Victoria is one of London's busiest areas, and when
Cardinal Place shopping and office complex opened a couple of years back on Victoria Street, it got even busier.
One of its unique features is the roof garden. Although it is indeed
on a roof, it's not on the highest part of Cardinal Place. Therefore, if the sun decides to show its face on any given day, much of the roof garden finds itself in the shade most of the time.
This is no bad thing, unless you're a sun worshipper, of course. But for those who prefer warmth without blinding, burning sunrays, this roof garden may be just the place for a take-away lunch or quick coffee.
Located alongside the roof garden is the SW1 Gallery. This place puts on exhibitions by upcoming students as well as established London artists.
The gallery often puts on special events too, including lectures, book readings and musical evenings.
SW1 Gallery is open from midday, Tuesday to Saturday.
Located opposite
Westminster Cathedral, the ultra-modern Cardinal Place shopping centre features around 100,000 square feet of retail space, filled with big-name stores like Topshop, Marks & Spencer, Monsoon, Zara and The North Face. Eateries include the likes of Browns Bar and Brasserie, Nando's, Eat and Wagamama.
There aren't so many green spaces within a five-minute walk of Victoria station - certainly not many away from traffic - so head on up the escalator to Cardinal Place's roof garden and take some time to enjoy the tranquil surroundings.