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Olympic challenge City security London 2012 December 2005 City development N E W S A N D K E Y I S S U E S F O R T H E C I T Y O F L O N D O N Issue no 55
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Issue no 55 N E W S A N D K E Y I S S U E S F O R T H E C I T Y O F L O N D O N December 2005
cityview
City security
London 2012
Olympicchallenge
City development
new buildingson the way
2 C I T Y V I E W
cityviewmagazineWelcome to cityviewmagazine
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C I T Y A C A D E M Y
new home for Academy pupils 3
T H E I N T E R V I E W
increase the peace 4
C I T Y S E C U R I T Y
judging the threat 6
G U I L D H A L L A R T G A L L E R Y
sign of the times 7
L O R D M A Y O R ’ S S H O W
show time! 8
L O N D O N 2 0 1 2
the Games just got serious 10
D E V E L O P M E N T P L A N N I N G
the City never stands still 12
A R T S F O C U S
snowy backdrop 13
A R T S F O C U S
timeline 14
...and finally 16
C O N T E N T S
Registered at Stationers’ Hall
Designed by Raphael Whittle
Printed by Empress Litho on
environmentally friendly paper
The City of London Academy in Southwark got
the VIP treatment for its official opening in
September as Prime Minister Tony Blair
welcomed pupils to their new buildings.
The Corporation is the sole sponsor of the Academy,
providing £2m towards its creation,which specialises
in business and enterprise.Around 540 pupils aged
11-14 and a sixth form of 60 students from Southwark
and the City of London already attend.By 2009 it is
anticipated that the Academy will teach 1,200 pupils
each year.
Although the Academy opened two years ago pupils
were taught in temporary accommodation while the
new state-of-the-art buildings in Lynton Road were
being built – both to time and budget.
The Academy’s buildings reflect its focus on business
and enterprise,with fully technology-equipped
classrooms,interactive whiteboards and a computer
ratio of almost 1:1.The FTSE 100 Index will be
displayed in the Atrium.It also has physical education
facilities, including a large sports hall,dance and gym
studio,full size football pitch and tennis courts.
Principal Martyn Coles was “delighted that we now
have the facilities and excellent learning environment
that the young people of Southwark and the City so
richly deserve.”
Policy and Resources Committee Chairman Michael
Snyder believes that the Corporation’s commitment
to providing excellent education facilities “will benefit
London’s young people.We are now looking forward
to replicating the success of the City of London
Academy in two more academies in our neighbouring
boroughs of Islington and Hackney.”
3C I T Y V I E W
November
Off the rails
Report says number of rail and
underground commuters could
rise by a quarter by 2016
Home time
Corporation to invest £165m
in housing stock under
‘decent homes’ standard
October
Business as usual
City Business Library hosts
event around setting up your
own business
Take into account
Corporation consults on whether
a summary of its Statement of
Accounts is needed
September
Park life
New leaflet publicises around
200 areas of open space in
the City to enjoy
Pilot Scheme takes flight
New central contact system
for the public to be tested
by Corporation
August
Work it out
City workers’ attitudes to
Corporation, police and other
issues shown in survey
Capital gain
Museum of London’s Capital
City project awarded £10.6m
by Heritage Lottery Fund
The Worshipful Company of
Goldsmiths’ latest exhibition –
On the Cuff, from Fabergé
to Fashion Statement –
featured more than 400 exhibits.
020 7606 7010 or
The Worshipful Company of
Framework Knitters celebrated
20 years of its bursary and
awards scheme with a special
reception bringing together past
award winners, lecturers and
current students.
01708 510439
The Wax Chandlers’ Company
has called on designers from
across Europe to enter its
competition where the top
prize is £3,400.
020 7606 3591 or
The Worshipful Company of
Marketors has presented
Austrian student Andreas
Eisingerich with a special
award for best postgraduate
dissertation on marketing.
01727 824446 or
O N L I N E
cityviewonline
New home for Academy pupils
More information
www.cityacademy.co.uk
C I T Y A C A D E M Y
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cityview
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/liverylive
O N L I N E
liverylivedigest
4 C I T Y V I E W
The worries of City businesses and workers
about terrorist attacks and crime generally are
fully understood in the Home Office. Hazel
Blears, the Minister for Policing, Security and
Community, appreciates both what has already
been done in the Square Mile and the need for
constant preventative activity.
