Church spires and skyscrapers in the City

Church spires and skyscrapers in the City

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London’s skyline never stands still. The City of London, as the largest financial centre in Europe, is no exception. Cranes pepper the horizon and buildings shoot skywards.

Stocks and shares rise and fall - but for the fantasy designs of architects, the only way is up. Recent additions to the cityscape include The Shard, “Walkie Talkie” and Leadenhall Building skyscrapers.

. London, UNITED KINGDOM. Reuters/Toby Melville
The spire of St Magnus the Martyr church (centre) is dwarfed by The Shard skyscraper in the City of London business district.

Amid all the change there seems to be one constant: more than 50 churches and other places of worship in the “Square Mile”, as the City of London is known. As neighbouring buildings get redeveloped or razed to the ground, these structures stand their ground.

A spire or church tower, once prominent, may now be swallowed up or hidden. But look hard - it’s still there down a street or alley, emerging between the glass and steel.

. London, UNITED KINGDOM. Reuters/Toby Melville
The spire of St Edmund the King church is dwarfed by 20 Fenchurch Street office building, known as "the Walkie Talkie”.

It’s a story of survival against the odds. The Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed many medieval sites. Only a handful of churches remained but, with backing from King Charles II, Sir Christopher Wren designed many of the 17th century masterpieces still standing, not least St Paul’s Cathedral.

In the Victorian period congregations shrunk as people moved out to London’s new suburbs. Buildings devoted to business, not worship, replaced more than a dozen churches.

. London, UNITED KINGDOM. Reuters/Toby Melville
Offices are seen at dusk as St Paul's Cathedral and construction cranes are seen on the skyline.

German bombing flattened City churches in the Second World War. St Bride’s and St Mary-le-Bow are among City churches faithful to the Wren design but substantially rebuilt after the war.

The challenge to churches hasn’t gone away as developers try to replace church with the secular. Voluntary organisations fight to keep the City’s centres of worship alive. They try to widen their appeal by staying open all day and free to enter; on-site cafes, lunchtime concerts and recitals target City workers, passers-by and tourists.

. London, UNITED KINGDOM. Reuters/Toby Melville
St Paul's Cathedral is seen refracted in raindrops on a metal plaque.

For some, these buildings provide respite from the bustling life of big business, an antidote to the frenzied pace of modern life. For others it’s a place to eat a sandwich, sit and pause for thought, or enjoy buildings and artefacts from a different era.

Amen to that.

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Slideshow

St Edmund the King church is reflected in an office building.
. London, UNITED KINGDOM. Reuters/Toby Melville

St Edmund the King church is reflected in an office building.

St Andrew Undershaft Church is surrounded by skyscrapers.
. London, UNITED KINGDOM. Reuters/Toby Melville

St Andrew Undershaft Church is surrounded by skyscrapers.

The dome of St Paul's Cathedral is reflected in a bus window.
. London, UNITED KINGDOM. Reuters/Toby Melville

The dome of St Paul's Cathedral is reflected in a bus window.

A worker walks near St Paul's Cathedral.
. London, UNITED KINGDOM. Reuters/Toby Melville

A worker walks near St Paul's Cathedral.

The spire of St Margaret Pattens church is dwarfed by 20 Fenchurch Street, known as "The Walkie Talkie”.
. London, UNITED KINGDOM. Reuters/Toby Melville

The spire of St Margaret Pattens church is dwarfed by 20 Fenchurch Street, known as "The Walkie Talkie”.

A worker looks at his phone in the remains of St Dunstan in the East church.
. London, UNITED KINGDOM. Reuters/Toby Melville

A worker looks at his phone in the remains of St Dunstan in the East church.

A worker looks up outside the City of London Magistrates Court as St Stephen Walbrook church stands in the distance.
. London, UNITED KINGDOM. Reuters/Toby Melville

A worker looks up outside the City of London Magistrates Court as St Stephen Walbrook church stands in the distance.

St Bride’s Church is reflected in an office block window in the City of London.
. London, UNITED KINGDOM. Reuters/Toby Melville

St Bride’s Church is reflected in an office block window in the City of London.

City workers walk past the St Alban Wood Street church at dusk.
. London, UNITED KINGDOM. Reuters/Toby Melville

City workers walk past the St Alban Wood Street church at dusk.

The City of London business district is seen in the distance behind church spires at dawn.
. London, UNITED KINGDOM. Reuters/Toby Melville

The City of London business district is seen in the distance behind church spires at dawn.