The London that Wasn't.

[Catsmate]

An interesting piece in The Guardian about various schemes that would have created a different London. From straightening the course of the Thames, eliminating the Isle of Dogs loop, to a monorail network in central London above the traffic. From a huge pyramid replacing Trafalgar Square, to a 70-metre statue of Britannia¹. Handy for those times when your party end up in an alternate version of the city, or need a definite sign that history has been altered.
There are more images here and alternate visions of the rebuilding after the Great Fire of 1666 here.









¹ That's 50% taller than the Statue of Liberty.

[grinch]

The image of all these alternate Londons being fused with or collapsing onto one another is certainly a marvellous one.

[soultaker666212]

That proposal for the National Gallery extension really intrigues me, it looks like it would fit perfectly as a colony building on a far off world, a building on a futuristic Earth, an alien embassy, alien architecture on their home world etc. It looks so sci fi and doctor who at the same time.

[Catsmate]

Aug 18, 2022 19:51:57 GMT soultaker666212 said:

That proposal for the National Gallery extension really intrigues me, it looks like it would fit perfectly as a colony building on a far off world, a building on a futuristic Earth, an alien embassy, alien architecture on their home world etc. It looks so sci fi and doctor who at the same time.

My personal favourite unbuilt piece of architecture is the bridge/gallery in Dublin that Hugh Lane proposed and Lutyens designed to house the Lane collection and replace the Ha'penny Bridge.
Of course Lane, and his pictures, were on the Lusitania.....

[Catsmate]

Aug 18, 2022 19:42:12 GMT grinch said:

The image of all these alternate Londons being fused with or collapsing onto one another is certainly a marvellous one.

Or walk down the wrong street at the wrong time and suddenly you're seeing monorails overhead  and there's an airport in the Isle of Dogs. Or an arcology over Paddington station. Or the Crystal Palace survives.
Unbuilt London has more examples.

A fascist regime, e.g. the British Republic of the EDCverse, might have replaced Whitehall with concrete, especially after London Burned in December '52. Likewise a network of underground roads were constructed, the scene of many street fights between the dissenters and malcons, and the National Constabulary and RSF. Even after the Revolution, opposing propaganda and graffiti from Mass Observation and the KKK survive down in the road ways.
Though the stories of man-eating pigs are probably untrue.