Friday 9 August 2013

The Shard, London

"It is the ugliest, largest wound on the capital. Its architect named it after criticism from English Heritage, who claimed the building would be “a shard of glass through the heart of historic London”.
As a symbol of arrogance and excess, it is rivalled only by Ryugyong Hotel in North Korea.
Coincidentally, they look quite similar. Both should be mocked for what they look like, and for what they represent."

The above quote is from Building Design website who host the Carbuncle Cup - a prize for the worst piece of architecture as nominated and voted by its readers. I'm not sure that The Shard is really in the spirit of this competition [or should it be anti-competition?] - there are many thoughtless dreadful buildings far more worthy of nomination. Of course, there are some strange elements to the shard, not least the abrupt manner in which it greets the floor - but at least it has some ambition and presence.

See http://www.bdonline.co.uk/5057167.article#.UgTwXeVW3zU.google for the nomination.