Ms Blears is probably the best known minister
outside the Cabinet – deputy to Charles Clarke and
frequent defender of Government policy on
television.The smallest minister at barely five feet,
she has a formidable energy and drive, as reflected
in her love of tap dancing and motorbikes.But
contrary to her often relentlessly on-message
image in public, she is, in private,both well-briefed
and reflective.
Her central theme is there is “a really significant
security threat to the whole country”,and the City is
obviously a prime target as a “major financial centre
where international terrorists could inflict maximum
disruption.”
Ms Blears notes that years before 7 July the City had
already put in place “the ring of steel”. She also
points to the close partnership on terrorist issues
between the City of London Police and the
Metropolitan Police,as on 7 July,when one of the
attacks was on the fringes of the City at Aldgate.
She cites the work of community support officers as
an extra visible presence, to reinforce the security
cordon in addition to the private security operations
of individual City businesses.
The police and security services also have detailed
plans to protect the national infrastructure, including
key City sites, to ensure that the City continues to
function.Ms Blears has been involved in several
meetings with business leaders and residents, as well
as the City Police,about prevention and resilience.
These preparations are regularly tested,both in
public exercises involving the main emergency
services and local authorities, and in table top
exercises held on average three times a year.
The lessons of 7 July are also,she says,being
considered.She points, in particular, to
communications and the work of the casualty bureau
which took 120,000 calls.There are questions about
how quickly it was set up,what is its function,and
what is its role for family and friends? What use should
be made of its data base: is it recording missing
persons or helping with the investigation?
In general,Ms Blears believes that the emergency and
other services functioned well on July 7 and 21 – so
well that there are inquiries from all over the world.
We talked in the Home Office on the day that the
Government was defeated on provisions in the
Terrorism Bill for the detention of suspects without
charge.Looking at the bill generally,Ms Blears argues
that it is necessary to strengthen “the powers to give
the police the tools to do the job”.
For her,the key,and under-discussed,section of the
bill is the new power against acts preparatory to
committing terrorism.The creation of this new
offence gives powers to tackle conspiracies at an early
stage.It is “quite strange that this had not featured in
the debate”.She notes that suicide bombers give no
warnings and the police have to intervene earlier.
She points to the big expansion in the capacity of the
security services,with an increase in staff from 1,800
to 3,000,to aid both intelligence gathering and
penetration of communities where suspected
terrorists are likely to live.
Ms Blears also stresses the Government’s attempt to
engage and encourage moderate leaders in Muslim
communities,to foster good community relations.
More generally,she sounds an upbeat note on crime
and anti-social behaviour trends.She points to a
decline in all crime in London of four per cent in the
latest figures but acknowledges that,despite the
reduction in recorded crime,there is still a long way
to go in improving detection rates.
She lists a series of government initiatives to tackle
public concern over violent crime and anti-social
T H E I N T E R V I E W
Peter Riddell of The Times talks to Policing, Security and Community Minister Hazel Blears
increase the peace...she goes out of her
way to praise the City
Police as an example of
cross police authority
co-operation since it is
responsible for handling
fraud and white-collar
crime across the whole
of the south-east. “We
want to learn from the
City’s experience in
developing co-operation
in other areas.”
Ms Blears believes that policing plans have to be
supplemented by new initiatives to strengthen local
communities.The new Community Safety Plans
involve actions across Government,so that anti-crime
initiatives are linked with the work of other
departments.Strong communities,she says,will
themselves exert pressure against anti-social
behaviour by youngsters and others,thus reducing
the level of crime and vandalism.
She points to an initiative in Bexley where the police
and the local council have reorganised and
decentralised their response teams to a
neighbourhood level.This has not only reduced crime
but has also produced an increase in the number of
new special constables.
Ms Blears is currently involved in an issue of direct
concern to the City:a review of police authorities,
including the City of London Police.At present,this
review is still at a consultative stage,but there are
fears in the City that the independence of its long-
established police force might be circumscribed.A
number of smaller forces outside London are likely to
be merged.
