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BSC ARCHITECTURE
REEM
LONDON’S ARCHITECTURE 2
Table of Contents
Abstract............................................................................................................................................3
Introduction......................................................................................................................................5
Scope of London’s Regeneration.................................................................................................5
Wembley Park Architectural Regeneration.....................................................................................7
Current Wembley regeneration projects..........................................................................................7
Wembley Housing........................................................................................................................7
Land on Wembley High Road, East of Cecil Avenue.................................................................8
Wembley Stadium.........................................................................................................................10
Old Wembley Stadium...............................................................................................................10
History of the old Stadium...................................................................................................10
New Wembley Stadium........................................................................................................13
Wembley Regeneration.................................................................................................................13
Influence of politics on the architectural design of the Wembley region in London.................16
Changing the overall’s architecture of London.............................................................................18
LONDON’S ARCHITECTURE 3
Abstract
The architecture and politics are in close association. The architecture mechanism is
decided mainly by politics, affecting architecture and urbanity – legislation, funds, and contests
for public projects. In reconsidering these policy goals, it is essential to review what part
architects and designers can play. Today's populism and nationalism are growing worldwide.
The division between nations and people takes place during our day in the media. It is essential
to consider what methods can be used to expose ideas dominated by Europe. Creative artists
will represent the future, focusing on their consequences and reflecting on the next day of our
future. This research aims to determine the social effects of the political decisions made on
London's architecture. Much of London's Conservative regions maintain and preserve their
historical and architectural heritage, like Wembley. However, politicians have been promoting
and endorsing most of London's areas, notably Wembley Park, which endanger the local
people's architectural and cultural heritage. Regeneration projects happening in London are in a
great way leading to immense changes in the architectural heritage of the city. This report
explores the changing fabric of the city brought about by the regeneration of Wembley Park. To
achieve the main aim, specific objectives have been outlined to guide through exploration of
the Wembley Park regeneration. Various regeneration projects around the Wembley Park have
greatly influenced the heritage of the city leading to cultural derailment within London City.
1. What is the scope of the regeneration that has led to the influence of London’s
architecture?
2. How have political decisions led to Wembley Park's regeneration influencing the
3. What are the political events and legislative measures that have impacted the
region in London.
To find out the appropriate measures that should be taken to ensure that the
architectural heritage of Wembley is preserved while at the same time facilitating its
design.
To find out better ways of regenerating Wembley's architecture without eliminating the
regeneration projects and policy behind Wembley Park's architecture. This research shows that
the architectural architecture?? of London has changed over the years under political influence.
Nevertheless, several conservation regions, such as Wembley, have managed to maintain their
architectural heritage and combat disruptive schemes for restoration and welcome them.
However, this study finds the following effects on the local community for such projects as the
regeneration of Wembley Park; change in pedestrian routes creates confusion and risk of
accident, relocation of existing businesses within Wembley, expansion of Wembley. Finally, the
paper concludes that the redevelopment projects in London, particularly in Wembley, have had
some adverse effects on the local population, such as business losses, cultural buildings losses,
Introduction
London is widely famous for its architecture. There are hundreds of large buildings in
the city, from old to modern, traditional to contemporary, art deco or gothic. According to
monuments to the housing crisis. Famous historic projects are still at some political stage (what
do you mean? Which ones?). Many people (who are these many people?)believe that the
Romans and Ancient Greeks' structures were responsible for architecture as we know it today.
