While Buckingham Palace is the symbolic home of the British monarchy , Tower Bridge is one of London ' s most famous landmark and one of the most renowned bridges in the world . Let us briefly outline the origins of its creation and its characteristics . In the mid-19th century , the intensity of maritime trade in central London made it necessary to increase the means of exchange between the two banks of the Thames . It was therefore necessary to build a bridge downstream from London to increase trade between the two banks without dirupting the intensity of river traffic during construction . For this project , a public competition was launched with the following objectives : innovation , functionality and aesthetics . Fifty projects were submited , and Sir Horace Jones , architect , and engineer John Wolfe Barry were chosen as the winners . They proposed a sophisticated bascule bridge , incorporating a suspension system , which allowed the bridge to be raised to allow ships to pass while maintaining a stable passage for pedestrians and vehicules . To ensure the bridge ' s stability , two massive steel towers support the upper walkways . Construction of the bridge began on 22 April 1886 and took eight years to complete , employing more than 430 workers to build the structure , which is 60 metres high , 243 metres long and 76 metres wide . Laid 8 metres deep in the bed of the Thames , the fondations remain astonishing . In fact , to ensure the bridge ' s strength while accommodating the powerful currents of this river , 31000000 , brics and 70000 , tonnes of concrete were required . London ' s Tower Bridge rests on foundations carefully designed to combine functionality and architectural symbolisme . Let ' s take a look at the various elements chosen for its neo-Gothic style , modelled on the 11th-century Tower of London . Decorative elements include turrets , pointed arches and carved details typical of Gothic architecture , giving the bridge a majestic and timeless apparance . Steel was chosen for the structural materials due to its strength , which was necessary for the bascule mechanism . The facades are clad in noble materials (Cornish granite and Portland stone ) to lend elegance in order to establish elegance on the monumental aspect of the bridge . Victorian-inspired , it blends perfectly into the London citycape , creating a deliberate contrast between contemporary skyscrapers and historic monuments . The bridge cost £ 1184000 , to build , an astronomical sum for the late 19th century . Tower Bridge is one of the largest and most sophisticated bascule bridge , which was inaugurated on 30 June 1894 by the Prince of Wales , the futur King Edward VII , and his wife . Its architecture , originality and technical sophistication represent the soul of the city and are a source of pride for Londoners .