Ms Blears is non-committal,but she goes out of her
way to praise the City Police as an example of cross
police authority co-operation since it is responsible
for handling fraud and white-collar crime across the
whole of the south-east.“We want to learn from the
City’s experience in developing co-operation in other
areas,”she says.Her emphasis is on ideas being put
forward by police authorities:a re-arrangement of
business,primarily greater co-operation than just on
changing structures.
Some tense negotiations lie ahead but Ms Blears has
been the first to emphasise the contribution of the
City police to combating terrorism and protecting
businesses in the Square Mile.
5C I T Y V I E W
Peter Riddell is political commentator for The Times.
behaviour.For instance,300 areas now have their own
dedicated police team of a sergeant,two constables
and three community support officers.
Further legislation is planned in the current session of
parliament.For instance,the Violent Crime Reduction
Bill will allow the closure of licensed premises which
persistently allow drinking by people under 16,
tougher action against the use of realistic imitation
guns,and an increase to 18 in the age when people
can buy knives.
6 C I T Y V I E W
C I T Y S E C U R I T Y
judging the threatWith its world-wide business and financial
profile, the City has always faced some degree
of terrorist risk, so counter-terrorist policing
has been a priority for the City of London Police
for many years. Following the events of 7 July,
protecting the City from would-be attackers has
taken on even greater significance.
Over the years the City has learned to adapt,with
vigilance being key and protective measures familiar
sights.The ‘ring of steel’,with licence plate
recognition and CCTV,has ensured the City is not a
soft target,but there is often no substitute for
informed ‘eyes and ears’.
It would be fair to say that Londoners
have a heightened awareness of
terrorist activity,but they still need to
know what to look out for. The City
Police had already introduced a range
of services and initiatives to raise
awareness,prior to July.These proved
invaluable in the aftermath of the attacks in keeping
businesses up-to-date about events.
An example is the pager alert scheme,which provides
key business personnel with urgent information
about terrorist activity and suspects. This allows the
Force to broadcast text messages simultaneously to
2,000+ subscribers instantly. The E-Mail Messaging
Scheme complements this and allows the police to
provide information to,or ask for assistance from,the
community on policing matters.
Project Griffin has proven a considerable success in
increasing awareness among private security
companies.This comprises an awareness day and a
weekly bridge call about live security and crime
matters,reaching more than half a million employees.
In return,companies commit to providing cordon
support if there is a major incident.This project is
now being rolled out in other major UK cities.
At a briefing on security issues held with senior
business representatives after July’s events,the
Corporation’s Chairman of Policy & Resources,
Michael Snyder,reinforced the importance of a joint
approach to terrorism.“This is a matter for the whole
community.We are all affected and we all have a role
to play.This is particularly true of business.In the City
we have long recognised the importance of a close
working relationship between the public and private
sectors in this and many other matters.”
Small and medium sized businesses are being
encouraged to adopt contingency and continuity
plans while larger businesses are being asked to
ensure theirs are fit for purpose.The Corporation’s
Security & Contingency Planning department works
with the police,and alongside the Crime & Disorder
Reduction Partnership,and can help advise businesses
on security measures.
But in the public’s mind,there is no substitute for high
visibility policing.Since 7 July City residents,visitors
and workers will have noticed,particularly at rail
stations,an enhanced police presence which is
reviewed in light of current intelligence about the
level of perceived threat.
James Hart,Commissioner of Police for the City,
believes that total security can never be guaranteed
“but we are committed to making sure that the City
continues to thrive.
“We want the public to let us know if they have
any suspicions.We don’t mind if it
proves to be a false alarm.
Vigilance is one of the
best ways of preventing
and detecting crime,
including terrorist crime.
We firmly believe that
communities defeat
terrorism.”
More information
www.cityoflondon.police.uk
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/
contingencyplanning
A complete set of Lord Nelson’s seven signatures,
marking key stages in his life, is on public
display for the first time at Guildhall Art Gallery.
Nelson changed his signature several times following
key moments in his life, the most notable being losing
his right arm in 1797.The signatures form part of a
unique new exhibition created by Lloyd’s, the world’s
leading specialist insurance market, to celebrate the
bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar,and includes
important Nelson artefacts which provide a new
insight into Nelson and the world in which he lived.
