Architecture
British architects are famous worldwide, in particular for pioneering the glass and steel ‘high tech’ style. Foster and Partners’ egg-shaped City Hall in London is a shining example, as is the futuristic Millennium Bridge over the Thames – London’s first new bridge for over a century.
New landmarks that push the boundaries are going up all the time. The Sage Music Centre in Gateshead is like a huge mirrored igloo that has to be seen to be believed, while the curvy new Birmingham Selfridges store looks as if it’s been constructed from thousands of huge silver drawing pins!
The Welsh capital, Cardiff, has three dramatic new buildings. Zaha Hadid designed the Cardiff Bay Opera House to rival Sydney’s, Will Alsop designed the area’s tube-shaped visitor centre and Richard Rogers the wonderful home of the Welsh Assembly.