As the Shard, the tallest building in the European Union, opens its public viewing platform, here are the landmarks to look out for, plus the favourite London haunts of writers, musicians and comedians: Photograph by Will Pearson/willpearson.co.uk

(Guardian (UK) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Battersea Power Station Completed 1933 (A station) & 1955 (B station) 112m high Architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott Decommissioned by 1983, but remains in the public imagination because of appearances in popular culture - most famously, on the cover of Pink Floyd's 1977 album Animals.

Now being converted into luxury flats.

Imperial War Museum Completed 1812 43m high John Gandy, James Lewis The London branch of the museum has occupied this site in Lambeth since 1936. Formerly the building was used by the Bethlem hospital to house patients diagnosed with mental illnesses.

Millbank Tower Completed 1963 118m high Ronald Ward & Partners Best known for its political associations: Labour ran its victorious 1997 election campaign from there, and since 2007 it has been the campaign HQ for the Conservative party.

The Elizabeth Tower Completed 1859 96m high Charles Barry Better known as Big Ben, which is actually the name of the clock's bell. It was renamed after the Queen in honour of her Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

The London Eye Completed 1999 135m high David Marks, Julia Barfield The London Eye gives spectacular views for visitors in its 32 10-tonne capsules, which take about 30 minutes to complete one revolution. Until 2006 it was the largest Ferris wheel in the world.

Tate Modern Bankside open 1952; as Tate Modern 2000 99m high Designed Sir Giles Gilbert Scott; repurposed Herzog & de Meuron Formerly Bankside Power Station, this modern art museum drew a record 5.3m visitors in 2012 to its galleries and five-storey turbine hall. To the right you can see the circular roof of Shakespeare's Globe, a reconstruction of the famous theatre.

Wembley Stadium Rebuilt 2007 133m high Foster + Partners; HOK Sport The national stadium for the England football team features an arch with a 315-metre span, the largest single-span roof structure in the world.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Royal Courts of Justice Opened 1882 75m tall MI6 building Opened 1994 Buckingham Palace Begun 1705 24m tall Oxo Tower Rebuilt 1929 67m tall 7 8 1 A G 3 5 B D E F 4 C 2 9 6 H 14 15 17 18 19 20 New Royal London hospital Cost pounds 650m; opened 2012. Has distinctive blue cladding Olympic Stadium 17 18 18 21 19 20 22 14 16 K J 15 B C D E F G A As you've never seen it An augmented-reality panorama of London from the Shard guardian.co.uk/interactive BT Tower Opened 1965 189m high GR Yeats and Eric Bedford The tallest building in London when it opened as the General Post Office Tower. Its once-famous microwave satellite dishes have been removed due to advances in fibre optic transmission technology. It was the tallest building in London until 1980.

Unilever House Completed 1933 43m high James Lomax-Simpson A neoclassical art deco building overlooking Blackfriars bridge which was built to house the headquarters of soap manufacturing company Lever Brothers, which became Unilever in 1930. The building was refurbished in 2004, retaining original fittings and adding a roof garden.

St Paul's Cathedral Completed 1710 111m high Sir Christopher Wren A St Paul's has existed on the site since the 7th century. The present cathedral was built after the previous one was destroyed during the Great Fire of London.

Hampstead Heath Acquired as public land between 1871 and 1928 (Kenwood House) A 790-acre green space which has been attracting thousands of day trippers since the 18th century. It offers one of the best views of London, from Parliament Hill.

The Barbican Completed 1982 123m high Chamberlin, Powell and Bon The Brutalist architecture of the Barbican, with its three residential towers, is grade II-listed. It was constructed between 1965 and 1976, and the Barbican Centre opened in 1982 as a cultural and entertainment hub.

The Monument Opened 1667 61m high Sir Christopher Wren, Robert Hooke The Monument was built to commemorate the Great Fire of London in 1666. The column is 202ft high, the distance to Pudding Lane where the fire started.

The Shard Opens today 309.6m high Renzo Piano The Shard, which opens to the public today, is the second-highest building in Europe after Moscow's Mercury City tower, which was also topped out last year. It contains a viewing platform, apartments, office space and restaurants.

8 10 9 11 12 13 Emirates Stadium Opened 2006 43m tall Lee Valley reservoir chain 13 reservoirs in east London 11 12 10 24 26 23 25 I 13 27 22 21 23 24 25 26 Crystal Palace TV mast Built 1956 219m tall Serves 12m viewers 27 L L H (c) 2013 Guardian Newspapers Limited.

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