A Brief History of Building Tall in London / The Pressure for Tall Buildings

A talk in two parts which explores both the history of building tall and the continuing pressure for tall buildings.

In the first talk of this evening, speaker Susie Barson will tell the story of how builders, architects and engineers have reached for the sky over the past 900 years and shaped the capital’s skyline. Her talk will touch on the motivation, public response and regulations that have helped and hindered their efforts, with a particular focus on the late 19th and early 20th century.

Rosemarie MacQueen will then focus on the continuing pressure for tall buildings in Westminster, an area of London with high heritage value, thousands of listed buildings and a world heritage site. Drawing from her experience of the Parliamentary Select Committee on tall buildings, speaker Rosemarie MacQueen will look at the consequences of the Mayor of London’s view of tall buildings as well as the UNESCO investigation on their impact.

Susie Barson is a Senior Architectural Investigator with English Heritage, and is co-author of London Suburbs, Scene/Unseen: London's West End Theatres and A Farewell to Fleet Street.

Rosemarie MacQueen is Director of Planning and City Development at Westminster City Council in London. Rosemarie has been a committee member for the Institute of Historic Building Conservation and chair of the London Region, a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute's Built Environment panel and a member of the Planning Officers' Society's Design and Delivery Panel.

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