City Hall - The London Assembly

The iconic City Hall building, designed by renowned architect Norman Foster, was completed in 2002 for £43 million. Situated on the south bank of the River Thames, the site was once occupied by wharves serving the Pool of London. Despite being named City Hall, the building didn’t serve a city. Instead, it housed the Greater London Authority (GLA), governing the broader area of Greater London, not to be confused with the City of London, which has its headquarters at the Guildhall.

The building’s unique, curvaceous design was meant to reduce its surface area and improve energy efficiency. However, the heavy use of glass in its double façade undermined much of the intended energy savings, resulting in a less-than-impressive energy performance rating. Although it was hailed as an example of sustainable, low-pollution architecture, it was later shown to consume more energy than expected. Over the years, the building earned various playful nicknames for its shape, including “the helmet,” “the misshapen egg,” and, more humorously, “the glass testicle,” a phrase coined by former mayor Ken Livingstone. His successor, Boris Johnson, referred to it as “The Glass Gonad” or, more politely, “The Onion.”

One of the building’s standout features is a 500-meter helical walkway that spirals through all ten storeys, intended to provide interior views and symbolize transparency in government. Foster used a similar design in his work on Germany’s Reichstag in Berlin. However, security concerns meant the walkway couldn’t always be used as originally intended. At the top of the building, an exhibition and meeting space with a public viewing deck offered panoramic views over London.

The debating chamber for the London Assembly was located at the bottom of the spiral, with seating arranged in a circular pattern to foster debate. Foster’s design was as much about symbolism as function, aiming to reflect openness and democracy.

In 2011, during the London 2012 Olympic Games, the building was temporarily renamed *London House* by Mayor Boris Johnson to honour the event. However, by 2020, Mayor Sadiq Khan announced plans to vacate City Hall and move the GLA headquarters to The Crystal in East London. Khan cited the high rental costs of City Hall, claiming the move would save the GLA £55 million over five years.

In 2023, St Martins Property, the building’s owners, unveiled plans to redevelop City Hall. Gensler and LDA Design were brought to transform the space into a mixed-use office and retail complex. Their plans involve replacing the famous spiral ramp with leafy terraces and switching out much of the building’s glass façade for different materials.

Located along The Queen’s Walk in the London Borough of Southwark, City Hall is part of a broader development called More London, which includes offices, shops, and public spaces. The nearest transport hub is London Bridge, making the building a key part of the Thames-side landscape.