When the LLoyds companies had outgrown their old building they erected right next to Leadenhall Market an extraordinary new construction in the very centre of the city of London. The glass and concrete design was a spectacular novelty, but it led to a serious problem: you could not hide the necessary pipes and elevators of the building within the walls. So the architect, Richard Rogers found an extraordinary solution. He simply put the pipes outside the building. Today of course the building is famous for its style, and probably holds a good deal of responsibility for the weird shapes and sizes of the skyscrapers, following over the next decades.

What Rogers really did was think outside the box – literally. He understood, that the space he apparently had to his disposal was not the end of all possibilities. When I first came to London, this ‘thinking outside the box’ was one of those things that struck me as being so extraordinary about this city. Here you are free to try something new, something that has never been done before. It is the city where dreams are becoming reality.

People tell me that you either love London or you hate it. There is nothing in-between. I couldn’t agree more. Either you are able to enjoy the freedom of choice and opportunities – with all the dangerous consequences and all the belly-squirming side-effects. Or you prefer a quiet, secure, well-organised life. But if you belong to those who look up at the LLoyds Building and think ‘Gosh, I’d like it to be me, that has such a cool idea.’ then come to London!