London In lockdown

In all of its 2,000-year history, it seems unlikely that the City of London has ever stood so silent as it does presently. Can we learn from the quiet, asks Architectural Editor John Goodall

- John Goodall

There is nowhere in Britain that has been so intensively redeveloped on such a grand scale and over such a long period as the square mile of the City. Even now, in this moment of national crisis, construction within its densely developed streets continues. The present lockdown, however, has removed all the other usual bustle and activity.

It’s not that the City is empty—there are people, cyclists and buses still—but it feels subdued even by the standards of a weekend and, between pulses of activity, thereare moments of complete peace. In that calm, its monumental architecture speaks more forcefully than ever. With the pavements and thoroughfares empty, it’s possible to examine buildings or to stride into the middle of roads and absorb unfamiliar views and perspectives. In the process, the logic of historic street patterns and urban spaces—usually interrupted by traffic flow—are revealed. So, too, is the interest of the best buildings.

By taking a camera with me on my permitted exercise, I have tried to capture something of what the City currently looks like. The aim has not been to focus on individual buildings, but on the spaces and effects they create collectively, which is what the emptiness highlights to such a striking degree. The Square Mile is Europe’s greatest financial centre, but it’s also a place of extraordinary architectural power, where the resources of the globe have been deployed in building over a huge period of time. We don’t often see it that way, but we should.