This is the latest exhibition to go on display at the
Guildhall Art Gallery whose collection now
comprises more than 4,000 works of art ranging from
portraits of kings and queens to depictions of
important naval battles, from period views of historic
London to the work of contemporary artists.
The centrepiece of the Gallery is Defeat of the
Floating Batteries at Gibraltar by John Singleton
Copley (above) which spans two floors of the
Gallery.The collection also includes views of London
life from the 17th Century to the present,Victorian
paintings and sculpture and the studio collection of
Sir Matthew Smith.
In the 1960s and 1970s many contemporary
pictures were purchased through the Lord Mayor’s
Art Award exhibitions as well as from other sources.
Since then particular interest has been shown in
acquiring pictures by younger artists living and
working in London.
7C I T Y V I E W
More information 020 7332 3700
www.guildhall-art-gallery.org.uk
Admission to the Gallery and Amphitheatre
is £2.50 for adults and £1 for concessions but is free
on Fridays and after 3.30pm on all other days.
G U I L D H A L L A R T G A L L E R Y
sign of the times
Another major attraction for
visitors lies beneath the Gallery –
the remains of Roman London’s
Amphitheatre, which
archaeologists discovered in
1988. The amphitheatre was
revealed when short stretches of
Roman wall were observed at the
bottom of four archaeological
investigation trenches. The
findings were instantly famous
and the site became a protected
monument. Visitors can now
view the arena for the first time in
nearly 2,000 years with evocative
light and sound effects.
L O R D M A Y O R ’ S S H O W
Good weather, good crowds –
what else can you ask for the Lord
Mayor’s Show?
Alderman David Brewer was given
the best start possible for his year of
office as thousands of onlookers
welcomed him in his new role. The
Show is held to celebrate the Lord
Mayor travelling to the Royal
Courts of Justice to take the oath of
allegiance to the Crown but these
days has become a celebration of the
diverse and dynamic nature of the
City itself.
Marching bands, military displays,
music, dance and livery companies
both ancient and modern were all on
show to delight the crowds. They
were joined by those specifically
related to the current Lord Mayor –
notably the Hong Kong Economic and
Trade Office, Treloar Trust and
Cornwall Enterprise Company – to
help celebrate the grand occasion.
As usual a lot of imagination and effort
had gone into the floats, particularly
the Corporation-sponsored
community floats. To highlight
awareness of its involvement in
regenerating the City’s fringes, the
Corporation sponsored five floats – the
Montage Theatre Company, the E1
City Partnership, Thames Gateway
Youth Football Project, Sound Radio
and the Tower Hamlets Education
Business Partnership and Sitar Fusion.
And working with children and
animals proved no hardship as the
many dance and acrobatic displays
went off without a hitch although
Thérèse the Camel (representing the
Merchant Taylors’ Company) did get
the hump!
As well as covering the event at
Mansion House, this year the BBC
rounded off their programme with the
blessing at St Paul’s Cathedral. But for
the Lord Mayor the Show went on
with the trip to the Royal Courts, the
return journey to Mansion House
and rounded the day off by viewing
the spectacular fireworks display on
the Thames.
Roll on next year!
show time!
Lord Mayor Alderman David
Brewer is a senior consultant,
Asia, for International Financial
Services, London, as well as
being a consultant for March Inc
(Asia-Pacific region) and a
non-executive director of London
Asia Capital plc. He is married to
Tessa and they have two
daughters, Olivia and Gabriella.
His charity is the Treloar Trust
which has been changing the
lives of physically disabled young
people for almost 100 years.
It was established by Sir William
Treloar who was Lord Mayor in
1906. As well as being the head of
the Corporation of London, the
Lord Mayor is an ambassador for
the City – promoting it as the
world’s leading international
financial and business centre.
Much of his year is spent abroad
raising awareness of the City’s
expertise, boosting trade and
given Alderman Brewer’s
expertise in Asia will include two
visits to China.
The 678th Lord Mayor of the City of London
More information, including a
biography of the Lord Mayor
020 7332 3099
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lordmayor
10 C I T Y V I E W
L O N D O N 2 0 1 2
The announcement in July that London had
won its bid to stage the 2012 Olympic and
Paralympic Games represented the
accomplishment of several years’ work – both
in front of and behind the scenes – by
organisers London 2012 and also by partner
organisations including the Corporation of
London. July’s shared jubilation at the decision
has now changed to a focus on the challenges
ahead to prepare for the Olympics and the
potential benefits the Games will bring for
years to come.
