20 Fenchurch Street

20 Fenchurch Street ; The Walkie-Talkie
	20 Fenchurch Street
Basic data
Place:	London , UK
Construction time :	2009-2014
Opening:	2014
Status :	Built
Architect :	Rafael Viñoly
Use / legal
Usage :	Offices, viewing platform
Client :	Canary Wharf Contractors
Technical specifications
Height :	160 m
Rank (height) :	11
Floors :	36

20 Fenchurch Street is a skyscraper on Fenchurch Street in the City of London . In view of its shape, it is also known as The Walkie-Talkie or The Pint (English: the beer glass). Originally a height of 200 m was planned; However, this was reduced to 160 m due to the proximity to St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London . In 2015, the building won the Carbuncle Cup , an award for the ugliest building completed in the UK in the last twelve months .

On the top floor of the high-rise is a large viewing platform accessible to the public, in the middle of which there are also the Sky Gardens .

Previous building

The previous building was a 25-story skyscraper by the architect William H. Rogers , built in 1968. It was one of the first skyscrapers in the City of London .

architecture

The building was designed by the Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly .

The floor area increases steadily towards the top, so that the top floor protrudes far beyond the floor plan of the building. This enables the areas on the upper floors to be maximized, which generate higher rental income than the lower floors. Since only the south side is hit by direct sunlight, ventilation of the facade enables efficient air conditioning of the building, while the west and east sides are largely in the shade.

During the construction period, the curvature of the glass facade meant that reflected solar radiation was so strongly bundled at certain points in the area that e.g. B. Plastic on parked cars has been damaged. Therefore, several parking spaces have been blocked. Subsequently, slats were installed on the south side to prevent sunlight reflections. A similar problem occurs at the Hotel Vdara in Las Vegas, also designed by Rafael Viñoly .

The three-storey rooftop botanical garden "Sky Garden" is London's highest public park. Entry is free, but advance notice is required.

Building history

Foundation work began in January 2009; this construction phase was completed in June of the same year. On January 20, 2011, work began on the basement; in October 2011 the building reached street level. The core of the building was finally completed in March 2012. In December 2012 the installation of the steel structure was finished. The building was occupied in the second quarter of 2014.