London: the city I live in, the city I love.
There’s so much to see and do in England’s capital it makes finding time to fit everything in seem almost impossible. But to help you on your way, I’ve put together this list aimed at highlighting the most interesting, and arguably, the best places to seek out culture in the form of art.
Museums
Tate Modern
Location: Bankside, London SE1 9TG
Kicking off the list is my favourite art museum in London – the Tate Modern. The venue boasts an international collection of modern and contemporary artworks that few can rival. The gallery opened in 2000, making use of the old Bankside Power Station. It was designed by the architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, who also designed Battersea Power Station and Waterloo Bridge. It was converted by Herzog & de Meuron, who returned to oversee a huge extension project in 2012 which included the opening of the Tanks in 2012, and ended with the brand-new Switch House extension in 2016. Tate Modern is one of four Tate venues in the UK, including the Tate Britain which is also located in London and definitely worth visiting. Before your trip make sure you check their website for current exhibitions.
Victoria & Albert Museum
Location: Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL
The V&A is considered one of the world’s most magnificent museums, its foundation stone laid on this site by Queen Victoria in her last official public engagement in 1899. The museum has 150 grand galleries on seven floors containing countless pieces of furniture, ceramics, sculpture, paintings, posters, jewellery, metalwork, glass, textiles and dress, spanning several centuries. The sheer diversity of items on display is why the V&A is, for many, regarded the best museum in London.
The National Gallery
Location: Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN
Overlooking Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery houses one of the greatest collections of paintings in the world. It contains over 2,300 works, including many famous works, such as van Eyck’s ‘Arnolfini Portrait’, Velázquez’s ‘Rokeby Venus’, Turner’s ‘Fighting Temeraire’ and Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’. And just like many of the museums in this list, the items in the collection belong to the public and admission to see them is free!
The National Portrait Gallery
Location: St. Martin’s Pl, London WC2H 0HE
Located next to the National Gallery is the National Portrait Gallery. It houses the world’s largest collection of personalities and faces, from the late Middle Ages to the present day. Visitors come face-to-face with the people who have shaped British history, from kings and queens to musicians and film stars. Artists featured range from Hockney to Auerbach, and the collection includes work across all media, from painting and sculpture to photography and video. As well as the permanent displays, the National Portrait Gallery has a diverse programme of exhibitions and free events, and a stunning rooftop restaurant with spectacular views across the London skyline.
Tip: If you’re looking for something to do on a Friday night, why not attend one of the free drawing classes pictured above?
The Wallace Collection
Location: Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN
The Wallace Collection is a free museum displaying superb works of art in a breath-taking historic London town house. The 28 rooms, many recently refurbished with elaborate gilding and wall silks, present collections of French 18th-century painting, furniture and porcelain (many once owned by Madame de Pompadour and Queen Marie-Antoinette) together with paintings by Titian, Canaletto, Rembrandt and Gainsborough, Hals’ ‘The Laughing Cavalier’ and Fragonard’s ‘The Swing’, four armouries and wonderful Renaissance treasures. Try and time your visit with your appetite, and dine in the beautiful courtyard restaurant.
Royal Academy
Location: Burlington House, Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 0BD
Founded in 1768, this is the world’s foremost artist- and architect-led institution and the country’s oldest society concerned solely with the fine arts. Now celebrating 250 years, the Royal Academy – Britain’s first art school – has recently expanded its campus, bringing in new free displays. Housed in the extravagantly Palladian Burlington House, the RA’s biggest event is the Summer Exhibition (pictured above), which draws from works entered by the public as well its Royal Academicians. All works are exhibited to buy so you may come away with an original piece of art if the price is right!
White Cube
Location: 144 – 152 Bermondsey Street. London SE1 3TQ
The ambiguously named, White Cube, is a gallery representing international, high-profile artists such as Anselm Kiefer, Tracey Emin, Gilbert & George, Damien Hirst and many more. White Cube’s galleries showcase art at three venues, two in London (Bermondsey and Mason’s Yard) and one in Hong Kong. It’s the smallest museum on this list, but a must if your interests lie in contemporary art.
Victoria Miro Gallery
Location: 16 Wharf Rd, Hoxton, London N1 7RW
The Victoria Miro Gallery is probably my favourite small gallery in London. It’s a a not-for-profit art foundation located inside a refurbished Victorian brick warehouse in a super contemporary style. With sun flooding through various architectural windows and gaps, and art pieces hung on clean white walls, it’s the perfect space to enjoy their exhibitions from a selection of world-famous artists. I recently went to see Yayoi Kusama’s latest show, The Moving Moment When I Went to the Universe, and it blew me away.
