A walk on the weird side!
7th September 2015
The walkie talkie – a building that stands just outside my office window and which yesterday had the dubious honour of being voted the “ugliest and most hated building in Britain and branded a gratuitous glass gargoyle graffitied on the skyline.” You will therefore understand me when I say that I was not filled with optimism on behalf of one of my colleagues when they recently announced that they were going to get a coffee in the ‘walkie talkie’s ‘roof garden.’ How wrong I was!
Getting to the lift is an experience, apparently: photo ID required, then a metal detector and an x-ray for handbags. Pass all of this and the lift awaits, swiftly moving up 35 floors to the garden itself. Once there, however, the views are fantastic, there is a nice breeze and there are three eateries at reasonable (for London) prices. There are also many iconic buildings in London, most of which are visible from the garden (from an entirely new perspective) making for a fun game of spot the…
Unlike so many of the iconic buildings and developments in London, this ‘gargoyle’ is also surprisingly egalitarian. Open to all, and without an eye watering charge to enter (though remember to book) it is an experience to try – we have even taken clients there.