© 1st Options

Water towers do not make for easy conversions; there are going to be lots of stairs. London developer Leigh Osborne took a tower dating back to 1867 and converted it into “one of the most lavish and eccentric residences in the city”. It was a challenge; he tells the Penarth Times that “There were 2,000 dead pigeons in there, and poo that went up to the top of your wellies!”

See more: Water Tower Converted Into Superluxe London Home

In 1913 he hired typographer Edward Johnston; according to Wikipedia he “specified to Johnston in 1913 that he wanted a typeface that would ensure that the Underground Group’s posters would not be mistaken for advertisements; it should have “the bold simplicity of the authentic lettering of the finest periods” and belong “unmistakably to the twentieth century”

The result was the sans serif type now known as Johnston.

via On the 150th Birthday of the First London Subway Ride, A Look at the Incredible Design Influence of London Transport : Page 4

© Natural History Museum

This is the skull of a north African Barbary lion thought to have lived in the Tower of London around 1280-1385. It would have been the most special animal in the King’s collection and is the oldest lion to be found in the UK.

See 22 Treasures on View at London’s Natural History Museum

fastcompany:

Will London become the first city with commuter swim lanes?

Probably not since this idea only got 2nd place! Also, ducks. 

Installation PLUNGE by Michael Pinsky is a pretty scary and pretty graphic reminder of the impact of climate change on a city like London. In a very dramatic way, it depicts what the impact of rising sea levels, due to climate change, will be in 3012.

(via With London Monuments, Artist Shows Just How High Sea Levels Will be in 3012)