City Hall, London

City Hall is the office of the Greater London Authority. This is where the Mayor of London has its office, and where the London Assembly is housed. The building designed by Lord Norman Foster was completed in July 2002 at a cost of £65 million. It is located in Southwark, on the South Bank of the River Thames, near the Tower Bridge.

Despite its name, the City Hall building is neither located in nor does it serve a city, as Greater London is not a "city" such as the City of London, which already has its headquarters in the Guildhall.

The bulbous shape of the City Hall building is intended to improve energy efficiency. It has received unflattering comments from a number of individuals, including former mayor Ken Livingstone, who called it the "glass testicle" while the present mayor Boris Johnson called it "The Glass Gonad", and more politely, "The Onion".

The City Hall building has a 500-meter helical walkway similar to that of New York City's Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

How to reach City Hall

Take the Jubilee Line or Northern Line to the London Bridge Tube Station and walk a short distance from there.

Location map of City Hall

List of Modern Architecture in London and Government Buildings in London