Walkie Talkie tower, Fenchurch St crackles into life

[sleaterkinney]

That image goes some way towards showing how wrong this building is. The other ones under construction are all clustered together and make a group that culminates in the Pinnacle tower (no. 8 Minerva is cancelled and replaced with a low rise). But this one sits way off to the side, close to the river where it will utterly ruin the view from the south bank. I really really hate it. Hate it,

That's the thing, the buildings on that street are all low rise - some of them boring, but a lot look ok, this is going to look out of place where it is. The other skyscrapers like the gerkin work because there is space around them and you can look up and see the whole thing - this won't because of the narrow streets around it.

I'm not sure the city needs all this extra office space either.

 

[1927]

Nah, Empire state, Rockerfeller, Chrysler towers are all still open to the public. The Shard (and Pinnacle, which will actually be at a higher level) viewing areas will be paid tourist attractions, and aren't the right size for useful lets, so they'll be open for ever IMO. The public garden though, that's supposed to be free access (although there's private dining and a restaurant up there too, so it's not exactly profitless floor space). Future looks a bit darker for that. I'll go and look up the planning conditions and see how onerous they are.

Chrysler is NOT open to the public and hasn't been for years,

 

[Crispy]

Oh? My mistake then.

 

[editor]

The viewing platform on the Rockefeller Centre only reopened relatively recently too (2005) after being closed for nearly twenty years.

 

[editor]

Here's a pic:

http://www.urban75.org/blog/walkie-talkie-tower-at-20-fenchurch-street-rises-into-the-london-sky/

 

[bromley]

Looks like it's on fire, good work Editor, burn it down!

 

[editor]

That's how it looked on Saturday afternoon - no filters used in that pic!

 

[RoyReed]

The viewing platform on the Rockefeller Centre only reopened relatively recently too (2005) after being closed for nearly twenty years.

Great to know it's re-opened. It really is the best view in New York.

 

[Manter]

Ah that's the horrible new HQ for UBS. It ruins the one good bit of urban planning in The City from the 80s.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/jan/02/5-broadgate-london-review-make-ken-shuttleworth

By the same man who did the gherkin would you believe

As the thread has been bumped I'll bump this bit of the topic

I've heard rumours UBS are pulling out of building that given layoffs/general failure to run their own bank

 

[Crispy]

As the thread has been bumped I'll bump this bit of the topic

I've heard rumours UBS are pulling out of building that given layoffs/general failure to run their own bank

Very interesting! How substantial are those rumours?

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

I've heard rumours UBS are pulling out of building that given layoffs/general failure to run their own bank

It will be, Shuttleworth says, "an expression of the stability of the bank".

 

[cybertect]

A couple of recent-ish pics


The City at night by cybertect, on Flickr


20 Fenchurch Street by cybertect, on Flickr

 

[g force]

Could be some truth in it...UBS announced laying off 10k people in Europe, and the majority of those will be the London-based traders (the bank is essentially removing itself from investment banking per se and going back to it's roots of being a wealth manager). So quite who would be in this building is anyone's guess - were any figures announced in terms of how many people it was meant to house?

I suppose they could still take it on and then sub-let to other firms.

 

[Crispy]

They could have made their mind up before demolishing the old building

 

[19sixtysix]

Oh this will be designed for a longer life, but in commercial terms, that's as soon as we can hope for it to be knocked down.

I wonder what the design life actually is. I know many flats put up have only a 50 year life less than half the lease length.

 

[Crispy]

"Design Life" is a nebulous term. Any building will last more or less forever if properly maintained.

 

[stuff_it]

I think it'll fit quite well with the other buildings around it.

What next? An electric toothbrush? Food mixer?

 

[19sixtysix]

"Design Life" is a nebulous term. Any building will last more or less forever if properly maintained.

Not so sure about that with some of the modern construction techniques. The flat I heard about with the 50 year design life included lots of rubber like gaskets between parts of the building. Can't imagine them being fixable when they decay after a good few years. These had the estimated 50 year life. At work its the rubber parts that's finished off many a machine. Neoprene pinch rollers are fantastic because they turn to a viscous fluid and just drip away.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I don't like it at all. It has a shape that creates unease. It just looks wrong in the landscape.

 

[Crispy]

It also makes the mistake of having a concave, reflective south-facing facade. Here's a simulation of the focused "hot spots" that will result:

Compare how the flat-faced buildings give much fainter reflected light.

 

[Idaho]

It looks like a normal oblong building made of sad jelly.

 

[editor]

It looks like a bully, put there to intimidate nearby buildings.

 

[Manter]

Very interesting! How substantial are those rumours?

noone who would be willing to be quoted! but more than idle speculation. basically therre will not be the demand for as many offices as they will have round there so some willneed to be sold of. they aren't in the business of leasing buildings so if their money is already committed they may pullout at a later stage/dump one of their other buildings...?

 

[editor]

I've just added a big photo feature showing how the block looks now:

http://www.urban75.org/blog/walkie-...s-work-starts-on-europes-highest-roof-garden/

 

[editor]

I have to say that close up I kind of grew to like it a bit.

 

[Manter]

I have to say that close up I kind of grew to like it a bit.

I go past it a few times a week- I'm not a fan. It looms oddly.

 

[editor]

I go past it a few times a week- I'm not a fan. It looms oddly.

It is different though and it's certainly better than what was there before.

 

[RedDragon]

It's fast becoming one of my favourite towers.

 

[pissflaps]

 

[Crispy]

I think it looks great up close. The splayed fins and subtle curves are very graceful. The over-curving glass means you see reflections of the city as well as the sky. But I still think it's an ugly addition to the skyline. Squat and bulbous and overbearing. It's all on its own as well, making a mess of the "cluster" of towers in the City. "The Sore Thumb" is a better epithet, IMO.