Trafalgar Square Day and Night London Panoramas

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Trafalgar Square was designed in the 1840's on the site of the then Kings's Mews. Central to the square is Nelsons Column, paid for by the Nelson Memorial Committee, it stands 170 foot high.

Lord Nelson was the admiral of the British fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Nelson thwarted Napoleon's plans to invade England and destroyed the French naval power, ensuring the dominance of the British navy.

The north side of the square is home to the National Gallery. The Gallery was built between 1832-1838 drawing inspiration from Wilkin's previous work on the newly instated University College London.



The panoramas can be viewed in full screen via the QuickTime plugin, allowing you to view the scene in 360x180 degrees at high resolution.

View the panorama of Trafalgar Square, London (2.3mb).

View the panorama of Trafalgar Square at Night, London (2.5mb).

You can now order this image as an exclusive 35 x 20 inch panoramic print.

Leicester Square Park London Panorama

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The garden in Leicester Square was purchased and landscaped by Albert Grant a Member of Parliament in the 19th century. It was conveyed by him to the Metropolitan Board of Works on the 2nd July 1874 to be preserved for ever for the free use and enjoyment of the public.

At the heart of the garden is a statue of William Shakespeare placed as the centre piece of a fountain which transcribes the history of the area. Opposite William Shakespeare is a statue of Charlie Chaplin, in line with the Empire Cinema, located on the north side of the square.

View the Quicktime panorama of The Garden Leicester Square, London (4.3mb).

Empire Leicester Square London Panorama

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The Empire Leicester Square opened on the 8th November 1928 with the silent film 'Trewlawny of the Wells.' Owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer it has been at the heart of London's Cinema history since the first moving pictures were shown in the old Empire, a music hall that pre-dates the current site.

The Cinema was renovated in 1962 and is currently run by United Cinemas International. Inside the cinema remains a testament to the days of grand cinemas, a era lost with the development of the multi-plex.

View the Quicktime panorama of The Empire Leicester Square, London (3.5mb).

Woman in White Palace Theatre London Panorama

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The Palace Theatre is currently host to the Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical the Woman in White. The show opened at the theatre in 2004 after Les Miserables closed at The Palace after a 18 year run.

The theatre opened in 1891 as Opera House but shortly after changed with the times to a music hall in 1892. Designed by T.E. Collcutt and G.H. Holloway the Theatre has a seating capacity of 1400 and is currently a Grade II Listed Building.

View the Quicktime panorama of The Place Theatre, London (3.5mb).



Of course panoramas capture a full 360 x 180 degree field of view so some people maybe more interested in the fine example of a RouteMaster London Bus at the traffic lights...

View the Quicktime panorama of The Place Theatre, London (3.5mb).

Google Map Panoramas

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With thanks to Kampanart Piyathamrongchai (Known as Meo) from our lab the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, at University College London, we have been able to embed the panoramas from the blog into Google Maps.

Meo hacked about with the code to enable quicktime to be pulled off our server and overlaid on top of the standard Google Map interface. It is possible to view three types of map - standard, satellite and hybrid.

- edit - The system works happily in Firefox but seems to have some issues Explorer with the Quicktime not showing. We have added a full screen mode which maximises the map according to your browser size, the panoramas recently added to the blog will appear on the map over the coming days. - edit -

View the Google Map or

View the Google Map Full Screen

Hungerford Bridge, London Night Time Panorama

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Hungerford Bridge links London's West End and South Bank. Built as a footbridge it was designed by Alex Lifschutz of Lifschutz Davidson.

Opened in September 2002, the bridge spans both sides of the Charing Cross rail link across the Thames. Providing arguably one of the best night time river views of London looking East down the Thames, landmarks such as St Paul's Cathedral, Tower 42 and the Oxo Tower can be seen in the distance.

View the Quicktime panorama of The Hungerford Bridge, London (2.7mb).

The raw images behind the panoramas can be viewed at the Gallery

University College London Quad Panorama

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University College London was founded on February 11th 1826, the third University in the United Kingdom after Oxford and Cambridge.

The Universities main building, pictured in this panorama, was designed by William Wilkins and constructed between 1827 and 1828. The building is centered on a Corinthian portico which is reminiscent of the British Museum, (constructed a couple of years earlier).

After the building of University College London Wilkins went to design the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square.

View the Quicktime panorama of The University of London Quad, London (2.6mb).

The raw images behind the panoramas can be viewed at the Gallery

Gandhi, Tavistock Square London Panorama

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Tavistock Square contains a small shaded park in the Bloomsbury sector of London. The panorama is taken at the central feature of the park - a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. The statue has been in the park since 1968 and was designed by Fredda Brilliant.

The park also contains trees planted to commemorate the victims of the Hiroshima bombing and a Conscientious Objectors' memorial.

It is a quiet place to sit and the panorama displays a distinct contrast to the scene in July 2005 when a bus was blown up on the square just a few metres from the park.

View the Quicktime panorama of Tavistock Square, London (3.2mb).

Euston Station, London Panorama

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Euston station is the first view of London for over 51 million people a year, it is neither grand like King Cross St Pancras or unique like Marylebone, indeed it is typical of 1960's architecture.

