sciencetech-blog

comments

Ken Shuttleworth, an architects behind London's Gherkin skyscraper has branded the icon a 'mistake'

London is in the midst of a love-affair with glass.

On a sunny day, the glare from buildings such as the Shard, Cheesegrater and Walkie-Talkie can leave passers-by squinting as they head into the City.

But now Ken Shuttleworth, the man behind London's famous Gherkin skyscraper, claims this love affair has to come to an end, branding his famous landmark a 'mistake.' 

Mr Shuttleworth believes glass buildings, such as his Stirling Prize-winning design, no longer fit into a society where 'man-made climate change' is a concern.

'It is a privilege to have a window. I think it should be seen as a privilege,' he told Hannah Sander at the BBC.

He claims that, in the age of austerity, developers should say goodbye to the excesses of architectural 'bling'.

And by far most important reason, he argues, is global warming.

'As makers of the buildings that currently account for 60 per cent of human CO2 emissions, we all have a duty to respond with low carbon, low energy solutions,' he said during a speech, only six years after the Gherkin was completed.

Enlarge  

Mr Shuttleworth believes glass buildings, such as his Gherkin design, no longer fit into a society where 'man-made climate change' is a key concern. There are currently plans underway to develop a number of other glass buildings in London, inlcuding the 'Can of Ham' and 'The Scalpel'

Pictured is the Gherkin from the outside (left) and from inside (right). As well as the high cost of the material and unusual building shapes, one of the main concerns is that glass lets out, and lets in, a lot of heat. This means that huge amounts of energy are needed for an office to both remain cool and stay warm

'Lightweight fully glazed buildings, with their hermetically sealed curtain walls and massive reliance on mechanical systems, make no sense in this new world.;

As well as the high cost of the material and unusual building shapes, one of the main concerns is that glass lets out, and lets in, a lot of heat.

This means that huge amounts of energy are needed for an office to both remain cool and stay warm.

But the danger of glare from glass buildings is also a concern.

This became evident last summer when the Walkie-Talkie at 20 Fenchurch Street in London was blamed for melting cars.

But despite this, there are currently plans underway to develop a number of other glass buildings in London, inlcuding the 'Can of Ham' and 'The Scalpel'. 

Since leaving Foster and Partners in 2006, Mr Shuttleworth has set up his own architectural practice in which large windows are thought to be a luxury.

'Everything I've done for the last 40 years I'm rethinking now,' he told the BBC.

'If you were designing [the Gherkin] today... it wouldn't be the same product all the way around the building.

The danger of glare from glass buildings is also a concern. This became evident last summer when the Walkie-Talkie at 20 Fenchurch Street in London was blamed for melting cars

'We need to be much more responsible in terms of the way we shade our buildings and the way we thermally think about our buildings.'

Trade association Glass for Europe dismisses what they consider to be 'a preconceived idea' that glass is bad.

Researchers have also been working over the past few years to create new types of glass and coatings that make the martial sustainable and safe.

But Mr Shuttleworth believes architects need to take more responsibility in an age where climate change is at top of governments' agendas.

'The next generation will look back on the last few decades and think "what on earth were they thinking of? How could they have been so profligate?",' he said.

Trade association Glass for Europe dismisses what they consider to be 'a preconceived idea' that glass is bad. Researchers have also been working over the past few years to create new types of glass and coatings that make the martial sustainable and safe. Pictured is the Walkie-Talkie glass building in London