'Cheesegrater' gives Londoners best views of the city - for two days only (unless you are rich or work there)
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Version 0 of 1. It stretches more than 200 metres high and took three years to build but was open to the public for precisely two days. While the UK’s latest skyscraper, the Leadenhall Building in the City of London, attracted thousands of visitors at the weekend when it was opened to the public as part of the Open House scheme, it is another that will not allow people to the top of the building. Unlike skyscrapers in many American and European cities, “the Cheesegrater”, as it is better known, will have no observation deck from which to enjoy views of London. After queuing for more than two hours, viewers were hurried through an empty office space on the 40th floor for a glimpse of what many in the future will never see, compounding concerns that the views offered by UK skyscrapers are becoming increasingly off-limits to the public. Developers of the Cheesegrater insist that plans for the building are still under consideration. But with more than half of its office space already let, along with a restaurant on the third floor, and speculation that an economic resurgence will lead to all 610,000sq ft being taken by next year, the views look likely to become a preserve of the rich and employees. The Cheesegrater is one of many new skyscrapers in London that do not allow people to the top. 1 Blackfriars Road, nicknamed the Boomerang, was initially due to have an observation section at its crown but developers changed the function of the building and will now remove the viewing platform. The observation deck on the BT Tower was closed in 1980 and has not fully reopened and Canary Wharf is now used only as office space. The Gherkin, which was also open to visitors this weekend, has no public viewing platform, though some floors can be hired for corporate events. The “Walkie Talkie” building, at 20 Fenchurch Street, was expected to have a publicly accessible garden at its top, but these plans are understood to have been scrapped. “It should be open to the public on weekends instead of just once a year like this,” said Winston Thompson, 61, who works in post-production. “Maybe then you wouldn’t have such long queues.” Pat Webster, 59, a retired banking clerk, queued for more than two hours. “The views were terrific and this is great. Sundays are usually dead in the City. It would be nicer if it was opened to the public at least over the weekends.” Victoria Thornton, OBE, who is founding director of Open-City which runs the Open House event, said: “This is a private building but it boils down to a question of planning. If you look across this City there are very few roofs that are being used. If you had a policy of transforming roofs things could change.” The ShardEntry price £24.95Height 306mThe views – said to stretch 40 miles with good visibility – have been described as the most sought-after in the UK ArcelorMittal OrbitEntry price £15 Height 114.5mThe 360-degree views at the top of Britain’s tallest sculpture have been praised and pitched as a cheaper alternative to the Shard. The O2Entry price £26Height 53mUp at the O2 is a 90-minute experience taking visitors on a guided expedition across the roof of the O2 via a walkway suspended 53m above ground level. |