The Jumeirah Carlton Tower has been a beacon in London's Knightsbridge neighborhood since 1961, though its recent £100 million renovation might convince you it's a thoroughly modern masterpiece.

Standing 620 feet including its spire, it surpassed the Milbank Tower as the tallest building in London, though it was overtaken in 1980 by the NatWest Tower. (The Shard, at 1,016 feet, currently ...