The Shard is dire – primarily because it is so big, and stands so much on its own, that it detracts from anything else.

I do not dislike modern architecture per se – I don't dislike tall buildings per se – but in London at present we're just seeing a situation of, frankly, ing contests.

Couldn't we just build a replica of the Chrysler building? Bloody love that.

I've not seen it "in the flesh", as it were but, from the photos I've seen, I have to say I admire it.

I have seen it "in the flesh" and it is fantastic. Was for brief time the tallest building in the world until they finished the much less interesting Empire State Building soon after.

As to more super-tall buildings in London I don't think the cityscape would benefit much from these at all. It's not New York or Hong Kong but has plenty of interesting buildings that are much more low-rise and for me this seems more in keeping.

The Shard was quite disappointing when I say it. It's right next to where I used to work and it seems an odd place to have it. Turn right out of the old office and you get the shard and turn left and you soon hit Borough Market. Good pub there by the way. Market Porter. Brews it's own ale and was where I proposed to my wife!

As to the Shard again - window cleaning.

Here is the original photohttps://farm8.staticflickr.com/7364/9204626786_410a7506e5.jpg" >rl

And here is a crop showing the window cleaners at work.

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That should make it a shoo in to get Boris's support

It a US plot to make London the prime target for terrorist attacks on the West, rather than NYC.

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.