The Leadenhall Building

Project: The Leadenhall Building
Architect: Richard Rogers Partnership
Location: London
Completion: 2011??
Description: A competition entry for a potential development of a site at 122 Leadenhall Street in the City of London.

The site is currently occupied by a 12-storey office building built in the 1960s which will be demolished to make way for the new building. A number of historic Grade II and Grade I buildings in the immediate vicinity of Leadenhall Street needed to be taken into consideration. In addition, the view of St Paul's Cathedral from Fleet Street was to be preserved in compliance with the City Council's Strategic Views Policy.

All those site characteristics resulted in a tall tapered development envelope. The tapering form, inclined away from St Paul’s, creates a spire-like western elevation which produces a contrasting form to the soft profile of the cathedral’s dome and complements its setting within the existing spires of the north and south entry towers and Wren’s St Martin-within-Ludgate. A seven-storey open space at the base of the building maintains existing pedestrian connections and creates an important new meeting space in the City.

I really like the building... its supposed to be another landmark in the city's profile and I think it would... the only think is that its one of those buildings that would look amazingly beautiful at night with colorful lighting manipulating it... however it won't look as spectacular at daytime. I've read somewhere that "all architecture is great architecture at night"... and I suppose there is some truth in that.