Who designed the new mayor's building in London

A. The new building,�not yet�completed, was designed by Lord Foster, better known as Sir Norman Foster.�

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Q. What's it like
A. The building, which will combine the mayor's official residence as well as the council chamber and offices of the Greater London Assembly, has been described as a 'soap dish'. The futuristic design comprises a transparent, 10-storey, bowl-like structure resting mid-way between vertical and horizontal. It is situated facing the Tower of London from its riverside site next to Tower Bridge in Southwark. Lord Foster has stated that the transparency of the building is meant to symbolise the openness of the democratic process.

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Quite apart from the radical nature of its appearance, it is designed to be a model of environmental efficiency. It will use only a quarter of the energy that a conventional building would: solar panels on the roof will provide energy and, through use of technological wizardry, the building will provide shade for itself, thus reducing air conditioning costs.

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Another feature unique in a government building is the level of public access that is anticipated. The ninth floor will feature a public area called 'London's Living Room'�that will be used for exhibitions and functions. The lower-ground floor will have a public piazza with shops and caf�s.

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Lord Foster's own comments on the building are that it will 'celebrate a unique combination of public platform, accessible democratic assembly and environmentally responsible design... It is rather an unusual shape; it is not likely that you will mistake it for any other building.'

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Q. What else has Lord Foster designed
A. He has been involved in many daring architectural projects over the last 30 years, not least another high-profile government building, the rebuilding of the Reichstag in Berlin. Other buildings include the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC)offices and the enormous new airports in Hong Kong and Stansted Airport near London. He is also responsible for the elegant, though wobbly, new footbridge between the City of London and the Tate Modern in Southwark.

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Q. Where was the old Greater London Council headquarters
A. When the Greater London Council was disbanded by Margaret Thatcher's government in 1986 - the current Mayor of London, Ken Livingston, was then leader of the GLC - the council was housed at County Hall.

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Designed by Ralph Knott, it is situated on the opposite bank of the Thames to the Palace of Westminster, and is in what might be termed an 'Edwardian Renaissance' style. The building couldn't be more different to Lord Foster's new one. It is a far more traditional design, with closed courtyards and a monumentality that made it worthy of housing the government of what was, at the time, the most populous and powerful city in the world. After the GLC left, the building was sold off, and it now has a number of uses, ranging from the London Aquarium to the offices of the Princess Diana Memorial Trust - and a McDonald's.

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By Simon Smith