Londoners are mainly debating skyscrapers

London - Skyscrapers. That is the main theme of the dispute for those Londoners who have an opinion on architecture. However, it seems that high-rise buildings have just as many opponents as supporters. For example, the Centre Point skyscraper on Oxford Street, which was personally criticized by the Prince of Wales, or the more modern "Gherkin" regularly rank high in both the best and ugliest buildings polls. The building that has hardly anyone defending it besides the architect and that won last year's poll for the most hated building in London is the high-rise office building in Colliers Wood.
    When one looked at the horizon of London in the mid-20th century and compared it with images from previous centuries, not much had changed. The British metropolis, except for the "skyscraper craze" in the 1970s and the Canary Wharf project opposite Greenwich, maintained a relatively low profile, mainly to highlight the silhouette of St. Paul's Cathedral. However, that has changed, and skyscrapers are starting to alter the profile of the city above the Thames with such fervor that people are beginning to speak of "skyscraper madness."
    St. Paul's Cathedral is one of the places most affected by modern architecture, which raises disputes. The area around the cathedral was practically leveled by German bombings during World War II, and thus it had to be reconstructed. The project Paternoster Square from the turn of this and the last century seems too radical to many Londoners, while others see it as modern but banal. It does have many supporters who argue that it is, on the contrary, an example of a sensitive approach by modern architecture to historical surroundings.
    Many consider the Centre Point skyscraper to be a brutal approach to the city's architecture, as it suddenly towers at the corner of Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road. Prince Charles chose it as an example of the horrors of modern architecture. Almost every visitor must confirm that it likely did not win the hearts of Londoners - the concrete square with fountains doesn’t compel anyone to stop and rest.
    One of the first swallows of a more modern concept was the Gherkin - that’s the nickname for the building at 30, St Mary Axe designed by Norman Foster. Three years old, 180 meters high, with an exclusive panoramic restaurant at its top, it is today an undeniable phenomenon.
    Even though the architects from Norman Foster's team can talk for hours about how environmentally friendly the building is, for Londoners, it has more psychological significance - it has shown many that a tall building can be interesting and does not have to be aggressive. Although some views, particularly those "completing" the silhouette of the ancient Tower, lead to sharp criticism. The Gherkin receives mostly positive accolades from architects and the city, though in one public poll it ranked eighth among the least favorite buildings.
    This skyscraper will soon have a "sibling," and opinions on it are not very favorable at the moment. Although London skyscrapers do not aspire to world records in any way, the Financial Times wrote about "phallic architectural orgies," and Times commentator Simon Jenkins spoke of "the peak of architectural imbecility."
    There is a belief regarding the Heron Tower and Bishopsgate Tower that it would be best if they simply disappeared into the surrounding development, which of course requires more and more skyscrapers. Londoners are somewhat more forgiving towards the planned 300-meter-high Glass Shards. It is intended to be the tallest residential and office building in Europe. On the other hand, the planned super-slim skyscraper Minerva is considered elegant.
    A question long hung over the attempt to raise London into the heights, which began on the Thames promontory in 1991 with the Canary Wharf skyscraper, which sunk the investor in debts. In the end, however, it was precisely around it that "little Manhattan" began to develop, comprised of skyscrapers mainly inhabited by financial institutions and media. And many Londoners are convinced that if skyscrapers must indeed stand in London, it should be right there.