It, however, started much earlier. Some strong prehistoric architectural examples – such as
Stonehenge – demonstrate how prehistoric people changed earth and stone to build
geometrical structures. In particular, the Bronze Age laid the foundations of metalwork, an
enormous influence on architecture development. This time also saw complex fortifications like
nuraghi (round towers), built-in places like Sardinia, advanced tombs and graves from that time
can be found throughout Europe. Big jump? Primarily, in London, smart property investors keep
a smart eye on which areas are set to benefit from extensive regeneration. The regeneration
has been happening, where new architectural building are remodeled or demolished to bring in
a new face of a building. This models however, have laid out the best scenery within the city
In this particular paper, it is critical to assess the Wembley Park regeneration, and how
it has changed the fabric of the city as they eliminate the building. First, it is important to
assess, and analyze the old architectures within the Wembley Park, where after, the new and
The development of London's socio-cultural and political geographies has always been
closely linked to interventions in its physical spaces and actions. London, due to massive
development and building projects, was transformed in the nineteenth and eighteenth
centuries. The growth of new world-class communities or suburbs, including East Ham and
Walthamstow, has led to tens of thousands of residents being displaced and caused by
developments such as railways (Imrie et al., 2009). London also became a focal point for
megaprojects, with significant public places such as Regent Street, Crystal Palace, the National
Gallery, and the British Museum being built during the time. That is the fermentation and speed
of change that the contemporary observers deplored that the city's character was lost because
These observations became more recent in the period following 1945. The regeneration
and the capital buildings such as Town Hall II were the heart of shifting social and economic
geographies through a host of design, construction, and building processes (Imrie et al., 2009).
Different architects have various plans for when and the architecture to be designed. The plan
published by Patrick Abercrombie in 1944, for instance, provides a framework for the dispersal
of the population and the development of large urban housing estates (Imrie et al., 2009). Later
in the 1950s, the London landscape was painted by numerous prestigious systems with major
new structures that characterized the area, including the Royal Hall of Festivals. In the mid-
1960s, a trend that accelerated in the 1980s was gradually manifested by London's global
supremacy in constructing new properties (Imrie et al., 2009). The landscape of London now is
full of large redevelopment areas and plans, and the spread of infrastructure and construction
LONDON’S ARCHITECTURE 7
projects, such as the Paddington Basin and King's Cross Olympic Games. One major
regeneration project that brought about immense heritage shift within the City is the Wembley
Park regeneration.
anticipates a substantial economic and social return on investment. London's role in developing
the New Wembley Stadium in the London Borough of Brent took place in the 18 th and 19th
century. Brent took the chance to be hosts of the Olympics in the new stadium to use it as an
opportunity (Warms et al., 2006). Urban regeneration catalyst in the local community. The
major problem now facing Brent Council, with development well underway, was how this urban
regeneration could be tracked and evaluated to assess if its efforts have been successful.
Wembley Housing
Among the projects that led to the regeneration within the Wembley Park was the
Wembley Housing. On 16 March 2015, the Mayor of London nominated the Wembley Housing
LONDON’S ARCHITECTURE 8
District. Wembley High Road focuses on efforts in the Wembley Housing District. The vision of
this area is to restructure and revitalize the eastern part of the town of High Road in Wembley,
including new homes and employment, new leisure facilities, retail and working spaces.
Regeneration of the Wembley Opportunity area's backdoor will play a major part connecting
the Wembley Central area with the stadium's current Wembley Park area. Karakusevic Carson
Architects and East Architecture were designated by the Council of Brent to work on two
primary highway sites. New developments include new houses, cost-effective workspace, new
public spaces and facilities. The regeneration of the Wembley Housing led the British to bury
their heritage. Wembley Park provided the extraordinary nature of a location that has created
and still does history for decades. Its patrimony started in 1792 with a leading landscape
designer. It received its name. Since then, it has become normal to host large and national
events in its scale and proximity to Central London. The first of these was in the 1920s the
British Empire Exhibition. Visitors from around the globe came to visit the exhibit, and the first
radio station broadcast by a British monary was King George V's opening speech. Some of the
buildings and roads of Wembley Park have now been named on each site at the exhibition.
