David Bellamy worships the Natural History Museum where he learned about botany, but rails against City Hall for its swarms of security guards
My favourite building has to be the Natural History Museum, where I learned about botany and natural history when I was younger. It is the most beautiful building I have seen.
It was built in the Victorian era, so it is obviously not environment-friendly and probably has some creaking Victorian boiler underneath it. But it is a cathedral to natural history and there are wonderful statues of famous animals all around it.
My blunder is Ken Livingstone’s City Hall building in London, with which I have a love–hate relationship. I like the fact that it is very environment-friendly and, from the top of the stairs, there is an amazing panoramic view of London. I can even see my childhood home.
However, there are other things I hate about it, like the fact that there are too many security guards. I find that very off-putting.
I would also question the decision to build it on the South Bank of the Thames, near Tower Bridge. With many environmental groups talking of how the Thames barrier will not be sufficient to hold back rising sea levels, why choose to develop another building on a possible flood plain?
Postscript
David Bellamy is a conservationist and broadcaster
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