Lloyds of London

I think this building, along with the Gherkin, is the symbol of the decadent/contemporary contrast that I love about London. Alongside with all those old houses, you get to see this wonderfull gigantic metal building that reminds me of a robot. All its structures are exposed and you can even see people in the lifts.

I have been visiting the Richard Rogers’ Lloyds of London building during the last London Open House festival. The building is really impressing as one example of architectural brutalism that really worth the visit. I really liked the lift that is a glass cube and is located in the exterior of the building and shows amazing views of London.
I think that everyone should visit this amazing building because it is really surprising and it is one of the most representative elements of the skyline of London, but it is only open to general public on one weekend during the London Open House festival.

I guess there’s two strands here: one, the building itself, which is evidently stunning, regardless of whether you like it or not. Secondly, there is the work that’s done inside: Lloyd’s is an insurance market, where 'brokers’ meet 'underwriters’ to insure things (spice girls tours, skiing competitions, satellites, oil rigs, entire navies) on behalf of clients. It’s a high-powered money market, essentially - but you can’t go onto the trading floors without special permission (or if you actually work there). Worth a look if you can get onto the trading floors, where on your first visit you will be hit by a feeling that this place really is quite a powerhouse, and very unique.

Lloyds of London, the world's foremost insurance underwriting institution, has had several homes since it was founded in 1688. None, however, has been as controversial as the building designed for it by Richard (now Lord) Rogers and opened in 1986.

The new Lloyd's building shares many of the hallmarks demonstrated in his other iconic building, the Pompidou Centre in Paris, of having externally-visible structural elements and services as part of the architectural design. The Lloyds building, however, features extensive use of stainless steel and brushed aluminium, which helps to unify the appearance. In theory, this also makes the services more accessible for maintenance and replacement, although in practice some argue that the benefit is probably offset by their exposure to the elements. An odd quirk is the retention of the original doorway in the street-level facade.

Either way, it is an unmissable building on any tour of the City of London.