Land along Wembley High Road, East Cecil Avenue is one of the sites listed as high
quality mixed courtyard development by Brent Council in Wembley Housing Zone. The Council
consulted the local community and produced plans for 250 new residential, commercial and
community areas and a new open-air square. The proposal was submitted on 12 August 2019
(Application 19/2891). This location is now located at the Ark Elvin Academy, the old Copland
LONDON’S ARCHITECTURE 9
Community School. The school building has been demolished and the priority School Building
Ujima House
Ujima house is one of the regeneration new housing projects in Wembley Park. In July
2017, the Council bought the Ujima House freehold and the long rental company for the rear
car park. Ujima House is one of the sites designated to provide mixed use construction for the
Ujima House is currently owned by Meanwhile Space and is used by a variety of community
Wembley Stadium
Old Wembley Stadium
The Stadium was renowned for being the Empire Stadium, which hosted countless
games of football, as well as the Summer Olympics, concerts of the music industry, rugby
games, motorcycle fast way championships, and many other activities. Brazilian soccer player
Pelé known the Stadium for its name "the cathedral of football" In 200 it was lost. The
ceremony opened on 28 April 1923 and was attended by King George V. It was built on the
grounds of the Wembley Park, originally designed by Humphry Repton, a renowned English
architect. In the past, the park once was home to the mad tower of Watkin. Dubbed the "Great
Tower of London," the height of the Paris Eiffel Tower would have exceeded if this project had
The stadium was built to serve the British Empire Show and was at that time called the
British Empire Show Stadium, the Empire Stadium. Sir Robert McAlpine was the construction
firm that employed the construction. The Millennium Dome, Newcastle Civic Center and the
project Eden are only a few of the many projects of the organization. The proprietor James
White spent £750,000 (1010,000 dollars) on the building – more than five million dollars’ worth
of money today. The architects behind the design were Maxwell Ayrton and Sir John William
Simpson. The stadium was originally to be demolished after the British Empire Exhibition ended
and was in use up until 2002. The stadium was designed by the renowned British engineer and
architect Sir Owen Williams, whose portfolio includes such projects as the Wakefield Bridge and
"Spaghetti Junction." After the show, Sir Arthur Elvin offered to buy it.
He offered to make £127,000 ($171,000), but when negotiation took place James White
passed away. The Wembley Group, the new owner, declined to buy less of the stadium. The
new owner was Elvin, who decided to pay full price. The Wembley Corporation had not long
LONDON’S ARCHITECTURE 12
before changed mind and reacquired it. Elvin was given shares instead of cash, and he became
the new president. The stadium has become increasingly renowned over the years. In Wembley
1923 the FA Cup Finals took place. Following this case, several others followed, including the FA
Cup Final 1953 and the 5 European Cup Finals. Wembley was the first European Cup final in
1963, and S played in the final match. L. and Milan, Benfica. The last game was between
Barcelona and Sampdoria in 1992. One of the last matches played on the stadium turf took
place in a duel against Chelsea on May 20, 2000. Aston Villa lost the match. Several events, such
as the 1999 Challenge Cup, have also taken place. Apart from the many sporting activities, a
considerable number of concerts took place in the stadium. The UK Live Aid Concert took place
on July 13, 1985. The artist Queen, David Bowie, The Who, U2, and Elton John participated in
this show. A concert of Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday took place on 11 June 1988. In October
2000, everything ended. In December 2002, the old Wembley stadium was closed and was
locked for two years before its demolition. The stadium was entirely gone one year later. The
new stadium with the same name started in 2003 and was opened officially in 2007.
LONDON’S ARCHITECTURE 13
Wembley Regeneration
In 2000 the stadium was closed and demolished, reconstructed over a long span on a
different axis with a retractable roof and a signature arch. A new footbridge linking the
Wembley Stadium with Wembley city center was installed in 2006. The bridge was named
White Horse. Besides, in the local city, London Borough of Brent, and even the capital as a
whole, the advantages of Wembley's national stadium are far reached. The stadium will help
improve the regeneration of its area. The Brent Council and the Wembley National Stadium
Limited will make the full impact on Wembley's new stadium's scope.
significant improvement in transport solutions. More than £70m has been invested in
LONDON’S ARCHITECTURE 14
improving highways, rails, and pedestrian routes, including through the financing of Wembley
Stadium, to ensure the facilities cope with fans' influx on big event days – a boost for residents
and businesses 365 days a year, not just on event days. An ambitious regeneration project is
November 2002, the Brent Council set up a new Wembley vision that challenges all parties to
conceive a new Wembley and lays down a progressive blueprint with a national stadium at its
In June 2004, Brent Council and private developer Quintain both unveiled exciting plans
for the area that will deliver thousands of jobs and homes with massively improved local
facilities. Planning permission was granted for an ambitious mixed-use development proposal
covering some 50 acres of land surrounding the stadium. Quintain Estates and Development plc
has started work on-site to develop the ground around the stadium. Their plans look set to
create a vibrant development that will create new jobs, homes, leisure facilities, shops, bars,
It was awarded to one of the lowest tenders; it quickly became apparent without saying
"you get what you pay for," that an aggressively low cost estimate for building materials was
unworkable. For example, the costs increased by more than one third between the offer and
the contract signature (this can of course be put down to design development also).
