Other than being an eyesore that alters weather patterns and reflects enough heat to melt nearby luxury cars, London's 'Walkie-Talkie' building has been a roaring success.
A panel of architecture critics at Building Design magazine named the 37-story structure as the U.K.’s worst new building, according to NPR. Instead of being awarded a prestigious Stirling Prize, it was given the 2015 Carbuncle Cup.
Playfully nicknamed because of its slightly rounded, top-heavy shape, the building is officially called 20 Fenchurch Street. Architect Rafael Viñoly designed it, and it was completed last year, costing more than £200 million ($305 million) to construct.
The Walkie-Talkie is spacious: 680,000 sf and an occupational density of one person per eight square meters.
The design has been criticized for a number of reasons. The building has created wind patterns at street level that have knocked pedestrians around. Due to all the exterior glass and the curved shape, intense amounts of light reflects off 20 Fenchurch Street, which set a carpet on fire and melted a car parked on the street (a shaded structure was later added to negate this). The building has received a few nicknames off its nickname, including Walkie Scorchie and Walkie Windy. Even the building’s rooftop park, the Sky Garden, has been panned.
The Walkie-Talkie “defeated” other worst building entries like a YMCA gym and a parliament house.
Related Stories
| Oct 1, 2013
13 structural steel buildings that dazzle
The Barclays Center arena in Brooklyn and the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C., are among projects named 2013 IDEAS2 winners by the American Institute of Steel Construction.
| Sep 17, 2013
World's first 'invisible' tower planned in South Korea
The 1,476-foot-tall structure will showcase Korean cloaking technology that utilizes an LED façade fitted with optical cameras that will display the landscape directly behind the building, thus making it invisible.
| Sep 11, 2013
San Francisco expected to drop firefighter air tank refilling station rule for skyscrapers
San Francisco is poised to drop a requirement that skyscrapers have refill stations so firefighters can recharge their air tanks during a blaze. The city has required that new high-rises have the air refill systems for about ten years.
| Aug 26, 2013
13 must-attend continuing education sessions at BUILDINGChicago
Building Design+Construction's new conference and expo, BUILDINGChicago, kicks off in two weeks. The three-day event will feature more than 65 AIA CES and GBCI accredited sessions, on everything from building information modeling and post-occupancy evaluations to net-zero projects and LEED training. Here are 13 sessions I'm planning to attend.
| Aug 2, 2013
Design of world’s tallest wood skyscraper would be more sustainable than steel alternative
Architecture firm C. F. Møller has proposed building the tallest wooden building in the world in Stockholm, Sweden.
| Jul 10, 2013
World's best new skyscrapers [slideshow]
The Bow in Calgary and CCTV Headquarters in Beijing are among the world's best new high-rise projects, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
| Jul 10, 2013
TED talk: Architect Michael Green on why we should build tomorrow's skyscrapers out of wood
In a newly posted TED talk, wood skyscraper expert Michael Green makes the case for building the next-generation of mid- and high-rise buildings out of wood.
| Jul 9, 2013
AISC releases Design Guide on Blast Resistant Structures
Design professionals now have a valuable new resource on blast resistant structures with AISC Design Guide No. 26, Design of Blast Resistant Structures.
High-rise Construction | Jul 9, 2013
5 innovations in high-rise building design
KONE's carbon-fiber hoisting technology and the Broad Group's prefab construction process are among the breakthroughs named 2013 Innovation Award winners by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
| Jul 1, 2013
LEGOLAND builds 12-foot replica of One World Trade Center
The LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester in Yonkers, N.Y., celebrated the completion of a LEGO replica of One World Trade Center by lighting the 12-foot-tall, 100-pound model.
