In pictures: Battersea Power Station’s Malaysia Square is a stunning new public space December 1, 2014 (Source: Battersea Power Station Development Company) A new part of the massive redevelopment at Battersea Power Station has been revealed for the first time. Plans for Malaysia Square, a huge public space at the entrance to the famous power station towers, were unveiled by the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and London Mayor Boris Johnson [...]
Tower Bridge glass walkway shatters as bottle of beer dropped 140ft above the Thames November 24, 2014 The £1m glass walkway that opened across Tower Bridge a fortnight ago has been smashed after a beer bottle was dropped onto it by a caterer. The walkway, which is 140ft high and boasts a unique view of the bridge and Thames below, was initially cracked by the bottle, but reports suggest a [...]
Labour to sell off £100m worth of buildings including Inn The Park, QE2 conference centre and Marlborough House November 23, 2014 Labour has announced plans to sell off £100m worth of government-owned buildings in London if the party wins the general election next May. As part of a review of public spending, designed to tackle the deficit, Ed Miliband’s party is planning to hang the “for sale” sign on a number of iconic buildings [...]
Watch: Eagle flies around London, taking in St Paul’s Cathedral, City Hall, Tower Bridge and the ArcelorMittal Orbit in the Olympic Park with a camera strapped to his back November 20, 2014 Stop whatever you're doing and watch this. An animal charity has attached a camera to a white tailed eagle and the bird – whose name is Darchan – has flown around some of the best parts of the capital. The eagle explored London and flew from iconic landmarks, including St Paul's Cathedral, City [...]
Thomas Heatherwick’s Garden Bridge will be a privately managed tourist spot attracting “30,000 visitors a day” November 19, 2014 The Garden Bridge will cost £175m to build (Source: Arup) Those who had envisaged long afternoons languishing amid the vegetation on Thomas Heatherwick's £175m Garden Bridge may be in for an unpleasant surprise: it turns out that the bridge will be a privately managed tourist attraction, requiring large groups to book in advance. The bridge, [...]
Don’t look down: Check out these vertigo-inducing pictures of Tower Bridge’s new glass walkway November 11, 2014 London is making a habit out of creating buildings that test your head for heights. Today Tower Bridge unveiled a new glass walkway offering a unique view of the 120-year-old bridge and the Thames 42m (138ft) below. The £1m walkway is 11m by 1.8m long. The West Walkway was opened today and [...]
Gherkin bought by Safra Group: Meet the Brazilian-Lebanese billionaire behind the £700m deal November 10, 2014 The City's iconic Gherkin has been snapped up for more than £700m by the Safra Group, the investment giant controlled by Brazilian-Lebanese billionaire Joseph Safra. Safra, which last month won a $682m (£430m) takeover battle for banana group Chiquita, said yesterday it had agreed to buy the 590-foot tower at 30 St Mary’s [...]
Gherkin sold: Safra Group buys one of London’s tallest buildings 30 St Mary Axe November 10, 2014 Brazilian investment group Safra is to buy the City’s iconic Gherkin skyscraper from receivers Deloitte, the two firms announced this morning. Deloitte’s real estate arm and Savills was appointed to sell 30 St Mary’s Axe this summer after its previous owners Evans Randall and German firm IVG failed to strike a restructuring deal over its [...]
What are the tallest buildings in London? How the Pinnacle will measure up against neighbouring towers November 7, 2014 This week it emerged work on the Pinnacle may finally begin again after four years. With its eye-catching “Helter Skelter” design rising 63 storeys – about 945ft – the Pinnacle was going to be the tallest tower in the Square Mile (although it will never quite match up to the Shard’s 1,014ft). But work [...]
Towers of Terror: Cheesegrater and five other London skyscrapers that are trying to kill you November 6, 2014 London can be a treacherous place. And not just because of the crime or the poverty or the grinding working hours. London's skyscrapers are trying to kill you. All of you. Yesterday we heard the alarming news that part of a steel bolt had fallen off the Cheesegrater, crashing to the ground – [...]