Architecture and Design Atlas

How Space Is Shaped
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Buildings and Structures

20 Fenchurch Street

Commercial and Office Buildings

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
Commercial Skyscraper 2
Location
London, England 2
Completed Year
2014 3
Height (m)
160 2
Classification
Standing Status
Standing 1
Building Type
Building Type (category)
Skyscraper 2
Connections

Has Building Type

In Style

Source 20 Fenchurch Street - Wikipedia

Uses Element

Source 20 Fenchurch Street - Wikipedia
Source 20 Fenchurch Street - Wikipedia
In the Other Atlases

Located In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is located.

Sources
1. 20 Fenchurch Street - Wikipedia
  • 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.
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_Fenchurch_Street, lead section, height sentence
    The 38-storey building is 160 m (525 ft) tall.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • standing status determination, wikipedia summary
    A bar and restaurants are included on the 35th, 36th and 37th floors; these are, with restrictions, open to the public.
  • In Style: Neo-Futurism, infobox architectural_style field: Neo-futurism
  • Uses Element: Concrete, Article text
    The concrete core was topped out in March 2012 and by July the structural steelwork was under way around the core.
  • Uses Element: Structural Steel, Article text
    The concrete core was topped out in March 2012 and by July the structural steelwork was under way around the core.
  • In Group: Skyscrapers and Office Towers, Lead paragraph
    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
2. Wikipedia
Wikimedia Foundation
3. Wikidata: 20 Fenchurch Street
  • Wikidata Q212834, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
  • Wikidata Q212834, P571 claim (w-bbfill-artsarchag-0926)
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.