The Corporation of London was one of the first to
‘Back the Bid’.As well as pledging its own financial
support, it was responsible for assembling the City
Partners consortium,one element of London 2012’s
corporate supporter scheme.The consortium was the
result of a series of events and briefings by top
Corporation
representatives,
including the Lord
Mayor and
Chairman of Policy
& Resources
Michael Snyder,
with major City
businesses to
persuade them of
the benefits the
Games would
bring to the
capital.British Land,Euronext,Heron International,
Legal & General and UBS,among others,signed up to
the consortium which gave more than £1m to the bid
as a combination of cash and products and services
‘in kind’.
Much of the exact detail of how the City and the wider
country will benefit from the Games is not yet known.
Up until now the focus has been on new investment in
London and how the ‘ripple’effect would continue
long after the Games.But this has certainly been borne
out in cities that have hosted the Games in the recent
past.The 2004 Olympics in Greece brought 65,000
new jobs and an extra €1.22bn of public sector revenue
to Athens.Likewise for the Games in Sydney,New South
Wales businesses won the equivalent of about £400m
in contracts,with over £115m for regional companies
and 55,000 people receiving employment related
training.
Manchester’s recent experience,hosting the
Commonwealth Games,also proved that such events
boost a city’s reputation and can prove to be an
additional attraction for people and companies to
locate there.
Industries such as construction and tourism will be
the most obvious to benefit from the Games but
others including manufacturing,retailing,sports,
environment, IT and marketing will also be likely to
gain and this will have a major impact on local
employment and training.
The Games justgot serious
Key activities
2005 onwards
site preparation
November 2005
procurement
process begins for
main stadium
2006
work begins on
aquatic centre
2007
work begins on
three western
arenas and athletes’
village
Summer 2008
work begins on
main stadium
Certainly from the Corporation’s point of view,the
£17bn promised investment in London’s transport
infrastructure can only benefit the City. In survey
after survey,business people throughout London
have identified transport as their single biggest
concern.With the expected growth in the City’s
population in the future (estimated at an extra 70,000
in the next decade), this investment comes at an ideal
time.Already the go-ahead has been given for the East
London Line extension,an upgrade and extension to
the Docklands Light Railway and increased capacity
for the Jubilee Line.
This investment will ensure that London 2012 keeps
its promise of 10 rail lines and three stations serving
the Olympic park at Stratford and being able to
transport 240,000 people an hour by 2010.The
12 carriage Olympic Javelin,capable of speeds up to
225km per hour,will link the Park with King’s Cross
St Pancras in just seven minutes.And although not
directly linked to the Games, the Corporation is
hopeful that construction will also begin on the
long-delayed Crossrail project which is equally
crucial to the capital’s future prosperity.
The investment in East London that the Games will
bring,also ties in with a major objective for the
Corporation – that of regenerating the City fringe.For
many years the Corporation has been working in
partnership with surrounding London boroughs,
home to some of the poorest communities in the
country, to help bring about lasting social,economic
and physical regeneration.This has involved support
across several main themes such as education,
training and employment, transport,environment,
community development and involving the City.
This investment is mutually beneficial because the
City relies on the availability of skilled labour,a strong
business base to supply its goods and services,a safe
and attractive local environment and a reliable local
transport system.The London 2012 bid also
highlighted the importance of smaller and medium
sized company involvement – another strand of the
Corporation’s partnership programmes.
Establishing a lasting legacy – locally,nationally and
internationally – was a key selling point for the
London bid. In its submission London 2012 spelt out
its aim to achieve four main legacy benefits
■ to leave behind world-class sports facilities which
meet a clearly defined sporting need and become
the heart of existing communities
■ to enhance the opportunities and support
available to Britain's competitors across the range
of Olympic and Paralympic sports
■ to drive the regeneration of the east of London,
delivering a high-quality environment for business
and opportunities for local people
■ and to create a major new urban park – the biggest
created in Europe in 150 years.
The London Organising Committee for the Olympic
Games (LOCOG) has now been established and work
has begun to organise,publicise and stage the 2012
Games. In addition,a separate organisation, the
Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) will soon be
formed to manage the public money spent on venues
and infrastructure.
