Tower of London & The Gherkin

Images of Britain: Tower of London & The Gherkin

Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress a.k.a. the Tower of London is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London.

The Tower was founded in 1066 AD during the Norman Conquest of England by William the Conqueror. It was built to impress on the local population the power of the new Norman regime. At first it would have been a simple wooden palisade but took shape as a stone castle during the 1070's and 1080's. It was probably completed by 1100. The architect was Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester, who also built castles in Colchester and Rochester.

The Gherkin is a 180 metre-tall skyscraper in London that stands on ground that was formerly occupied by the Baltic Exchange building. The Gherkin opened as the Swiss Re Building in 2004 and completed the redevelopment of the old Grade II listed Baltic Exchange, which had been damaged by a huge IRA bomb in 1992. It was designed by the British architect Norman Foster and has become an icon of London's contemporary architecture. The building is known for its eco-friendliness and energy-saving design.