A City of London nicknamed the skyscraper at 20 Fenchurch Street, which is widely known as the Walkie Talkie building, as the UK’s worst. The building has won this year’s Carbuncle Cup, run by Building Design Magazine, to be named the UK’s worst building. The office building, designed by architect Rafael Viñoly, is nicknamed the Walkie Talkie building due to its similarity to the old-school device.
Thomas Lane, who runs the awards, said the carbuncle “crashes into London’s skyline like an unwelcome party guest”. It has been reported that the tower, designed by Uruguayan architect Rafael Vinoly, creates a wind tunnel effect at its base. During its construction in 2013, the building was dubbed the ‘Walkie Scorchie’ after the building produced strong reflections of sun rays which melted parts a Jaguar car. This led to developers adding a “permanent sunshade” to the building in 2014.
Walkie-Talkie, Leadenhall building and Gherkin, London, England – Photo by : Diego Delso
“It bulges out towards the top in a cynical move to maximise the amount of high-value space at the upper levels, in defiance of the principle tall buildings should taper elegantly inwards or at least feature parallel sides,” Mr Lane, editor of Building Design magazine, said “The result is Londoners now have to suffer views of this bloated carbuncle.”
Runners-up in this year’s shortlist include Woodward Hall in North Acton, London, City Gateway in Southampton, the Waltham Forest YMCA building, London and the Whittle Building at the University of Cambridge.
Project info :
Architect: Rafael Viñoly
Location: London, England
Ibrahim Abdelhady is an architect, academic, and media entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in architecture and digital publishing. He is the Founder and CEO of Arch2O.com, a leading platform in architectural media, renowned for showcasing innovative projects, student work, and critical discourse in design. Holding dual PhDs in Architecture, Dr. Abdelhady combines academic rigor with industry insight, shaping both future architects and architectural thought. He actively teaches, conducts research, and contributes to the global architecture community through his writing, lectures, and media ventures. His work bridges the gap between practice and academia, pushing the boundaries of how architecture is communicated in the digital age.