20 Fenchurch Street, widely known by its nickname the Walkie-Talkie for its distinctive top-heavy profile, stands in the City of London financial district and was completed in 2014 to a design by the Uruguayan-born architect Rafael Vinoly. Unlike most tall office buildings, its floor plates widen progressively toward the top rather than narrowing, a shape intended to maximize valuable upper-floor space and views over the Thames. During construction in 2013 the building's concave south facade concentrated reflected sunlight strongly enough to melt parts of a parked car and scorch nearby shopfronts, an incident widely reported as the Fryscraper affair that led to the later installation of a permanent shading system. Its top three floors house the Sky Garden, a public viewing space with landscaped terraces and restaurants open to visitors.
Facts
Building Type Completed Year Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikimedia Foundationen.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_Fenchurch_Street, body text, construction-completion sentenceQuote, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_Fenchurch_Street, body text, construction-completion sentence
Construction was completed in spring 2014, and the three-floor "sky garden" was opened in January 2015.
View the Source 1. Wikipedia
Wikimedia Foundationen.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_Fenchurch_Street, lead section, height sentenceQuote, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_Fenchurch_Street, lead section, height sentence
The 38-storey building is 160 m (525 ft) tall.
View the Source 1. Wikipedia
Wikimedia Foundationen.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_Fenchurch_Street, opening sentenceQuote, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_Fenchurch_Street, opening sentence
20 Fenchurch Street is a commercial skyscraper in London that takes its name from its address on Fenchurch Street, in the historic City of London financial district.
View the Source 1. Wikipedia
Wikimedia Foundationen.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_Fenchurch_Street, opening sentence, backing the entity descriptionQuote, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_Fenchurch_Street, opening sentence, backing the entity description
20 Fenchurch Street is a commercial skyscraper in London that takes its name from its address on Fenchurch Street, in the historic City of London financial district.
View the Source Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.