I snapped a few shots of this surprisingly very high quality build on tuesday. Reading really does seem to aspire to London quality. More what I would expect around Spinningfields or Snow Hill rather than Reading.

http://i31.tinypic.com/2wbtamh.jpg

http://i31.tinypic.com/2v85yq1.jpg

http://img5.glowfoto.com/images/2010/07/22-1540472826L.jpg

http://img6.glowfoto.com/images/2010/07/22-1602448353L.jpg

http://img6.glowfoto.com/images/2010/07/22-1604504592L.jpg

Gothic, feel free to nab em for SSN

here's a few of mine

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/1910TheBlade_pic1.jpg

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/1910TheBlade_pic2.jpg

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/1910TheBlade_pic3.jpg

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/1910TheBlade_pic4.jpg

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/1910TheBlade_pic5.jpg

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/1910TheBlade_pic7.jpg

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/1910TheBlade_pic8.jpg

Sweet, you may note I am having Image Hosting issues, Imageshack won't work for me anymore, tinypic let me upload the first two, then I had to go to another site which is only letting me display one of the three I uploaded there...

Someone doesn't like this...

http://badbritisharchitecture.blogspot.com/

THE BLADE BUILDING READING BY SHEPPARD ROBINSON

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_w7dtjGHRWSo/S8d6cWQDRSI/AAAAAAAAAQU/jc-wpDNIbXM/s400/blade.jpg

Oh god, it's an icon!

Just when you thought it was safe to re enter architecture on the grounds that no one can afford iconic office buildings any more, the Blade arrives.

They couldn't afford to do an iconic building either, so they just used some left over cladding panels to give the building a ridiculous Hoxton fin haircut.

I think the Blade theme might be a reference to Reading's claim to fame as the stabbing capital of the UK.

I've only seen this from the train, admittedly, so I might be missing something about the subtle relationship the building has with the public realm. But I doubt it.

Here's the back:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_w7dtjGHRWSo/S8d7LNg1KrI/AAAAAAAAAQc/s2fvMr2V9hY/s400/blade+back.jpg

I hate it when towns get shat on by a terrible commercial architect from London selling some inane, poncey form and calling it design.

This is not architecture, it's bad branding crossed with floorplate.

They've got a point, it's 'haircut' does look a bit ridiculous.

It looks a million times better in the flesh, the quality of the finish is City of London standard.

I agree ill tonkso, excellent standard of office space in a distinctive building that really does impress when seen from various vantage points around Reading.

Also, it really does stick out on the skyline, sorry let me re phrase that - it IS the skyline!

http://personal.rhul.ac.uk/uhaa/037/img_1074.jpg

if the southern section was less block like, and it was 4 floors taller the 'haircut' would work.
looks great at the base on the northern side.

still not the tallest building in reading though, as claimed. i think western tower is still slightly taller

The blade is taller to spire I think, 89m.

I do like Reading. It has a very successful town centre that many other towns would love to emulate. But I'm not keen on this building.

I think it's the spire that turns me off. It feels like one of those bling plastic spoilers that boy racers put on their cars in the 1980s. It looks dated already, in my view.

NICE building

No ability to vote, oops.

Its a nice building! Maybe a bit too wide for its height! Very nice cladding. Don't like the name tho...