Architecture
The Barbican
Architect: Chamberlin, Powell and Bon
Location: Silk St, London EC2Y 8DS
A classic example of Brutalist architecture and the product of a postwar utopian vision, the concrete complex was designed by young British architect trio Chamberlin, Powell and Bon in the mid-20th century. The site includes the residential Barbican Estate and the Barbican Centre, Europe’s largest multi-arts and conference venue. For more information about Brutalist architecture in London read more here.
The Shard
Architect: Renzo Piano
Location: 32 London Bridge St, London SE1 9SG
Completed in 2012, Renzo Piano’s recognisable Shard building is home to a number of restaurants, offices, a hotel, and a viewing gallery. Inspired by the concept of a vertical city, the over 1,000-foot-tall structure is one of the tallest buildings in Europe and can be seen upon almost every skyline of London.
Houses of Parliament and Big Ben
Architect: Sir Charles Barry
Location: Westminster, London SW1A
A trip to London would not be complete without a visit to one of London’s most famous landmarks—the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. As soon as visitors emerge from Westminster station they are greeted face-to-face with this historical and architectural masterpiece – they really went to town on the painstaking detail! Lastly, weighing in at 13 tons, the clock tower’s bell was cast in 1858 by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry.
The Southbank Centre
Architect: A group of architects, including Warren Chalk and Leslie Martin
Location: Belvedere Road; London, SE1
Love it or hate it, the concrete landscape of Europe’s largest art centre is certainly a talking point (I, for one, love it!). The South Bank Centre is comprised of three blocks of buildings beside the Thames. The oldest is the Royal Festival Hall and beside it lies the brutalist block that contains the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Purcell Room and the Hayward Gallery. If you’re looking to immerse yourself in the creative arts during your visit to London, this is one area you simply cannot miss off your itinerary. Take a look at up-coming gigs, festivals and exhibitions here.
2 Willow Road, Hampstead
Architect: Ernö Goldfinger
Location: 2 Willow Road, London Nw3 1TH
The home at 2 Willow Road in Hampstead was designed by Ernö Goldfinger in 1939 as his family home. If you’re a fan of modern architecture, chances are you’ll already know that Goldfinger is kind of a big deal, and taking a peep into the house were he lived is the perfect way to get up-close and personal with the man himself. Finished with features that were pioneering in their time, and which still look current today, the property is a fine example of Modernist design and is now a National Trust site that can be enjoyed by the public. The house is quite small and unassuming from the outside but there’s plenty to see inside, with artworks by Max Ernst, Henry Moore and Bridget Riley complementing the simple yet wonderful interior. Be sure to time your visit so you can join one of the guided tours of the property. You can book a slot here.
Street Art
There’s so much street art in London, it’s hard to know where to begin and how to narrow down the best ones, but I’ve given it a go.
David Bowie by James Cochran
Location: Tunstall Road, Brixton, London
There’s a Starman waiting on the side of Morley’s department store as a huge, iconic David Bowie mural pays homage the late local resident. Created in 2013 by Australian street artist James Cochran, the mural has become a popular memorial to Bowie after his death in January 2016. Mirroring the portrait of his 1973 album Aladdin Sane, the piece is now preserved by plastic to protect it from the elements.
Murals by Dale Grimshaw
Location: Holywell Lane, Shoreditch, London
Grimshaw is a successful fine artist who also enjoys showcasing his bold and striking portraits across London’s streets. My favourite is the above mural in Shoreditch which was recently revealed in June 2018. The work features Grimshaw’s signature subject style of strongly tribal subjects, fused with bright colours and motifs to give a sense of depth and vitality. The gaze of his subjects will make any passerby stop and pause for a brief moment.
The Glitch (Clockwork Orange) by Zabou
Location: Village Underground wall, Great Eastern Street, Shoreditch, London
Nearby Grimshaw’s mural, you can also spot this new wall mural of Alex from Kubrick’s masterpiece, A Clockwork Orange. It was created by French artist, Zabou, who has also depicted other cultural icons such as Bowie and Frida Kahlo across the streets of London.
Mixed Street Artists
Location: Leake Street, London SE1 7NN
The tunnel is part of the Leake Street Arches and is London’s largest legal street art area. It’s been showcasing incredible creations ever since Banksy held the “Cans Festival” here in 2008, as a means of celebrating graffiti as art. Murals here might last a day or two, maybe a week. Such is the competition for legal space, the murals are painted over and over again on a regular basis.
