The Trafalgar

Up on the roof

Went to the Trafalgar’s rooftop garden for a party over the weekend. It’s a nice little spot to escape from the crowds in the centre of London.

(View from The Trafalgar’s roof garden)

I have never quite understood London’s (indeed all English cities) need to put its amenities on street-level. Bars, restaurants, shops… everything seems to require a door onto the street and window space. The implication is that people are too lazy or stupid to use stairs or elevators, or lack the curiosity to explore a little. I might have answered my own question.

Without vertical expansion, the result is a flabby, counter-intuitive city. Cities should condense to produce convenient, multi-faceted spaces. London and many European cities, have had the luxury of slow development into space, rather than rapid 20th century growth. Perhaps I have become to used to jam-packed, layered Asian metropolises and am just yearning for a different way of life.

. . .