Shovels in the ground before December!

I guess more and higher buildings in the way of the Heathrow flightpath would give greater justification for the idea of Boris Island airport in the Thames estuary.

That was my initial thought too, a 5300 foot building under the flightpath just a handful of miles distance, aircraft have to be around that height over central london surely - maybe they will start featuring the city approach to Heathrow as a sort of roller coaster ride descending from 10,000 feet straight onto the runway in one swoop ?

Quote: JerryChicken "That was my initial thought too, a 5300 foot building under the flightpath just a handful of miles distance, aircraft have to be around that height over central london surely - maybe they will start featuring the city approach to Heathrow as a sort of roller coaster ride descending from 10,000 feet straight onto the runway in one swoop ?'" The flight paths are well away from where this tower would ever be likely to be built. www.heathrowairport.com/noise/no ... cking-maps

Quote: JerryChicken "That was my initial thought too, a 5300 foot building under the flightpath just a handful of miles distance, aircraft have to be around that height over central london surely - maybe they will start featuring the city approach to Heathrow as a sort of roller coaster ride descending from 10,000 feet straight onto the runway in one swoop ?'" The flight paths are well away from where this tower would ever be likely to be built. www.heathrowairport.com/noise/no ... cking-maps

I would say that the HSBC building in Hong Kong is a much better, more imaginative design than the Bank of China tower.

Bigger isn't always better.

Quote: JerryChicken "Thats what they said about that helicopter That building is another crappy building. Just reading the comments section in the Daily Wail about that crash. www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... aring.html Where TF do they get these people?

Quote: JerryChicken "Thats what they said about that helicopter That building is another crappy building. Just reading the comments section in the Daily Wail about that crash. www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... aring.html Where TF do they get these people?

My profile pic is of Victoria Justice. On IMDB someone listed her in a "list of actresses who are said to be beautiful but aren't". My only response to that is an utter bewilderment to what in hell they're looking at.

That's the same response when I look at pics of the HSBC and BoC towers.

I don't like most of I M Pei's buildings. The Louvre pyramid excepted, most of his other buildings I don't really like. But the Bank of China Tower I just love.

Speaking of iconic buildings ... www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-23175255

Speaking of iconic buildings ... www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-23175255

I'm more concerned about the pompous oaf approving the demolition of the estates, in favour of toffs' housing

completely agree with that, it's exactly what i think.

Yup, me too.
The buildings in HK mentioned in earlier posts don't do it for me either, they lack style and imagination.

If I may put aside the politics of buildings and their purpose, I'd like to mention the Gherkin, which to me is a superbly elegant blend of engineering and aesthetics ... like a huge Faberge egg from a distance when it glitters in the daylight and, as you approach, it seems to get smaller and the shape is such that, when you arrive next to it and look up, its height tapers out of sight so you don't see all of it and it doesn't dominate from street level.
The best modern building in The City, in my opinion.

One of the most shouty-but-boring examples has to be No.1. Poultry which is basically a meretricious layer cake of dressed stone wrapped around the same old, same old, style of ferro-concrete skeleton.
When you demolish listed Victorian buildings (as was done in this case), it should only be justified if what you put there next is better ... and it simply isn't.
The harsh brutal nature of the Barbican (even though I hate the whole idea of brutalism and still believe it was a misconception) and the South Bank centre, did at least have an idea behind them which is exactly what No 1 Poultry lacks, it is like a little girl wearing all her mother's make-up.

I actually like the Barbican towers, they're almost distopian which makes them interesting, the shard just looks like a half finished tower, i understand the shape is so that it doesn't interfere with St Pauls vista.

Speaking of views from London, Archway bridge locally known as suicide bridge in Highgate has some cracking views as long as you don't pick the day some one just received their credit card bill.