The original Euston station opened in 1837 but was completely rebuilt in conjunction with the electrification of the West Coast Main Line between 1963 and 1968, thus its appearance in contrast to other London mainline station. Two Portland stone entrance lodges and the war memorial still survive from the old station but these are situated away from the main entrance on Euston Road.

View the Quicktime panorama of Euston Station, London (3.2mb).

Westminster Cathedral, London Panorama

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Westminster Cathedral is hidden away near between Victoria and Westminster in London. It is a building in direct contrast to Westminster Abbey with its Byzantine style architecture of the eastern Roman Empire, compared to Westminster Abbeys Gothic.

The Cathedral was built between 1895 and 1903 on the designs of architect John Bentley. The panorama is taken directly outside the Cathedral which is a through route for commuters arriving at London's Victoria Station and walking to Westminster.


View the Quicktime panorama of Westminster Cathedral , London (2.7mb).

The Burghers of Calais Panorama, Victoria Tower London

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The panorama captures the opposite end of the Palace of Westminster and Victoria Tower. The Tower holds the Parliamentary Archives and was specific built for that purpose after the 1834 fire destroyed the Palace and most House of Commons records.

Dominating the gardens is the The Burghers of Calais (Les Bourgeois de Calais), one of the most famous sculptures by Auguste Rodin. It is a copy of the original sculpture which stands in Calais and was erected in 1914. The sculpture depicts the residents of Calais who surrendered to Edward III in 1347, during the Hundred Years War between Britain and France.

View the Quicktime panorama of The Burghers of Calais, London (3.2mb).

The raw images behind the panoramas can be viewed at the Gallery

Robert Clive Statue Panorama, Whitehall London

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The panorama above centers on the statue of Robert Clive located off Whitehall, London, next to the Cabinet War Rooms. Robert Clive is controversially known for laying the foundations of the British empire in India, where he got the name "conqueror of India". As a employee of the East India Company, Clive arrived in India in 1743 and secured British rule by defeating the then French occupiers.

View the Quicktime panorama of Robert Clive, London (2.6mb).

The raw images behind the panoramas can be viewed at the Gallery

Houses of Parliament London Panorama

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An example of Gothic Architecture the Houses of Parliament were constructed between 1840 and 1888. The panorama is taken outside the main tower near Westminster Bridge and the River Thames. The tower stands 320 foot tall and is named after the largest bell, 'Big Ben' which weighs over 13 tons, and was cast in 1858 at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in East London.

View the panorama of the Houses of Parliament, London (3.2mb).

The raw images behind the panoramas can be viewed at the Gallery

Any thoughts, comments or messages? Sign our quick and easy guest book

Westminster Abbey London Panorama

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Westminster Abbey is a work of outstanding architecture, constructed between the 13th and 16th centuries. The Abbey has been the location for numours Royal Weddings as well as every Coronation since 1066. The building as it is today features the west towers which were completed to the designs of Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor.

Recently filming of the Da Vinci Code was refused by the Church at Westminster, Lincon Catherdral takes its place in the forthcoming film.

View the panorama of Westminster Abbey, London (3.2mb).

The raw images behind the panoramas can be viewed at the Gallery

Any thoughts, comments or messages? Sign our quick and easy guest book

Centre Point London Panorama

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Centre Point stands at 117m on the junction of Oxford Street and Charing Cross Road in London. The building, completed in 1967, is made out of pre-cast concrete and at the time held the honour of the worlds tallest concrete tower. The building is a controversial landmark in London with its unique architecture. Despite its appearance it is now a Grade II listed building.

The panorama can be viewed in full screen via the QuickTime plugin, allowing you to view the scene in 360x180 degrees at high resolution.

View the panorama of Centre Point, London (2.8mb).

The raw images behind the panoramas can be viewed at the Gallery

Any thoughts, comments or messages? Sign our quick and easy guest book

Swiss Re (30 St Mary Axe) London Panorama

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The Swiss Re building, more formally known as 30 St Mary Axe, was completed in 2003 and officially opened in 2004. At 180m its inspiration can be traced back to the Willis Faber and Dumas Headquarters built in 1975 by Fosters and Partners.

The panorama can be viewed in full screen via the QuickTime plugin, allowing you to view the scene in 360x180 degrees at high resolution.

View the panorama of the Swiss Re Building, London (2.8mb).

The raw images behind the panoramas can be viewed at the Gallery

Any thoughts, comments or messages? Sign our quick and easy guest book

Trafalgar Square London Panorama

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This is the first post of a new series of interactive panoramas of London. The panoramas can be viewed in full screen via the QuickTime plugin, allowing you to view the scene in 360x180 degrees at high resolution.

View the panorama of Trafalgar Square, London (2.5mb).

The raw images behind the panoramas can be viewed at the Gallery

Any thoughts, comments or messages? Sign our quick and easy guest book

Polar Co-ordinate Panoramas

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This is the first sample image captured with a new panoramaic rig, viewed from polar co-ordinates. The image is of the BT Tower, viewed from a nearby roof terrace at dusk.

More images can be be found in the gallery which will be updated over the coming weeks as the new kit is put through its paces.

View the Gallery

asmith@geog.ucl.ac.uk