Furthermore, for its first design, the project was simply too creative, the arch was especially
troublesome. For any stadium or similar construction, the load support system was not tested
precisely and brings the time and budget in a landmark spot. There is no place to try anything
LONDON’S ARCHITECTURE 15
entirely different at a landmark place on time and on budget. Cleveland Bridge & Engineering,
Sub-Contractor, warned and withdrew the key entrepreneur of the increasing costs.
There was no end to the complication – the demolition was to commence by the end of
2000, with the newly opened stadium sometime in 2003, but a mixture of legal hold-ups meant
that site clearance only began in 2002 and the iconic twin towers were only demolished in
December of this year. In 2004, a tragic accident which saw carpenter Patrick O'Sullivan lost his
life led to £ 150,000 in the fine of PC Harrington CP, which was in contravention of mandatory
health and security regulations. The new Arch contractor – Hollandia – caused delays in the
following year.
But it wouldn't have been late, it would have been very late – just 11 days before the
stadium was turned over as ready on 20 March 2006, 3,000 workers had to leave the stadium
because a steel rafter had dropped by 6 inches. Three days later, the sewers bumped when the
earth moved – reports that Multiplex had refused to pay on budget for the pipes were filled
with concrete as retaliation for the contractors. Just 24 hours before the scheduled handover,
they accepted the loss on March 30. All the preparations and concerts scheduled for 2006 had
to be moved to another venue, as the stadium will not be ready until next year. In addition,
bets on completion delays were made and 'hard hats guys' had been seen at Wembley book
mates; this was possibly the first time the venue had paid off, not the fixture.
For the surrounding city, the London Borough of Brent and indeed for the entire capital,
the advantages of having the national stadium at Wembley are far reached. The Stadium will
help to promote the regeneration of the local city, and the Council of Brent as well as Wembley
National Stadium will optimize the positive effect on the area of the new Wembley Stadium.
LONDON’S ARCHITECTURE 16
The construction of the stadium, which was planned as a destination for public transportation,
led to significant improvement in transport solutions. More than £70 million have been
invested in upgraded roads, railways and pedestals, partially by funding from Wembley
Stadium. The facilities can be cope with the influx of fans on major events days.
It is anticipated that the New Wembley stadium will be a catalyst for a local
redevelopment effort. Not only would the new stadium carry with it large crowds of events but
better tube stations, better public entertainment zones, and a better shopping center(Stewart
& Rhoden, 2003). These reforms are part of the redevelopment initiative coordinated by the
Brent Council planning department (Warms et al., 2006). One challenge the Council faces with
Wembley's redevelopment and future planning applications is that the government's mandate
Wembley Park was a rural estate from the beginning of the 19th century, with Humphry
Repton's mansion and grounds in its core. This land was sold to the Metropolitan Railway
Company in 1881, and a section was bought. In 1894, the station opened Wembley Park,
followed by adjacent pleasure gardens two years afterward (Warms et al., 2006). The garden
was the brainchild of Sir Edward Watkin, President of the railway company, who wanted to
build London's largest attraction, with a tower taller than the Eiffel Tower.
In all aspects, the project was a disappointment. The gardens did not attract enough
visitors, and the Wembley Park Estate Company took over the house. When the problems of
finances and decrease caused its abandonment, the tower reached a height of 200 feet. The
folly of Watkin was taken down in 1907 as the building was dubbed (Warms et al., 2006). The
pleasant room was still used for various occurrences and was selected as the British Empire
Exhibition location in 1924–5 (Stewart & Rhoden, 2003). The exhibition was a mammoth affair,
which included the building and extending new roads around a larger area and the district
drainage.
