20
Fenchurch Street London - or as it's more popularly and with a complete lack of
affectionate known, 'The Walkie-Talkie' is truly hideous. One supposes that
if you have ever seen it or any manifestation of its presence then you should
already be aware of that.
In
perhaps one of the least surprising, and certainly uncontroversial decisions to
come from a judging panel in some time, the building was named unanimous winner
of the not at all coveted Carbuncle Cup, an architecture prize annually
bestowed on unwilling recipients by Building Design magazine to “the ugliest
building designed in Britain in the last 12 months”.
There
can have been few more deserving winners. This monstrosity is an unsightly gash
on the London skyline, made all the worse by proximity to the geometrically
inspiring Gherkin.
Ike
Ijeh from the awards committee called it “a gratuitous glass gargoyle graffiteid
on to the skyline”. A fitting description if ever there was one.
There
have been design issues of course, the shape creating a wind tunnel & the
37 storey building magnifying the sun the melt car parts, but it could have
taken the prize for sheer hideousness alone.
Take
note architects – you can and must do better – or else see your creations end
up in the hall of shame alongside carbuncles like this.
