The London Eye 

London is too diverse to be characterised by any particular architectural style, having accumulated its buildings over a long period of time and drawn on a wide range of influences. It is, however, mainly brick built, most commonly the yellow London stock brick or a warm orange-red variety, often decorated with carvings and white plaster mouldings.Many grand houses and public buildings (such as the National Gallery) are constructed from Portland stone.Some areas of the city, particularly those just west of the centre, are characterised by white stucco or whitewashed buildings. Few structures pre-date the Great Fire of 1666, except for a few trace Roman remains, the Tower of London and a few scattered Tudor survivors in the City. A majority of buildings in London date from the Edwardian or Victorian periods.The disused (but soon to be rejuvenated) 1939 Battersea Power Station by the river in the south-west is a local landmark,while some railway termini are excellent examples of Victorian architecture, most notably St Pancras and Paddington (at least internally).

The development of tall buildings has been encouraged in the London Plan, which will lead to the erection of many new skyscrapers over the next decade, particularly in the City of London and Canary Wharf.The 72-storey, 1,017 feet (310 m) "Shard London Bridge" by London Bridge station, the 945 feet (288 m) Bishopsgate Tower and many other skyscrapers over 500 feet (150 m) are either proposed or approved and could transform the city's skyline.As of July 2008, there are 426 high-rise buildings under construction, approved for construction, and proposed for construction in London.