Tower Bridge in London

The Tower Bridge was first designed by architects Horace Jones and John Wolfe Barry in 1884. It took eight years, five contractors, and 432 workers to make this 265 meter long bridge. It took 11,000 tons of steel to create the frame work. Originally the bridge was painted brown, but was changed to red, blue, and white to celebrate the Queen's Silver Jubilee.
When the bridge was first operational is would open up to 50 times a day, but now it is on a schedule and opens about 1000 times a year. The bridge opens about 86 degrees and gives a clearance of 45 meters. When first made, the Tower Bridge operated by using steam, even so it only took about a minute for the bridge to raise up.
Tower bridge was made up in Victorian Gothic Style, and Cornish granite and Portland stone were used to make the bridge more appealing. The pointed windows, crosses on the top points, and overall attention to detail reflect the intended Gothic Style. Now days the top walk way is encased in glass allowing for people to see other great monuments around London.

Citation:
Tower Bridge Exhibition. www.towerbridge.org.uk. Tower Bridge, n/a. Web. 23 June 2013.
A View on Cities. www.aviewoncities.com. A View on Cities, 2013. Web. 23 June 2013.