All of which looks to make it a very busy time for
London over the coming years and will have a
positive impact on East London and the wider capital
before,during and after the Games. And if these areas
benefit, the City in turn will prosper.
11C I T Y V I E W
More information
www.london2012.org
Computer images from the
London 2012 website showing
where the main Olympic sites will
be and what they will look like.
12 C I T Y V I E W
D E V E L O P M E N T P L A N N I N G
the City never stands stillScaffolding, cordons, cranes, hard hats, Heron
Tower, Minerva Tower, Bishopsgate Tower –
everywhere in the City there seems to be some
form of building work either underway or
proposed, leaving the casual observer to
wonder what is happening?
There are three main reasons for all this work:
a need for more floorspace,older buildings coming
to the end of their design life and the natural
cycle of development for a modern City that is
always changing.
As the Corporation has been arguing in its case for
Crossrail,more than 70,000 extra people are
expected to come into the City in the next 10 years
and they will need suitable workspace.Although City
vacancy rates are high at the moment there is an
increasing demand for more high quality workspace
if the City is to remain competitive and attract the
best businesses and clients.
Buildings constructed just after the Second World War
have now reached the end of their useful lives.
Today’s buildings need modern facilities such as air
conditioning, lower ceilings and proper
infrastructure for IT systems. In these circumstances
options are to refurbish, to strip the building to its
frame and refurbish or demolish it and start again. In
many instances the last option is more economic.
But much of the current work is just the product of
the City’s ongoing redevelopment. In the past
15 years 40% of the City’s floorspace has been
renewed – and not just the older building stock.The
former Hamilton House in Appold Street/Exchange
Square,near Liverpool Street, is one example of a
1980s building that has been redeveloped recently to
provide better floorspace.Then there are other
buildings that have dated badly and do not meet
modern needs.
As usual it is the taller buildings that attract the most
attention and controversy.The Corporation has given
approval for a striking 35 storey tower at 201
Bishopsgate.But an even taller building – the 63
storey DIFA tower in Bishopsgate is due to go to the
Planning Committee at the end of the year.With its
307 metre tapering spiral form it would dwarf 30 St
Mary Axe (often referred to as the ‘gherkin’) and
stake its claim as the tallest building in the City.
As always in granting planning consent, the
Corporation has to balance maximising the City’s
potential against any environmental impact while
complying with its planning policies.One third of the
City is actually conservation area
and it also has a very high
proportion of Grade I or II* listed
buildings which immediately put
constraints on the number of tall
buildings possible.Other constraints
include the Government’s strategic
protection of views of St Paul’s
Cathedral and the Corporation’s
own ‘St Paul’s heights’controls.
But people don’t often appreciate that larger
developments also offer correspondingly large
benefits for the community.This means that the
Corporation, as the City’s local planning authority,
can get community benefits through its planning
obligations policy which will offset the impact of
the development.On a project like the Minerva
Tower these benefits include a major public square
at Aldgate and other street scene projects, social
housing, local skills training, and investment in
public transport infrastructure.And developers
2
1
3 4
13C I T Y V I E W
themselves these days are realising the need to
invest heavily in public spaces around new
buildings to make the general environment more
inviting for tenants and workers.
But taller buildings are not always the solution.For
example, the recent Marks & Spencer’s building at
168 Fenchurch Street replaced a tall building with a
lower one that fits into the street character.Another
tower was successfully replaced by a lower building
in the Deutsche Bank building on London Wall.
The Corporation’s main criteria in deciding for or
against a project is always quality and
distinctiveness.But of course there remains the
matter of taste – what is iconic to one person is an
eyesore to another.The Barbican Estate is a classic
example.Considered controversal when first built,
in 2001 it gained Listed Building status and it has
maintained its cachet as an especially desirable
place to live.
The Lloyd’s building in Leadenhall Street was always
designed to be iconic and stimulate discussion
about its design and appearance,but has now
become a recognised part of the City’s landscape.
Similarly 30 St Mary Axe also seems to have become
accepted, in a short period of time,despite being so
close and in direct contrast with St Helen’s,
Bishopsgate.This also illustrates another of the
Corporation’s deciding factors – distinctive design
that works in its local context, in other words
buildings that look like they are a part of the City
even if they are iconic.
