Centre Point
Here you can explore the images on this site that feature Centre Point.
Where Oxford Street meets Tottenham Court Road and Charing Cross Road, Centre Point was for a long time the only tall building in that part of London. It was designed by Richard Seifert’s practice, with George Marsh as the lead architect, and completed in 1966. At 117 metres and 34 storeys it was among the first skyscrapers in the capital, and its precast concrete facade, a honeycomb of shaped panels that gives the tower its pattern, was a piece of engineering in itself.
It is best remembered for standing empty. The developer, Harry Hyams, left the tower unlet for the best part of a decade, and it became a national symbol of property speculation, the subject of protests and questions in Parliament. It was occupied by housing campaigners for a weekend in 1974. The building was listed Grade II in 1995, and between 2015 and 2018 it was converted into flats, with the ground around it remodelled for the new Elizabeth line station beneath.
Seifert also designed Tower 42 in the City and the tower on the South Bank now known as South Bank Tower, and the family resemblance is clear from a distance.
Seen across London, Centre Point is a marker for the West End. It stands on its own, well away from the City cluster and the Westminster group, so it is often the only thing that tells you where Oxford Street is. In the Trafalgar Square panorama it is the tower peering over the roofs to the north.
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London Begins
A London Sunrise Panorama A new day over London, and the sunrise washes over the city. The square mile is drenched in light, the enormous buildings momentarily insubstantial. Usually, it’s the tall buildings that are the heroes of any cityscape. But here, the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court at the British Museum really proclaims its…
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Trafalgar Square Twilight Panorama
Trafalgar Square at twilight is one of London’s defining views. This high-resolution panorama captures the moment the lights come on across the square: Nelson’s Column and the Landseer lions illuminated against a darkening sky, the fountains catching the last of the day, and the grand facades of the National Gallery, Canada House and South Africa…
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Sundown Over Waterloo
London panorama taking in the view across London. Some south London landmarks can be seen including Battersea Power Station, Waterloo Station and the BFI Imax, and the front of the Imperial War Museum between the trees. View at fullscreen and zoom in to see the detail and you will pick out many more London sights…
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London In Detail
In this panorama you can view The Shard under construction, with Canary Wharf seemingly just behind it. The level of resolution allows you to zoom in and see an incredible level of detail. Please click the ‘Fullscreen’ button for the best viewing experience and you can further explore the image to find many more of…
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Hampstead Heath Views – London Panorama
I’m fortunate to live within easy reach of Hampstead Heath – a 790 acre stretch of land where the view over London is protected by law! The height of the Heath makes it a great place to capture London’s landmark buildings from a distance. This view includes the Gherkin (St Mary Axe), Tower 42, The…
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Centre Point, London
Centre Point was for many people a symbol of everything that was wrong with British architecture and property development. Its design was considered ugly, and it lay empty for more than 15 years as that was considered more profitable than leasing the space. Now however, Centre Point is a grade II listed building. This virtual…