What Went Wrong with London Walkie Talkie Building

Rising gallantly in the historic commercial heart of London, the Walkie Talkie building at 20 Fenchurch Street is one of the city’s most distinctive skyscrapers. Completed in 2014 and opened to the public in 2015, this 38-storey tower is known for its unique curved shape that stands out on the London skyline. The Walkie Talkie building hosts modern commercial offices, the popular Sky Garden London on the top floors, and a mix of restaurants and bars that draw both locals and visitors.

The skyscraper features a public viewing deck on the 36th floor, offering some of the best panoramic views of London, while the 37th and 38th floors provide a vibrant social space high above the city.

In 2024, 20 Fenchurch Street achieved an Outstanding BREEAM In-Use sustainability rating and secured a long-term lease extension with global firm DWF until 2034, cementing its place as both an architectural landmark and a modern, future-ready workplace.

Walkie Talkie Building: An Innovative Architecture with a Story

While showcasing an innovative architecture, the building walkie talkie is one of the more contentious of London’s superstructures in the 21st century. The building has had a serious rough ride with glances and many criticisms thrown at it due to its seemingly unflattering concaved shaped architecture along with several things going wrong following its completion in 2015.

In this post, I share what I have learnt in my research about what went wrong with the walkie talkie building, a remarkably peculiar-looking building in the heart of the City’s financial district, set amidst skyscrapers, iconic monuments and off-beat London. As it happens, the walkie talkie building is presently one of London’s main tourist attractions and a place that offers its visitors a 360-degree-view of London’s skyline from its 36th floor for free.

Let’s begin with its famous nickname: walkie talkie; followed by brief look at its official and other nicknames, a brief history, as well as what went wrong with the walkie talkie building along with a quick look at its present reputation as one of London’s most visited attractions in London.

Why is the Walkie Talkie Building Curved?

The Walkie Talkie building has a curvy design with a wider and heavier top. It was designed in that way to maximise floor space at the higher levels and to create a garden in the sky, a little oasis for the public to enjoy. It is an open and vibrant place of leisure offering visitors a different kind of experience of London.

Why is it called the “Walkie Talkie Building”

The walkie talkie building is just what the label says! It is shaped as that of the old-fashioned walkie-talkie, a handheld transceiver. The building has a distinctive curved shape with a heavier top that curves out upward and outward along with a slimmer bottom akin to a two-way radio handset.

The building bulges out in London’s skyline, drawing glances as well as criticisms, and makes the walkie talkie the talk of town with several names attributed to it.

The Official Name and the Nicknames of 20 Fenchurch Street, London

The official name of the walkie talkie building is 20 Fenchurch Street, also famously known as the Sky Garden. It is situated at an enviable address for any businesses seeking a place in London’s financial district.

That said, the building has had a few unenviable names thrown at it. It was once described as “inelegant, bloated, thuggish”. The heavy top is described as a “sore thumb” sticking out. The worst was when the building was awarded the Carbuncle Cup in 2015, for being the ugliest British building. The criticisms did not just end there. Once opened, the public sky garden space was criticised as being “too open” falling short of being a public space but rather exuding the feel of “an airport terminal.” For a while, the walkie talkie building went by a couple of different nicknames: the Walkie Scorchie and Fryscraper for reflecting off sun-rays onto nearby streets (more on this below).

What is the History of Fenchurch Street, London

Fenchurch Street is a well-known street in the financial district of London. It links London Aldgate at the east to Lombard Street and Gracechurch Street in the west, the site to many corporate offices, headquarters, shops and pubs. In the south and towards its eastern end of Fenchurch Street is Fenchurch Station, a mainline terminus that serves East London and Essex.

The name “Fenchurch” simply means “church in the fenny or marshy ground”

The history of Fenchurch Street dates back to the 13th century where a church was built, dedicated to the patron saint of France. It was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. Later, Christopher Wren built St Dionis Backchurch, which was later demolished in 1878.

Over the years, Fenchurch Street flourished, and is the site of many notable buildings and Grade II Listed properties (Lloyds Register and Aldgate Pump). Alongside these are 30 Fenchurch Street (formerly Plantation Place) and 20 Fenchurch Street, the walkie talkie building.

20 Fenchurch Street was a small tower of 25 storeys tall at 91m (299 ft). It was built in 1968 and was notable as one of the first tall buildings in the City of London and hosted a distinctive roof. This building was demolished in 2008, to make way for the construction of the new building in 2009.

20 FENCHURCH STREET aka WALKIE TALKIE BUILDING

It sometimes happens that architects can make mistakes. Afterall, they are humans too. They can inaccurately estimate some factors while designing which may result in a poor, defective structure. This may in turn lead to harm to the surroundings.

An architect may have a vision for his creation but this may not always translate into reality. While an architect’s primary aim is to ensure that the building has a natural flow, “fit in” with the surroundings, and received positively, this may not always materialise as envisioned. 20 Fenchurch Street aka the Walkie Talkie Building is one such example.

20 Fenchurch Street, the distinctive commercial skyscraper was designed by Uruguayan architect, Rafael Viñoly.. He is an internationally renowned architect, at the forefront of contemporary designs with projects spanning six continents. His landmark architectural structures can be found in major cities.

One of his designs that brought him into the circle of architectural royalty is his design for the Tokyo International Forum. Viñoly design was acclaimed as a perfectly realised building with absolutely no flaws. However, he did not seem to have had much of the same luck in England, as his design of 20 Fenchurch Street aka the Walkie Talkie building resulted in several issues and controversies.

