London Projects

[Alonzo-ny]

While I am not a great fan of some of these projects alot of them are visually stimulating at least, which is better than cheap and bland.

[nick-taylor]

I think a LOT of the facilities built for 2012 would be useable (albeit in a lower key) ex-post. There hasn't been that much investment in world-class arenas etc. in the recent decades.

That is the key to creating usable facilities that don't become white elephants. The National Stadium in Beijing looks great from the outside (see my Beijing photo thread), but it has no current use and lays idle bar the odd venue every 6 months.

Once reduced to 25,000 the stadium will be far more useful as an intimate athletics venue, and be of more use for the local community (I believe a school and university will use it)

However I'd probably dispute the idea that there hasn't been investment in world-class arenas in recent years. I suppose that would depend on how you define world class - but London alone has seen in the last few years, the various world class projects:
- A completely re-built Wembley (90,000)
- An expanded Twickenham (82,500)
- The opening of the 02 Arena (20,000+)
- The opening of the Emirates Stadium (60,000)
- An expanded Oval (23,000)
- A redeveloped Wimbledon

While not a stadium, and just outside London - Ascot (80,000) was re-built as well, If there is one thing we excel at it is sports venues - there is something like 1,000,000 seats either built or u/c in London at present - more than any other city on the planet!

We're pretty obsessed with sport, even though we tend not to be the best on the pitch/court/field!

[zupermaus]

http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/n...205966.article

Levete’s subtle trick of the light








Work is nearing completion on this 1,300m2 office extension by Amanda Levete Architects behind an existing six-storey block on Oxford Street, London


Levete landed the commission for the three-storey addition on top of an existing two-storey building in Hills Place while still co-partner at former practice Future Systems.

She describes the building as ‘an intervention that subtly draws attention to the building by the intrigue of a sculptural facade, cut by glazed areas orientated towards the sky, maximising the natural light available in this narrow street’.

The office was designed for Puzzle Investments.

...and next door

[zupermaus]

Strata update, the turbines will be going in soon enough:

[zupermaus]

fantastic pic

[ablarc]

Is London succumbing to clutter?

[zupermaus]

London's always been cluttered, its as mixed and unplanned architecturally (though not civically) as you can imagine:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=637985

[wjfox2007]

27°C in the City today. I took my Nikon D40 for a spin...




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[lofter1]

Nice ^ but which one is that?

[londonlawyer]

The Heron Tower on Bishopsgate.

[wjfox2007]

Yep... and soon to become the tallest skyscraper in the City.

I made a video as well -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60vY5sjZatM

Be sure to watch in High Quality.

[zupermaus]

nice vid Will, thats gotta be a weekend, Ive never seen the place so spookay

CZWG have submitted this proposal to Brent Council for a 29 floor Hotel with associated leisure use for Wembley High Street;

http://www.brent.gov.uk/servlet/ep.e...2967&other2=10







The location is currently the site of Chesterfield House at the junction of the High Street and Park Lane;





This site already has PP for a scheme given consent in 2001;



According to CZWG ;

"THE LOCATION HAS BEEN RECOGNISED IN WEM 28 OF THE UDP AS A TOWN CENTRE
OPPORTUNITY SITE
THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT MEETS THE DESIGN AND LANDSCAPING OBJECTIVES
OF THE UDP BY:
PROVIDING A BUILDING OF DISTINCTIVE, INNOVATIVE AND HIGH QUALITY DESIGN,
IN AN AREA THAT IS CURRENTLY OF RELATIVELY POOR QUALITY.
ALLOWING FOR EMPHASIS TO BE PLACED ON A PROMINENT CORNER SITE AND
IMPROVING THE PUBLIC REALM ON THIS SITE, ENSURING THAT SUFFICIENT
ATTENTION IS PAID THE DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE OF THIS AND THAT A
PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT IS CREATED.
PROPOSING A HIGH BUILDING THAT WILL PROVIDE A POINT OF VISUAL
SIGNIFICANCE AND AID IN REGENERATION."

Significant ground-floor space will be given over to the creation of a "public piazza".



"The proposed building shown in the context of surrounding
recently constructed buildings (Elm Road) , those that have
received consent (Copeland High School) and the Wembley
Link massing studies currently being considered by Brent with
Keith Williams Architects."

[Alonzo-ny]

That's a really horrific design.

[lofter1]

It sure is nasty to show all that dead wall space on the ends the way they have.

Seems they think if you cover a blank wall with squigglies that it somehow makes the blankness more viewer friendly.

[wjfox2007]

Shard construction animation with schedule -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WYKyCrK9tM