London_Calling
Pleasant and unpatronising
It looks like, well, a shard to me.
The Shard Tower in London
- Thread starter kyser_soze
- Start date
I assume you're on about this
Piano's first design for the Shard was completed in 2000, over a year before even Peter Jackson's first instalment of the LoTR trilogy was released.
Independent convergence towards an adolescent's favoured aesthetic. See also the Petronas Towers.
London_Calling
Pleasant and unpatronising
What would you prefer?
Cid
Proper break this time
London_Calling
Pleasant and unpatronising
Would have thought public gardens at London Bridge would be very helpful as somewhere for people to unwind. It's not a particularly attractive area as it stands now.
How will the Shard benefit those already working in or travelling through London Bridge on a regular basis?
Enthusiasm for it seems to be almost entirely down to its projected height. If the Shard were only going to be half as tall, this thread wouldn't exist.
True enough, I've never been that keen on it though. It seems a bit bleak somehow.
Crispy
The following psytrance is baṉned: All
Yes it'll be the tallest building in London, but IMO, it'll also be one of the worlds best looking skyscrapers.
Another benefit to the area is the rebuiilding of the bus station outside the station, and the entrance concourse too. Should be much more peasant.
Another benefit to the area is the rebuiilding of the bus station outside the station, and the entrance concourse too. Should be much more peasant.
teuchter
je suis teuchter
Although that could also have been done sans skyscraper. But yes, it hopefully will be a good-looking skyscraper.
Guess you're either into skyscrapers or you're not. I'm not keen on them for London, I don't want the city to look like Shanghai or New York or wherever. Too many would impose on the skyline. I like to be able to see the shapes of the hills and a mixture of buildings and structures old and new: church spires, gas holders, tower blocks.
cybertect
It's grim up north (London)
Well, the construction alone is providing me with plenty of entertainment, and I pass through London Bridge station twice a day on my commute.
No. It's a building by Renzo Piano and IMHO one of the most exciting skyscrapers that's been built in London for a very long time, if ever. I am a fan of Piano, I'll admit, largely because of his mastery of detailing.
Richard Rogers' 122 Leadenhall promises to be close if it does eventually get built, which is getting more likely, although the project is on hold at the moment.
That both Piano and Rogers worked together on the Pompidou Centre may not be entirely coincidence.
I would much prefer to see Gehry or Hadid responsible for some major new buildings in London. Higgledy-piggledy deconstructionism in sympathetic materials would be better suited to our city, imho. Sorry, I'm not a fan of Rogers! We'll have to agree to disagree on that one I guess.
Which is why very tall buildings like this are restricted to the central City and canary wharf. Nobody proposes out of scale things like centre point any more
The Shard isn't going to be in the City though. It's an encroachment on riverside Southwark, which has had a different character to the City for many centuries. I think it is out of scale to its surroundings. It's going to loom over the whole district between Blackfriars Road and Tower Bridge Road.
cybertect
It's grim up north (London)
It's not as if the old PriceWaterhouseCoopers building it's replacing was only three storeys tall though, or the 145m Guy's Hospital tower next door.
and the 'Baby Shard' by Piano on the other side of the bus station will actually be shorter than the old Seifert building that's being demolished at present
Something else I forgot to mention in my earlier post that makes it different to the norm is the brief - it's a mixed-use building with hotels, offices, residential space and public viewing areas. I don't think that there are many similar projects in the City or at Canary Wharf.
and the 'Baby Shard' by Piano on the other side of the bus station will actually be shorter than the old Seifert building that's being demolished at present
Something else I forgot to mention in my earlier post that makes it different to the norm is the brief - it's a mixed-use building with hotels, offices, residential space and public viewing areas. I don't think that there are many similar projects in the City or at Canary Wharf.
London_Calling
Pleasant and unpatronising
I think part of the plan is to bring the City to Southwark, or expand south of the river if you prefer.
It's also interesting to tie this building in with the East London Line and the redevelopment of London Bridge station itself - including platform realignments. It almost feels like joined up thinking.
Here's a view of the Shard from inside what will be the concourse:
cybertect
It's grim up north (London)
A little sequence showing the fitting of one of a glazing panel on St Thomas Street on Friday afternoon.
Click for a larger version.
and a wide shot of the 'interior' (for want of a better term) along Joiner Street
Looking down St Thomas Street
and Gate 3 at the far end of the site, where St Thomas Street meets Stainer Street - the secondary core for the 'backpack' part of the building (not part of the main tower) is rising quickly now it's under way.
Click for a larger version.
and a wide shot of the 'interior' (for want of a better term) along Joiner Street
Looking down St Thomas Street
and Gate 3 at the far end of the site, where St Thomas Street meets Stainer Street - the secondary core for the 'backpack' part of the building (not part of the main tower) is rising quickly now it's under way.
London_Calling
Pleasant and unpatronising
Good stuff again cybertect, that public bridge is a blessing for you.
One thing this building has brought to my notice is the level of labour involved - at this stage it's basically a (very) few highly blokes putting together a giant Meccano set. Not a lot of brickies or hods, for example.
I suppose that changes very quickly when the cabling and interiors go in . . .
One thing this building has brought to my notice is the level of labour involved - at this stage it's basically a (very) few highly blokes putting together a giant Meccano set. Not a lot of brickies or hods, for example.
I suppose that changes very quickly when the cabling and interiors go in . . .
London_Calling
Pleasant and unpatronising
I see.
And, of course, a lot of prep work off site.
And, of course, a lot of prep work off site.
