Global Classroom April/May 2013 students took in lessons on London’s architectural design and rich history from renowned architectural historian, Chris Hughes during their first week in the city.

The lessons started with a lecture titled the ‘Past, Present and Future of London’ by Hughes, who is also attached to Limkokwing London as a lecturer.

Hughes started his talk with an introduction to the rich history behind the Limkokwing London campus building at 106 Piccadilly, on how it was used by distinguished members of European royalty, members of the British diplomatic corps as well as celebrated author, Ian Fleming who created the James Bond series.

After the introduction, Hughes moved on to talk about the history of London from the age of the Stone Age Celtic to the current modern buildings of today. During his talk, Hughes highlighted the key architectural designs of famous London architecture, such as the London Bridge, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Royal Navy in Greenwich.

Students engaged with Hughes on the topic of London’s future landscape and the possibility of modern architecture overtaking the city’s historical buildings. Some of the questions put forward included the ability of old, historical buildings to adapt to modern technology and the effects of technology on architecture and traditional architectural design.

After a lunch break, the students were guided by Hughes on a walking tour of famous and historical places around the Limkokwing London campus, which includes St. James Park, Green Park, Park Mall, Buckingham Palace and Number 10 Downing Street, home of the UK Prime Minister.

Hughes continued to explain about the design of the historical architecture sites they saw on their tour.