One year before the exhibition, when they held the final FA Cup, between West Ham
United and Bolton Wanderers, the Empire (later Wembley) Stadium was the most significant
exhibit space (Stewart & Rhoden, 2003). Before the game started, thousands of fans poured
into the square, which required the gathered police and, in particular, Constable George Scorey
on his 13-year-old white horse, Billy. Though Scorey was just one of the many police officers in
action that day, his famous horse called the White Horse Final.
LONDON’S ARCHITECTURE 18
Opened in 1923, the Old Wembley Stadium is one of the most prominent football fields
globally and originally known as the Empire Stadium. Many remember him(who is him?) as the
"home of soccer." He? worked at the national stadium of England for almost eighty years and
ended in 2000 (Stewart & Rhoden, 2003). It was the focus of British football. The Old Wembley
Stadium was ready after this impressive run to be replaced with the already under construction
90,000-seat New Wembley Stadium (Warms et al., 2006). In 2003, the developers broke
Wembley's town hall was built on Forty Lane in 1939 and later used by the London
Borough of Brent. Because of Wembley Park's growth as a mixed residential and industrial
region, most rich people were left (Warms et al., 2006). The Council created a devastating
Chalkhill estate south of Forty Lane at the end of the 1960s. Sections of the site converted to
retail use in the later part of the 20th century, including warehouses and a market on Sundays
As discussed earlier, the regeneration project particularly the Wembley Stadium in any
is advantageous as the societal fabrics evolve to the best. However, there are numerous
disadvantages associated with the demolition of the architectural designs that exist within a
particular area. For every societal, everything built has a significant meaning to the heritage of
those specific individuals. Wembley Park has had numerous regeneration projects, which have
been overly embraced by the new generations (Stewart & Rhoden, 2003). However, these
regeneration projects have negatively impacted the heritage fabrics of London city. In this
section, analyses of the decisions of demolition within the Wembley park that have led to the
LONDON’S ARCHITECTURE 19
changing fabrics of the London society heritage. Arguments concerning the various
regeneration project discussed above will be analyzed to determine how each of them has
The historic landscape of London in its constructed form, the countryside heritage and
archeology provide an advantageous breadth in nature the economy, culture and quality of life
of the city (Stewart & Rhoden, 2003). The environment constructed, in combination with its
historic landscapes, the place gives unique meaning, whereas architectural history layers
provide a place of value local, domestic and international the patrimony of London (Stewart &
Rhoden, 2003). London historic ecosystems are an irreplaceable part of what defines London is
a diverse and prosperous city and its efficient management is a central component of
sustainable growth.
It is believed that the British buried their imperial history, along with the regeneration
projects. The new Wembley housing led to the suggestion of demolition of the twin towers in
the old wembley. The Twin Towers were part of the original London, England Wembley
Stadium. They were built on the Watkins’s Tower site in Wembley in 1923 and were recognized
as one of the iconic symptoms of English and Wembley stadium in general (Warms et al., 2006).
