Zombie Posted July 5, 2012 Posted July 5, 2012 (edited) London's newest building opened today. Some say it's a "new London icon", others it's a "blot on the landscape, an outrage". I like it. I don't want London to become a skyscraper city but it's not as if it's in a specially historic bit of London (the nearby buildings are dismal). What do you think? Do you like tall buildings? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18724352 Edited July 5, 2012 by Zombie
Andy78 Posted July 5, 2012 Posted July 5, 2012 Sorry to disagree with you Zombie, but the thing is an eyesore, and it's not even as though they had the sense to build it near the other skyscrapers such as the Gherkin.. It wouldn't look out of place somewhere like New York City surrounded by skyscrapers, but here in London it kinda sticks out like a sore thumb.
Johnathan Colourfield Posted July 5, 2012 Posted July 5, 2012 A massive blot on the landscape. It feels like it doesn't quite fit
Cyhort Posted July 5, 2012 Posted July 5, 2012 Maybe that's just a weird picture but it looks like accidentally built an expensive hotel in a run down slum.
Andy78 Posted July 5, 2012 Posted July 5, 2012 Yeah, part of it has a Shangri-La hotel. The area it's built in isn't the most affluent area of London either.
Zombie Posted July 5, 2012 Author Posted July 5, 2012 (edited) Hey no sweat. Not as if I'll be buying an apartment there anytime soon This vid is funny of the architect giving a press conference today when the window cleaners swing by (yikes I couldn't do that job!) and no-one's interested in the architect anymore as they all swivel around to watch the hunky window cleaners Edited July 5, 2012 by Zombie
Arpeggio Posted July 5, 2012 Posted July 5, 2012 Most of Paris hated the Eiffel Tower at first. I think it's neat looking, even if it looks different than everything surrounding it. XD
Yettie One Posted July 5, 2012 Posted July 5, 2012 (edited) I think that the face of London is changing and its a reflection of the times. I'm not sure about its design myself, I prefer the Gherkin, but these iconic, unusual structures are what modern architecture is all about. I do like the fact that the building has a public use as well as its commercial/residential use. In time I think it'll only add to the appeal of London. Edited July 5, 2012 by Yettie One
George Richard Posted July 5, 2012 Posted July 5, 2012 It would fit much better in downtown Chicago where I work. Buildings that size are typical here. I like it better than our latest tall building, Donald Trump's tower.
Krista Posted July 6, 2012 Posted July 6, 2012 I'm not a fan of it either, not really... but maybe if I was able to look at it more personally it wouldn't look so odd standing out among the rest of the buildings. There definitely isn't a uniformity in the buildings around it.. and it does tower over them quite a bit. It would probably be something to see up close though. I'm not a sky scraper person, period. Places like New York, Chicago, and the like do nothing for me... I'll take my trees over towering buildings any day. 1
Daddydavek Posted July 6, 2012 Posted July 6, 2012 Hopefully it will spark further investment and revival in that part of London. I think especially tall buildings are interesting but I wouldn't want to work or live in one. The fact that it is provoking discussion as to it's striking appearance is good. It seems I recall the Gherkin did so when it was built as well.
W_L Posted July 6, 2012 Posted July 6, 2012 My thought too ! It does look like lot tower Personally it looks interesting and i like the sticking out part, i will say the phallic shape gives the city a few more inches. Wonder if Dan brown will notice. Lol
Bill W Posted July 6, 2012 Posted July 6, 2012 Now all it needs in Leonardo Di Caprio standing at the top shouting, "I am the king of the world."
BeysJoshersLepton V2 Posted July 6, 2012 Posted July 6, 2012 Am I the only one who likes it? Everyones reaction in London seems to be negative
Zolia Lily Posted July 6, 2012 Posted July 6, 2012 (edited) I love it!!! It's bold and weird and they're going to have a hell of a time fitting furniture and things, but it's cool I think it will add to London's skyline. I LOVE the Gherkin, too - as much as I also love the Georgian architecture of the city and the Royal Courts of Justice and some of the more historic buildings in the city. To me, London IS a giant mish-mash of people and cultures and history and modernity, and I kind of like that the architecture reflects that. And the skyline is SO cool with all the different bits and pieces Also, I do think it's better than what we got stuck with in Melbourne : http://photoeverywhe...uare1010878.jpg Edited July 6, 2012 by Zolia Lily 3
Celethiel Posted July 7, 2012 Posted July 7, 2012 You know what they say... when you run out of room Horrizontal, start going Vertical... and London is fairly crowded horrozontaly... My friends keep saying I have a thing for Erect structures
CassieQ Posted July 11, 2012 Posted July 11, 2012 It's not a bad looking building, but it looks like it is in the wrong place. It doesn't match the structures around it. It would look fine in NYC or Chicago amongst other skyscrapers, but sitting there alone it just looks odd and out of place.
Celethiel Posted July 11, 2012 Posted July 11, 2012 It's not a bad looking building, but it looks like it is in the wrong place. It doesn't match the structures around it. It would look fine in NYC or Chicago amongst other skyscrapers, but sitting there alone it just looks odd and out of place. Well neither did the skyscrapers in Early Stalin Era Moscow until there were five of them...
Zolia Lily Posted July 11, 2012 Posted July 11, 2012 (edited) And the Tour de Montparnasse. SUCH an eyesore that the French apparently then banned more skyscrapers being built in the centre- which is why they've built their own little skyscraper district in the west of Paris. My favourite part of that story is that apparently they were going to tear it down... but then figured that with the Asbestos in it, it would be a hell of a job... so they left it there - as a testament to why not to build things that stick out as bad as that does.... http://upload.wikime...iffel_Tower.jpg http://1.bp.blogspot...ontparnasse.jpg Edited July 11, 2012 by Zolia Lily 1
Toast Posted July 12, 2012 Posted July 12, 2012 Maybe from a street level the surrounding area has some charm or history, but from the sky the only thing other than London Bridge and the Thames of interest is the Shard. 1
Celethiel Posted July 12, 2012 Posted July 12, 2012 How much room does these old cities have left to grow though, except skyward...
Zombie Posted July 12, 2012 Author Posted July 12, 2012 How much room does these old cities have left to grow though, except skyward... Not a problem - there's so much 60s and 70s crap to demolish
PrivateTim Posted July 12, 2012 Posted July 12, 2012 I am going with "blot on landscape", or maybe "blight" is more appropriate.
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