City Hall (GLA Building)
Southwark, London

Height: 45m
Floors: 10
Built: 2000-2002
Architect: Foster and Partners
Developer: More London Development Ltd

Links:
http://www.london.gov.uk/gla/city_hall/index.jsp
Skyscrapers.com listing (http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=159693)


Notes:
- City Hall is home to the Mayor of London, the London Assembly and the GLA, who in July 2002 became tenants of this striking rounded glass building on the south bank of the Thames near Tower Bridge. Members of the public may visit parts of City Hall, Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm and on occasional weekends.

- The top storey is referred to as 'London's living room' and leads out onto a balcony providing a 360˚ panorama of the city.

- The interior's spiral walkway is similar to that of Berlin's Reichstagsgebäude (http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=109164).

- The building comprises public facilities, committee rooms and a meeting chamber which can accommodate up to 250 members of the public.

- Directly to the west lies an amphitheatre fashioned from limestone owned by More London which, as a public venue, can accommodate up to 1,000 people and is known as 'the Scoop'.

- The building has been nicknamed the 'Glass Testicle'.



http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/cityhall1.jpg





http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/cityhall2.jpg





http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/cityhall3.jpg





http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/cityhall4.jpg





http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/cityhall5.jpg





http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/cityhall6.jpg





http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/cityhall7.jpg





http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/cityhall8.jpg

'Glass Testicle' to go along with the other thing

8/10

An eye-catching landmark with a striking design, in a very prominent location. Unfortunately the cladding is of a very low quality (especially compared to the renderings shown before it was built...)

Glass testicle is a deserved name IMO.

Hehe :laugh:

An eye-catching landmark with a striking design, in a very prominent location. Unfortunately the cladding is of a very low quality (especially compared to the renderings shown before it was built...)

unforgivable cladding im afraid....trust us brits to shoot ourselves in the foot with that..

I was quite excited to see it, unfortunatley from its cladding it looked like it was built in the 1960's, and apart from its shape and modern interior it could have been...well you get my meaning.

Its scale is also totally wrong...should be more dominant, prouder..

Glass testicle is a deserved name IMO.

Surely is,and there is also the blue dick in the city :colgate:

I'll give it 9/10, very cool :)

Looks like a snail. 8/10

Thanks to John for this pic


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v191/blimey_ltu/ldn/175_7521.jpg

I like it a lot actually, the only thing which disturbs me is the cladding, it looks somewhat "low quality" (although I doubt it is so) as for such a design and architect who created it. Anyway it's a deserved 9.

http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/cityhall3.jpg

I love this picture. Such a nice place to be in the summer.

Yeah, those fountains are cool, too bad it's winter now, I wouldn't miss a chance to get all wet in there :D

8/10

nice 10

9.5, I do like it, the cladding is a slight hiccup off.

8. I think the main drawback is that it doesn't complement the surroundoing architecture. As I've been around London, a lot of it is quite eclectic. I wish the modern would have a better relationship with the classic. That's how I see it.

Looks like something from George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty Four.

How so???? He doesn't mention anything like that in the book.

Horrible, just horrible. An embarrassment for London. 3.5 but deserves less.

What do you think should have been built there instead, Philip?

Another pic by John


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v191/blimey_ltu/ldn/174_7426.jpg

7/10

i snagged a construction pic when i was there in 05/2001

http://www.pbase.com/mancusoj/image/24516071.jpg

8.5/10

pretty nice

On some pics, the cladding looks so brash, cheap and tacky.. yet on other pics, when the sun is gleaming you can be forgiven for thinking it had a nice facade.. The shape is brilliant, perfect location by the thames.. Obviously its not doing anything for the skyline in the slightest, yet I'd imagine on a barge or tour boat going passed this would be quite exciting..

8/10

hum...honestly I don't know if I love or hate it...so I'll give it a 5.

http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041228/DSCN5314.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041228/DSCN5327.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041230/DSCN6078.jpg

7.5/10

Really nice and original design :cool: 9/10

10, no doubt!
my agency have make the office's furniture for this building! :D

8/10

'Glass Testicle' to go along with the other thing

You took the word out of the mouth. the first I thought when I saw that building is a testicle. but it's a great design.
7/10

lovely 9/10

9/10

You took the word out of the mouth. the first I thought when I saw that building is a testicle. but it's a great design.
7/10

See a doctor, now :runaway: :D

I give it a 8/10:)

8/10

Some architects have made absolute fools of themselves doing anything they can to avoid the box.

