On Aug. 28, six of Britain's worst buildings slugged it out for the much-dreaded Carbuncle Cup 2015. The unfortunate winner was finally announced last week, and it was no other than the 20 Fenchurch St., or more popularly known as the "Death Ray" Walkie Talkie building. Londoners also call it the "Walkie-Scorchie."
The judging panel - in what appears to be an unprecedented unanimous decision (that probably surprised no one) - selected the 38-story Walkie Talkie and declared that it should never have been built in the first place. Judges cite bad architecture as the culprit for the verdict, encompassing imperfections in terms of height, scale, context, form and so forth.
Simply put, its overbearing scale, design and impact to its environs cause significant visual harm, explained Building Design magazine, the Cup's organizer. The severe criticisms did not end with architecture, however. If you would like to hazard a guess as to the other factors that turned off the jurors, just turn to the building's name since therein lies the clue.
The "Death Ray" Walkie Talkie building did not earn that title through some claim to a technological advance in weaponry or communications. The Walkie Talkie is an allusion to its shape, which resembles the communication device. It is also called "Death Ray" because its concave glass front reflects the sun with such intesity that it melted a luxury car parked in front of it in 2013. Car owners have since avoided the area like a plague. It is also blamed for carpets catching fire and smoldering front doors in shops nearby, according to Live Science report.
The "Death Ray" Walkie Talkie was designed by the Uruguayan architect Rafael Vinoly and cost $305 million, Inhabitat reported.