In 1976 they were listed as second grade buildings, but were demolished for the new Wembley
Stadium in 2003(Warms et al., 2006). The towers were a distinctive emblem of Wembley, which
influenced the stadium approach from tube station Wembley Park to the north. The icons of
Also, Wembley was just a major music arena in London. He saw some wonderful action,
particularly the key background for the 1985 Live Aid Event (Warms et al., 2006). We were glad
LONDON’S ARCHITECTURE 20
to have an American arena inside the Capitals in a relatively small world, and Wembley was
there to promote the festival when the star status required it. The stadium was the single stage
to host its ceremony, even as the Pope and his very cool pope-mobile hit the banks in
1982(Warms et al., 2006). With the demolition of the old stadium, the tearing down of the twin
tower destroyed the magic of Wembley Park. The heritage of the park which was a wonder of
London that held the pride of Wembley and London as a whole. Similarly the housing in
regenerations within London city brought about change within the Wembley housing style
(Warms et al., 2006). Regeneration of the Wembley stadium. To avoid this culture and heritage
erosion, Districts can consult Historic England and other related districts, and statutory bodies
establish evidence which is clear comprehension of the historical setting of London. This proof
should be used to define, understand, conserve and enhance the cultural and historical heritage
While looking at the future of the architecture of the cities, indeed, if students are to
architecture, they must become closely involved with built heritage. Graduates interested in
Heritage studies extend what we know not only about our lives, but also how we wish to live
The imperial status of the stadium was obscured by the link of towers with football
history and especially the 1966 World Cup victory (Rautenberg, 2012). With the song "Two
World Wars and One World Cup," supporters of the National Team still commemorate the
victory and unite these events to say the tune of global supremacy and superiority over their
rivals in the final: the German (Western). The fact that since then, the National Team has never
finished in the World Cup only reinforces the myth around this miraculous moment. England
seemed to have no favorite in winning the tournament until it started, and the triumph was
equally encapsulated with a traditional British underdog spirit during the Battle of Dunkirk
retreat in the Second World War. In addition to its previous colonial significance, the Twin
emblem.
The preservation of a combination of the old with the new, which gives the capital its
distinctive character, will entail the recognition of London's heritage and its sensible
management along with the promotion of the highest standards of modern architecture. The
heritage of London represents the diversity, population and structure of the region. It is
important to appreciate the effect of the past human cultural activity in every region of
London's diversified culture in evaluating the value of heritage properties. All possibilities
should be exploited to bring people into London's history and improve the accessibility and
Many heritage assets make a substantial contribution to the sustained and enhanced
local character. A detailed, dynamic database for the historical environment in London with
over 196,000 records is the Greater London Historic Environment Record (GLHER). In addition
LONDON’S ARCHITECTURE 22
to this record, borough character assessments, conservation plans and local lists can be used as
a reference point for the planning of plans and for developing proposals to be notified assets at
risk. In some areas, the preservation and re-use of houses, rooms and features, which are an
important part in the local character of an area, could contribute to this reflected current and
original trends.
Feedback
The structure of the essay need to be much clearer. You have some parts but you jump
from one thing to another quite quickly. The essay would benefit from a simple historical
narrative that tells the story of Wembley chronologically and usingh historical map and
photographs through the key buildings that you are interested in. At the moment, you are
jumping in time as well, this can work but in this instance it is making your story unnecessarily
complex. Your text suggests that the story goes from the rural landscape owned by the Page
family to today’s ‘leisure’ district hosting two large stadiums, one for football and one for music
and how that has built an identity and local community around these two football and music .
This story alone is quite interesting if told more clearly. Take a walk in the area and describe
careful the spaces of the stadium and the housing around it, use this as a starting point for
questioning what was once there. Perhaps a set of careful views and sky lines would help. The
essay has potential, but the essay structure is really getting in the way of building the argument
1. Defining terms: What do you mean by heritage? There are many definitions to this
concept and it is important you find a key definition and use it faithfully. Cultural
heritage and conservation are quite different things. I can suggest that you can use
the idea of old/new by engaging with the theory of urban artefacts by Rossi which
about the identity of the city. Otherwise as mention in the comments in your text, I
also suggest a different definition of heritage that you can explore and articulate
further. You use many terms in the essay that are ‘big words and concepts’ without
2. Lack of evidence of many statements. You can use photographs of the site, maps
and drawings/diagram to show the relationships on the site and your observation
about the links between spaces. You also need to use writing and quote from others
as it is your main essay focus. Then the introduction should then have a clear
description of the generation plan that you are critiquing in relation to that. The
history can then be the following section that elaborates on these ideas.
4. Demolition/old/new: it sounds like you are mainly critiquing the demolition of the
stadium and the two towers? Is that right? Elaborate on these two spaces and show
the before and after, using evidence as above (from your walk, historical
evidence insert your own interest/essay thesis by being critical as you tell the story
LONDON’S ARCHITECTURE 24
of what was destroyed and what was conserved. You need to tell us why you feel
these decision have had a positive or negative impact on the community (with
evidence of course).