Walkie Talkie (London)

Walkie Talkie (London)
Name	20 Fenchurch Street
Former names	Sky Garden Tower
Status	Completed
Caption	20 Fenchurch Street in the City of London
Location	Fenchurch Street, City of London
Completion date	2014
Building type	Office
Architectural height	160 m
Roof	160 m
Top floor	34
Floor count	34
Floor area	398,000 sq ft
Architect	Rafael Viñoly
Structural engineer	Robert Bird Group
Main contractor	Canary Wharf Contractors
Developer	Land Securities, Canary Wharf Group

Walkie Talkie (London)

20 Fenchurch Street is a 34‑storey commercial skyscraper in the City of London known for its distinctive top‑heavy silhouette and publicly accessible Sky Garden. The building, completed in 2014, was designed by Rafael Viñoly and developed by Land Securities Group and Canary Wharf Group for office use; it occupies a prominent site near Tower of London, Lloyd's of London and Leadenhall Market. From planning disputes with the City of London Corporation to engineering debates involving Arup Group and the Robert Bird Group, the tower has remained a focal point in discussions about contemporary London skyscraper design.

Design and Construction

The project's initial proposals by Rafael Viñoly Architects and developer consortiums were scrutinised during negotiations with the City of London Corporation, the Greater London Authority and conservation bodies including English Heritage (now Historic England). Structural engineering responsibilities were assigned to the Robert Bird Group while façade engineering involved consultants linked to Curtins and specialist contractors familiar with Skanska projects; construction was executed by Canary Wharf Contractors with financial arrangements involving the European Investment Bank and institutional investors such as Hammerson. Planning approval processes referenced precedents from The Shard and 30 St Mary Axe; heritage impacts to nearby St Paul’s Cathedral sightlines were evaluated alongside transport assessments for Fenchurch Street railway station and the London Underground network, including implications for Cannon Street station and Monument.

Architecture and Features

Viñoly's design produces a flared façade using a diagrid and curtain wall system influenced by precedents from One Canada Square and Centre Point. The envelope incorporates high‑performance glazing developed in collaboration with façade engineers and suppliers who had worked on Commerzbank Tower and Deutsche Bank Place; mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems drew on standards from Arup and contractors with experience on HSBC Tower and Barclays projects. Public amenities include the Sky Garden, restaurants and viewing terraces with accessibility features complying with guidelines promoted by Transport for London and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in similar projects. Vertical circulation uses high‑speed lifts from manufacturers associated with Otis Worldwide and Thyssenkrupp installations in Canary Wharf, while sustainability aspirations referenced schemes from the Building Research Establishment and targeted benchmarks akin to BREEAM standards.

Reception and Criticism

Reception has been polarised across stakeholders including critics from the Royal Institute of British Architects, journalists at the Financial Times and commentators associated with The Guardian and The Telegraph. Conservationists from Historic England and local amenity groups compared the scheme unfavourably to proposals by Norman Foster and Richard Rogers, while advocates cited precedents such as Gherkin and Walkie Talkie‑adjacent developments like 20 Fenchurch Street competitors. Debates referenced the planning frameworks administered by the Mayor of London and earlier controversies surrounding Centre Point redevelopment. Awards and nominations involved bodies such as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the American Institute of Architects.

20 Fenchurch Street "Walkie Talkie" Effects

The building gained notoriety for solar glare effects that concentrated sunlight onto street level, damaging vehicles and fixtures; technicians and consultants compared incidents to glare problems previously observed at 30 St Mary Axe scale models and at Vdara Hotel in Las Vegas. Remedial actions involved retrofit measures by façade specialists and window film installers experienced with projects for The Shard and One New Change; the City engaged insurers including Lloyd's of London underwriters to assess claims. Computational studies referencing methods used in analyses of Shard reflections and Canary Wharf microclimate modelling informed solutions such as fritting, louvres and awnings employed by contractors with portfolios including Grosvenor Group.

Ownership and Tenancy

Ownership and lease arrangements have involved institutional investors and real‑estate firms including Land Securities Group, Canary Wharf Group, and international asset managers linked to BlackRock and Colony Capital types of transactions. Major tenants have included firms from finance and insurance sectors such as global offices for entities akin to EY, Hiscox, Aon, investment managers comparable to JP Morgan and trading floors similar to those of Barclays; retail and hospitality leases engaged operators experienced through deals with Searcys and high‑street brands represented in developments like Leadenhall Market. Leasing negotiations referenced precedents set by Heron Tower and 20 Fenchurch Street competitor towers in the City of London.

Cultural References and Media

The tower has appeared in coverage by broadcasters including BBC News, Sky News and international outlets such as CNN and Al Jazeera. It has been depicted in documentaries about contemporary London architecture alongside projects by Rafael Viñoly, Norman Foster and Richard Rogers, and featured in photo essays in publications like Architectural Digest, Dezeen and the Architects' Journal. Fictional and dramatic uses have placed the building in scenes referencing James Bond‑style skyline imagery and in television dramas produced by BBC Television and ITV.

Incidents and Safety Measures

Incidents prompted responses from emergency services including the London Fire Brigade and coordination with City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police Service for crowd control during Sky Garden events. Safety audits referenced standards promulgated by Health and Safety Executive and involved consultants who had worked on remediation at Centre Point and One Canada Square. Measures implemented included revisions to pedestrian barriers, canopy installations by contractors with experience on Canary Wharf projects and ongoing monitoring by building managers in coordination with stakeholders such as Transport for London and local ward members.

Category:Skyscrapers in the City of London