Funded in part by the National Lottery, and boosted by the economic stability of the past few years, London is rapidly changing. In view of the 2012 Olympics, former mayor of London, Ken Livingston, together with his Urban Task Force, led by Richard Rogers, have helped to encourage this change. The skyline and historic Square Mile (City of London) changes shape with the construction of new skyscrapers; large, formerly run-down areas, like those around Kings Cross and Paddington Station, are concentrating on new urban projects, making way for contemporary office and retail space. Important historic museums are enriched by new exhibition areas and collections. Sustainability remains a constant and happens somewhere between technology and extreme originality; buildings for schools and hospitals explore extreme originality, while galleries and complexes dedicated to the arts mushroom in poor multi-ethnic neighbourhoods, giving way to a new generation of architects.

Arrive in London in late afternoon, meet with local guide and check in to hotel. Guided evening walk to the London Eye (Marks Barfield Architects, 2000), and free time for a ride on the largest panoramic wheel ever built for a birds eye view over London by night. Free time for dinner and return to hotel.

One of the central elements in the urban transformation of London is the economic and cultural integration of the areas south of the Thames with the rest of the city. Neighbourhoods like Southwalk, traditionally poor and emarginated, are today among the most vibrant and sought after areas in the city. The walking tour begins at the historic St Pauls Cathedral (Sir Christopher Wren, 1673) where the new pedestrian route that joins the City to Bankside and Southwark meets. First stop on the northern bank of the river is the new headquarter building of the Salvation Army (Sheppard Robson, 2004); cross the Thames at the 325m Millenium Bridge (Foster & Partners, 2002) to arrive at the Tate Modern (renovation Herzog & de Meuron, 2000), the first major requalification project in the area. Brief stop at the Turbine Hall (35m high and 152m long). We leave the Tate Modern behind us, walk on to 123 Bankside (Allies & Morrison, 2001, one of the major architecture firms in London and responsible for the requalification of several areas in the city and contemporary projects), complex forming extension of the City with its’ new public and cultural spaces. Continue on to the gymnasium building Palestra (Alsop Architects, 2006) and eastbound on to the Unicorn Theatre for Children (Keith Williams Architects, 2005); London City Hall (Foster & Partners, 2002) seat of the Mayor of London, and the adjacent More London complex defining an elegant space along the Thames. The complex is part of a major project to requalify the banks of the river as a pedestrian promenade. Free time for lunch at one of the restaurants around the very popular and recently renovated Borough Market.
In the afternoon the tour continues towards the south-east end of the city to the highly acclaimed  Laban Dance Centre (Herzog & Meuron, 2003): new premises for the historic contemporary dance school and drive around Greenwich Village, with a stop at the spectacular and politically unfortunate Millenium Dome (Richard Rogers Partnership, 2000). Sundowners in a traditional pub along the Thames looking over the city.

The day is dedicated to sustainable architecture starting with the School of Slavonic and East European Studies – UCL (Short and Associates, 2005, winner of the 2006 RIBA Prize for Sustainable Architecture); visit to an original architect’s studio/home in Stock Orchard street (Sarah Wigglesworth /Jeremy Till, 2001). Move to the South of London for lunch; in the afternoon visit to the sustainable Bedzed neighbourhood (Bill Dunster Architects, 2002): zero use of fossil fuel, passive solar heating, photovoltaic plants for the production of energy for 40 electric cars on site. Monitoring conducted in 2003 found that BedZED had achieved these reductions in comparison to UK averages: space-heating requirements were 88% less, hot-water consumption was 57% less, the electrical power used, at 3 kilowatt hours per person per day, was 25% less than the UK average, 11% of this was produced by solar panels (the remainder normally would be produced by a combined-heat-and-power plant fueled by wood chips, but the installation company's financial problems have delayed use of the plant), mains-water consumption has been reduced by 50%, or 67% compared to a power-shower household, the residents' car mileage is 65% less. Return to hotel and dinner on own.

The morning will be spent around the areas of Paddington and Kings Cross to see the current urban transformation of the areas, then on to the new Eurostar station St Pancreas International (Foster & Partners), under construction for the 2012 Olympics. Brief stop at the British Library next to the station and move on to the Square Mile. This part of the City with its landmark buildings like that of Lloyds’ (Richard Rogers, 1986), is undergoing a vertical transformation with new high-rises like the Swiss Re headquarters (Foster & Partners, 2004), 88 Wood St (Richard Rogers Partnership, 1999), 5 Aldermanbury Square (Eric Parry Architects, 2006); Plantation Place (Arup Associates, 2004); The Minerva Building (Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners, 1999 -  )  and other impressive projects underway.
Lunch at one of the ethnic restaurants around Spitalfields Market (area recently renovated by Foster & Partners).
In the afternoon visit to the two new very popular projects: Idea Store (Adjaye & Associates, 2005- rising star of British Architecture) and the Blizard Building- Institute of Cell and Molecular Science (Alsop Architects, 2005). Return to the hotel passing by the area around the prestigious Whitechapel Art Gallery, a hub for contemporary art with over a hundred galleries and 10 000 artists living in the area.