive Clock Tower

Nearly a hundred years ago, plans were shown of for a mighty civic new building for the east-end of London that would have dominated the skyline for miles around.

Unbuilt London: A giant pyramid on Trafalgar Square

200 years ago, a plan was announced to plonk a giant pyramid in the centre of London, for no purpose other than to cock a snoot at the French.

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Unbuilt London

Unbuilt London: The 500 foot high Skyport One heliport

Unbuilt London: A balloon barrage surrounding the city

Unbuilt London: A giant pyramid for Hyde Park

Unbuilt London: Trafalgar Square as a Multi-Storey Car Park

Unbuilt London: A cable car across the Thames

Unbuilt London: Turn St James’ Park into a giant roundabout

Unbuilt London: High Paddington

Unbuilt London: The Thames Airport

Unbuilt London: The 1960s Fun Palace

Unbuilt London: A 500 Foot Tall Monument to the Battle of Britain

Unbuilt London: Straightening the River Thames

Unbuilt London: Britannia Triumphant upon Greenwich Hill

Unbuilt London: Replacing buses with a monorail network

Unbuilt London: The 1,000 foot tall Golden Tower

Unbuilt London: The King’s Cross Airport

Unbuilt London: The Iron Bridge

Unbuilt London: Stepney’s Massive Clock Tower

Unbuilt London: A giant pyramid on Trafalgar Square

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