Jean Nouvel’s striking design for the proposed retail
and office development of New Change,opposite
St Paul’s Cathedral, could well become another
iconic building.Two pedestrian routes will cross
the site,meeting at a central public space.The
mainly glass buildings contain a mixture of shops on
three levels, offices on the upper floors and a large
public roof terrace providing clear views of the
cathedral and the City’s landscape.This project
has been driven by demand from the City for more
and better shops to make the overall environment
more inviting.
Not all of the forthcoming changes in the City are to
do with buildings.The Corporation has an ongoing
programme of improvements under its Street Scene
Challenge initiative.One of its major projects for the
future is the riverside walk enhancement strategy
which aims to create a high quality walk on the north
side of the Thames,extending from Victoria
Embankment to Tower Pier.The
work will involve paving,surface
materials,accessibility,seating
and street furniture, lighting and
planting and biodiversity.
Although the sheer pace of
current activity may die down in
time,because of the very nature
of the City there are always
likely to be new buildings
being constructed.Among them
are ones that may not be to everyone’s taste but,
as far as the Corporation is concerned,should
continue to remain distinctive and in keeping with
their surroundings.
More information
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/our_services/
development_planning
Images
Opposite page: 1 2 3 New Change, 4 The DIFA tower,
This page: 5 Moorhouse, 6 Exchange Square, 7 51 Lime Street, 8 201 Bishopsgate
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6
8
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Tintin – the world’s most famous
boy reporter – is stepping out of
his comic books and onto the
stage in a world premiere
production at the Barbican this
Christmas.
The production is based on the
story Tintin in Tibet published in
1960 and follows his quest to save
his good friend Chang who is
stranded in the Himalayas, the
home of the Abominable
Snowman. Tintin is accompanied
on his adventure by his regular
sidekicks – the irascible sea dog
Captain Haddock and his faithful
dog companion Snowy.
Tintin in Tibet – the 20th in the
series – was unusual in not
containing a villain but instead was
a story of friendship, loyalty and
love. Tintin was created by the
world renowned Belgian cartoonist
Georges Remi, better known as
Hergé, and this story was his most
personal and favourite work
“because this is the story in which
I invested myself most”.
Tintin first appeared in 1929 and
has become a modern icon with his
trademark crested quiff and plus-
four trousers. Along with Snowy
and Captain Haddock, the series
also saw the creation of the
Thomsons and Cuthbert Calculus.
Each year more than three
million copies of Tintin’s stories
are sold across 50 countries in
40 different languages.
This new production is director by
Young Vic associate director Rufus
Norris, whose last production at the
Young Vic was his acclaimed
production of Sleeping Beauty, and
co-written with David Greig.
Sure to be enjoyed by the whole
family, Tintin begins the Young Vic’s
Walkabout season on 29 November
and runs until 21 January 2006.
A R T S F O C U S
snowy backdrop
14 C I T Y V I E W
More information
www.younggenius.org
0845 120 7511
www.barbican.org.uk
More than 1,000 years of the
capital’s history are now on
display in a major new gallery at
the Museum of London.
Medieval London tells the story of
London from the end of Roman rule
in AD410 to the accession of
Elizabeth 1 in 1558 and includes
more than 1,500 objects.
“Most people have set ideas about
certain events in the Middle Ages
but don’t know the chronology
which links them,” explained
curator Hedley Swain. “We decided
that in order to give people the
wider picture, we would structure
the gallery around four events that
changed London in a huge way.
Large panels on each event begin
the different sections in the gallery
and then within those sections we
let people discover what happened
in the intervening years. The four
events are
1. The Romans leave
“Although today we tend to see
society as always moving forward
and life improving, AD410 actually
saw things go backwards! When
the Romans abandoned London,
anarchy took over as the general
administration system broke down
and trading collapsed, leaving the
City a ghost town.
2. Alfred the Great
refounds London
“London slowly built up again over
the following years and by the
seventh century was a major
trading centre again. But at this
time it was based in Covent
Garden. However, increasing
attacks from Vikings meant that
people were encouraged to fall
back within the still standing
Roman walls which offered greater
protection and in 886 Alfred
ordered the refounding of London
in its present location.
