Walkie Talkie becomes Walkie Torchy

While the long, hot summer of this year has been one to remember, a car owner in Central London will remember it for another reason. The new building, known as the Walkie Talkie, and which is characterised by a large, curved expanse of glass panels, is being blamed for melting parts of a Jaguar parked nearby. 

There is a considerable glare that is reflected off the glass of the building, and it has been reported that at certain times of day intense heat can be felt radiating from the office building. 

Action has been taken to protect nearby retail outlets from the light being reflected, such as a mesh covering for windows to filter out the light, while screens have been erected on the glass building, at 20 Fenchurch Street, itself.  

The 37-storey office building in the City of London may need to undergo some permanent changes to prevent such damage reoccurring. One option is said to be a special chemical-based glaze which would be applied to the many windows. 

One shop owner reported a burnt carpet as a result of the reflected sunlight, while the owner of the Jaguar, which suffered damage to its wing mirror, panels and badge, has been paid £1,000 in compensation. Another shop owner believes that blistering paint is a result of the nearby glass-clad building. 

It is thought that the curved angle of the building is acting like a magnifying glass, and that in certain conditions the reflected light can become so concentrated as to actually cause damage. 

Eugene O’Sullivan, of Morgan Pryce, comments: “While it would seem this is a novel effect, being a combination of the shape of the building and the materials of construction, no doubt it will be something that will be taken into consideration in future building designs in cities throughout the world.”

In fact, in 2010 in Las Vegas, at another building designed by the same architect, guests claimed to have been burnt from the light reflected from the hotel. 

This news was brought to you by Morgan Pryce, a specialist tenant acquisition agent with offices in Oxford Circus and the City. Morgan Pryce specialises in search, negotiation and project management and works exclusively for tenants.