Butterworth Architecture intend this series of Architect’s Guides to provide architects (and all those primarily interested in architecture) with a compact historical summary and description of over a hundred buildings in each city selected. The guides accordingly cover the fullest possible historical range, but unlike tourist guides describe buildings in full depth of architectural detail, as well as including a comprehensive section, in every case, on twentieth century architecture up to the present day. In addition every guide contains a description of a key design element characteristic of each city, not so much a building as a metaphor for that city. For London, the author found the great range of traditional shop signs exemplary.
In the late twentieth century urban planning and design has become a subject of key importance to all cities, and each city demonstrates its own historic solutions, as well as their related problems and the way in which these are being solved. A city is not only a collection of buildings: it has its own special environment, often more precious and fragile than the individual buildings which created it.
The urban development of London is dealt with here in some detail in view of its unique development as a collection of towns and villages that have gradually come together to form a variegated yet cohesive whole under the seemingly overwhelming pressures first of the industrial revolution in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and secondly through the growth of twentieth-century communications and technology. This volume being nonetheless a particular selection reflects the personal taste, and prejudices too of the author. In the text this is balanced, and enhanced perhaps, by some of the best known authorities on English architecture, such as the late Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, Sir John Summerson, Sir James Richards, Henry Russell Hitchcock, and the late lan Nairn, and others to whose works the reader may further refer (see Bibliography).
Finally, since we are dealing with a book in which the illustrations must play a primary role, both author and publisher wish to express their thanks to all those, photographers and librarians, who have given their co-operation. Their gratitude first of all to Romano Cagnoni and Frank Monaco, who dedicated so much time and energy as professional photographers. Thanks also to the librarians of the main photographic collections in London, and to the staff of the National Building Record and of the former Greater London Council. Staff of the British Travel Association were also of considerable assistance in the detailed preparation of the material.
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