3. The Black Death
“It’s hard to think of a modern
parallel to the Black Death given
that 50% of the population died
from it. It sprung up so quickly and
became so widespread that leaving
London didn’t offer any escape. In
certain ways it was actually a
positive thing. It contributed to the
end of feudalism by creating labour
shortages and therefore wage
rises. It also had a great
psychological effect on the
population leading many to
re-embrace the Church but led
just as many to question the
Church’s dominance.
4. The Reformation/
Dissolution of the monasteries
“Until this period the social and
economic influence of the Church
was unchallenged in society. With
the closure of the monasteries and
the seizure of church land, the state
and private enterprise had to step in
and fill gaps such as education and
health provision. New printing
techniques also meant
unprecedented access to wider
thinking with book shops becoming
the equivalent of internet cafés!”
The design of the new gallery
also caters for different
audiences. “We’ve
deliberately structured the
gallery to extract and
highlight the key
information so that
even visitors with
little time can take
them in. At the
same time there
is a hierarchy of
information so
that those with
more time can
take in the
wealth of
medieval
events and
activities for all
ages (including
talks, crafts,
jugglers, and
medieval food
preparation).”
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More information 0870 444 3851
www.museumoflondon.org.uk
A R T S F O C U S
timeline
C I T Y V I E W
16 C I T Y V I E W
N E W S I N B R I E F
Keeping the City
on the move
With transport always high on the
City agenda, Transport for London
Commissioner Bob Kiley was invited
to Guildhall in November for talks
with Corporation representatives
including Policy & Resources
Chairman Michael Snyder and
Planning and Transportation
Chairman John Owen-Ward.
Issues under discussion included
...and finally
Capital present ideas
For anyone short of ideas on what
to buy friends or family for
Christmas, the City has shops to
suit every taste and other venues
offering City-related merchandise.
For a distinctive Christmas shopping
experience, Leadenhall Market has
a range of stores to choose from
with plenty of eating and drinking
areas in which to take a break!
For a London or City-themed
present why not try the Guildhall
Library Bookshop or the Museum of
London. Both stock a huge number
of items that cover every area of the
City and its life in books, DVDs,
posters and food.
And for those with an eye for art,
Guildhall Art Gallery can offer more
than 20,000 images on its Collage
database from which to order prints.
More information
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
the London Plan, London
Underground and other rail issues
and the congestion charge.
This was followed by a tour of the
main City transport hubs such as
Moorgate, Liverpool Street,
Southwark Bridgehead and
Blackfriars Station.
Annual achievement
The third annual stakeholder event for
The City Together, a partnership
between the Corporation, other key
service providers and the City’s
communities, will take place on
Monday 6 February 2006 in the
Guildhall from 5.30 - 8.30pm.
There will be several displays to
promote current services and new
initiatives in the City, a formal
presentation by Chairman Michael
Snyder, and workshops to discuss
key service areas. If people are
unable to attend the evening session
they will be able to view the stands
at Guildhall between 12pm and 2pm
on the day. Places are available on a
first come first served basis from
020 7332 3176
Putting the City first
From 1 January next year the
Corporation will be strengthening its
ability to support and promote the
Square Mile. It will be altering the
emphasis it gives to “City” in its title
so that it is immediately much
clearer on whose behalf it operates.
From 1 January the full name of the
organisation will be the City of
London Corporation but on a
day-to-day basis will be known as
the City of London.
For some time now it has been clear
that not enough people understand
what “Corporation” means. It was
felt that this was not an effective
way of describing the unique range
of services the organisation
provides, nor does it connect with
the international financial services
industry that is its prime audience.
With an office now in Brussels and
representations in China it is
becoming ever more apparent that
simpler and clearer communication
is needed.
The organisation is still known by a
number of different designations
and the new year will also be the
chance to get greater consistency
in the way the identity is represented,
which in turn will promote a
better understanding of what the
organisation does.
This will not be an overnight
commercial re-branding exercise – it
will be implemented gradually on a
cost-neutral basis. It will not distract
from the organisation's work to
support the Square Mile and London as
a whole – and will make it easier to do.
For many of its audiences it already is
“the City” and it is believed that this
rationalisation will provide great unity
and strength for the future by quite
literally putting the City first.