3/10

7/10

8. I think the main drawback is that it doesn't complement the surroundoing architecture. As I've been around London, a lot of it is quite eclectic. I wish the modern would have a better relationship with the classic. That's how I see it.
=======

New towers are planned immediately next to it and , from the renderings I've seen , they will compliment it very well . For a modern local government building it isn't at all bad . I like it a lot and particularly at night . Don't ignore the interior . My european friends love it and were very keen to come over and see it .

It looks ok; yes unusual but ok. 7.5/10

7.5/10

10/10 !! great desigen

I don't get it.. It looks like that testicle shaped building is completely empty, except for a winding staircase that leads to nowhere :weird:

it's much better on the inside than the outside. by chance, i ended up watching the olympic announcement ceremony in an auditorium inside.

-

8.5/10

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/9657/dscf00620qg.jpg

the result is very dissapointing. it looks worse in real life, than on most of the pictures.
the buildings behind it make it even less attractive.
nice idea, but bad result. 5

8.5/10.

Pics by nothingbettertodo:



http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/9067/dsc010222nn.jpg





The view from the upper floor balcony:


http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/3880/dsc010073ys.jpg

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/8191/dsc010084rt.jpg

^^ It looks so grand!

9,5/10

9.5/10

9/10

The only Foster's creation that don't like at all. 3.5

im not too fond of this design

6/10

7 -- maybe I should have scored it higher coz it's quite a gentle building

8/10

9.5/10

I like -- 9.5/10

Brilliant piece of architecture in my opinion...only problem now is that I think it's too small in comparison to the neighbouring MoreLondon.

9.5/10

Pics by nothingbettertodo:



http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/9067/dsc010222nn.jpg





The view from the upper floor balcony:


http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/3880/dsc010073ys.jpg

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/8191/dsc010084rt.jpg

Ohhh, thanks for the mention WJ, but i must have amnesia - i dont think i took those pics :) (but never mind, cos they arent showing now anyway)

anyways, i dont like it, 7/10. The cladding is terrible and it doesnt fit in at all with tower bridge or the tower fo london

I just love this egg building and is a good object for alternative London...
another plus is that Foster made it so ... 10/10

6.5 would expect more from London.

7/10

8/10

looks nice! 7/10

8/10

This hall is very unique.I like it and will pay a site visit to it when I come to London again

Charles Qin:banana:

6/10 IMO

8/10

9.5 but it's too small.. so 9.. but it's really perfect and suit to the neighborhood.. so 9.5342157954126 ... wew,, hehehe nice!

I think they disregarded Londons rich history. What does the previouse city hall?

7/10
;)

8.5/10

i prefer old cityhalls but this one is nice too. a bit small for london, isnt it? 8/10

8/10

9/10!

8/10

great! 10/10 for originality :cheers:

8/10 something botter me about that building...

i don't like this building. only stairs inside and materials i like. 3/10

8/10 original

To work in this thing would be amazing... when's the next election for Lord Mayor, im putting myself up!!! :)

Sorry but I wish modern and older architecture worked well in London.

You took the word out of the mouth. the first I thought when I saw that building is a testicle. but it's a great design.
7/10

I think it looks more like the head sticking out! :lol:

I don't like it - totally outta context. 5/10

Sorry but I wish modern and older architecture worked well in London.

It does.

I think they disregarded Londons rich history. What does the previouse city hall?


We didn't have one. London didn't have a mayor until 2000.

8/10

interior 9/10
exterior 4/10

Overall 6.5/10

9.5 cool, but a litle awkward.

8

What I like:

A very iconic shape. I love how it slants back. It's very alien- like which I think looks good.

It's in the perfect location. The glass panelling mask, on the front, makes it seem that the building is looking out over the rest of the city.

The the spiral staircase is really cool.

The Scoop compliments the building very much.

However:

The cladding of course. Even the other More London buildings next door have better cladding. Don't see why the GLA Building couldn't have nicer cladding too.

Considering it's the city hall for such a signifigant city it is quite small. The other More London buildings seem to over shadow it.

very nice, 9/10

10/10 :master:

8/10

Icon, but matter of taste:)

9/10

10/10

10. Excellent. Regards.

7/10

9/10

7/10

8.5/10

10/10

7/10

9/10