Sketching from above

Last Sunday Carlos Olvera and James Hobbs organized a sketching session on the 32st floor of one of the London's high rises, Citypoint. Other participants included Susanne du Toit, Jane Smith and Adam Jefford. A big thank you to everyone who made it possible and took part - it was enjoyable to sketch the London's city center from such a rare and by all means challenging viewpoint!

Sketching from above

Walkie-Talkie: new to London's skyline

London's drive for a distinctive skyline continues unabated. Following on from the Shard and the Gherkin, taking shape now are the Walkie-Talkie and the Cheesegrater. (The half-finished Helter Skelter is currently on hold, and the Scalpel is in the pipeline, as it were.)
The eyecatching feature of the Walkie-Talkie, at 20 Fenchurch Street, is that it curves outwards towards its top, so the highest floors are larger than those lower down, giving it the appearance of a giant telephone receiver popping up through the city's buildings. Designed by Rafael Viñoly, it is due to open in April 2014, and while most of us usually have to make do with the external appearances of towers in the financial district, this time there will be a "skygarden" open to the public. The plan is that it will be free, but require advanced booking. We'll see how that goes.
There's more about the Walkie-Talkie at www.james-hobbs.blogspot.com.

Walkie-Talkie: new to London's skyline