So, what really went wrong with the Walkie Talkie building?

What Went Wrong with the Walkie Talkie Building, London?

Viñoly originally designed the building to be 200m. However, it had to be scaled down to 160m (525 ft) amidst concerns on how a skyscraper may impact London’s skyline, considering St Paul’s Cathedral Protected View status and the Tower Bridge. With the controversy of the height resolved, the building gave rise to more issues, including costs that rose to over £200 million.

Here are the main issues of the Walkie Talkie building.

Sunlight beam also known as the ‘Death Ray’

During the building’s construction, it was found that the fact the structure curves at the top causes the incoming sunlight onto the building’s facade, the mirror to reflect downwards onto the south streets. Temperature readings were recorded at particular spots at street level and it ranged from 91 °C to 117 °C.

In the summer of 2013, they found that a reflection of a beam onto the streets below was six times brighter than direct sunlight This reflection actually caused irreparable damage to parked vehicles, causing the bodywork to one car to melt. A reporter even managed to fry an egg by setting a frying pan on the pavement. Some called this the “death ray”, leading to the building earning its nickname, the “Walkie Scorcher” and “Fryscraper”.

The issue of the sunlight beam was initially fixed by erecting temporary screening on the streets. It was finally fixed by adding protective airfoil to the building’s facade in 2015.

Wind Tunnel

The shape of the building at 20 Fenchurch Street gave rise to another issue: unexpected wind draughts at street level. The initial wind assessment outlined by the architectural team differed from the actual situation following completion of the building. The down draughts from the tower created a wind tunnel at the base so strong and powerful enough to knock people over as well as cause food trolleys to fly.

Issues associated with the down draught were fixed by installing wind-turbines to help reduce the wind flow.

Sky Garden

The Sky Garden consists of the top three floors: 36 to 38. It is designed as a vast and free public viewing space. The execution of the garden failed to meet the vision and expectations of its pre-construction plan. Post completion in 2015, it was discovered that Viñoly’s landscape alterations were not added to the layout of the garden.

The Sky Garden offers free access to the public for 1.5 hours and this must be booked at least 3 days in advance. These restrictions have been criticised widely.

How did they fix the walkie talkie building?

As mentioned above, in 2015, the issues with the Walkie Talkie building were largely fixed. To avert the sun rays, protective airfoil was added to the building’s facade and wind turbines installed to reduce the air flow in the wind tunnel.

The skyscraper is bulky, and hangs while towering over the surrounding streets, buildings and river.

According to Viñoly, he was aware and identified the issues during the early design stages but says he lacked the necessary proper tools and software to analyse the effects the building would generate. However, when the issues were identified, the temperature was calculated to be 360º C but it turned out to be double that in reality.

With the building being called a “death ray”, Viñoly places some blame on global warming, saying it was not so hot when he visited London.

While Viñoly is a celebrated architect, he is no stranger to controversies about some of his designs, typically a concave shaped architecture. The Vdara Hotel in Las Vegas is reported to have similar heat reflection issues.

The Walkie Talkie building London, officially at 20 Fenchurch Street, is one of the most recognizable skyscrapers in the City of London. Once infamous for its design flaws, today it is firmly established as part of the capital’s skyline, standing alongside landmarks such as The Shard and 30 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin).

Now a sought-after business address and popular visitor attraction, the building is best known for its Sky Garden London — a free-to-enter public space with panoramic views, landscaped gardens, and rooftop restaurants. The reception area sets the tone with bright lighting, marble floors, and limestone walls, while the upper floors provide an oasis above the busy streets below.

The Sky Garden on the 36th floor is a lush, naturally ventilated garden with floor-to-ceiling glass and 360° views of London. It is also home to live music, DJ sessions, and even yoga classes, making it more than just a viewing deck.

Dining is a highlight here: Fenchurch Restaurant offers fine dining, Darwin Brasserie provides all-day meals, and the Sky Pod Bar combines drinks with uninterrupted city views.

The London Sky Garden opening hours are Monday to Friday, 10:00–18:00, and weekends from 11:00–21:00. Entry is free, but advance booking is required with a timed slot. Visitors should arrive a little early to allow for queuing and security checks.

Book here for a visit to Sky Garden at London walkie talkie building.

A Landmark with a Story

From “Walkie-Scorchie” headlines to winning the Carbuncle Cup as Britain’s “ugliest building,” much has been said about this skyscraper. Yet today, the Walkie Talkie has redefined itself — not only as a workplace but also as a unique public attraction in London. Its Sky Garden, free entry, and world-class dining ensure that what once “went wrong” has become part of the building’s lasting character and its story in London’s skyline.

I hope this look at the Walkie Talkie building in London has given you both the curious backstory of what went wrong and a fresh perspective on why it remains one of the city’s must-see landmarks today. Whether you’re drawn by its unusual architecture, the free Sky Garden, or simply the sweeping views of London, 20 Fenchurch Street has a story worth experiencing for yourself.

Georgina, xx

Before you go, please take a look at some of the frequently asked questions about the Walkie Talkie landmark, along with our suggested reads for a London visit.

FAQs about the Walkie Talkie Building London

Is the Walkie Talkie building free to visit?

The Walkie Talkie building at 20 Fenchurch Street is mainly an office tower, so public access is limited. Visitors can only enter the Sky Garden on floors 36–38, which includes the viewing deck, landscaped gardens, and restaurants. Entry to the Sky Garden is free of charge, but tickets must be booked online in advance for a timed slot.