Keeping with my plan to see and do more off campus this term, I spent another Saturday in central London. Thanks to the Brunel International Newsletter I signed up to receive, Yiota and I were able to see City Hall on one of its open weekends. That means that we got to see parts of the building which are not typically open to the public. City Hall, opened in 2002, is located along the River Thames and is the headquarters for the Major of London, the London Assembly and the Greater London Authority. We were able to take the lift to the 9th floor to London's Living Room-an open space on the top floor with a walkway around the perimeter offering panoramic views of the city. And what an amazing view it was! Luckily it was a gorgeous day so we could walk the whole way around the building and view London in the winter sunshine. When we came back inside we were then allowed to take the spiral ramp/stairs which winds the whole way down through the building and provides views of the river as well as into the open office spaces of the building's employees. The ramp brings you right into the Chamber which is a large auditorium-like room that is used for meetings and debates. After relaxing there for a few minutes, we continued down to the lower levels. We saw the current Beijing 2008 Olympics and Sculpture Exhibition which showcased sculptures created by artists in China to depict the spirit of the Olympic Games. On the lower ground floor we also enjoyed checking out the London Photomat covering the floor. The London Photomat is an aerial view of the whole of Greater London, at a detail precise enough to pinpoint individual houses and buildings. It was produced from 200,000 individual photos and took 3 years to complete. Yiota and I did our best to locate Brunel University, although we weren't entirely confident in our final decision! We were positive about Heathrow Airport, though. Some other interesting facts about City Hall: The rounded shape of City Hall helps stop the building from getting too hot or too cold. It leans backwards from the river to provide shade in the building from the most intense sunlight, and to allow plenty of sun to reach the walkway by the river. Heat generated by computers and lights is recycled. To keep the building cool in summer, cold water is taken from the natural water reserves below London, using two boreholes. This water cools the building and is then used again to flush the toilets. And the best part of the whole experience? It was free! You certainly can't beat that!