This is why they call us whinging poms.

Topped out, great images everyone!

Well, at least the 'when is the spire being fitted' questions should stop :|

Looks ace from those images on the previous page, up close it looks a little dull but hey, its a pole - it was never going to be amazing. From afar it does its job and finishes the building off nicely, gives it that extra few inches up in't air :P Lets await the next additions!!! :D

Well, at least the 'when is the spire being fitted' questions should stop :|

Looks ace from those images on the previous page, up close it looks a little dull but hey, its a pole - it was never going to be amazing. From afar it does its job and finishes the building off nicely, gives it that extra few inches up in't air :P Lets await the next additions!!! :D

So when's the red box being removed then? :)

well i went to have a look after work and... it's underwhelming. looks tiny, too short and too thin.

:/

Tbh the original design with the 40m spire was a lot more substantial than what we have now, but saying that's it could have easily been dropped so at least we have it.

It's certainly dividing opinions already. My take on it is that, yes, it could have been thicker and taller but it's probably about right proportion wise. Taller and thicker and it would potentially looked a little ott.

It certainly seems to work better from a distance, up close it seems to have less of an effect, in fact the best angle seems to be from Waterloo bridge. The shot from Bevis Marks is the worst angle and makes it appear too small. But then I think Heron looks far too bulk from this angle.

One thing no one has picked up on is the "join" halfway up the spire. I do hope this is temporary as it rather detracts from the smooth finish. It seems like this was the joining section. It may have been to strengthening it when lifting and hopefully it will now be removed along with the "red box". Once these two are gone the spire should look better.

Saying this, Heron has still turning out to be a cracking building and a worth addition to the skyline.

As Gothic said, this is our first "spired" tower and likely to be that way from a long time.

spires on skyscrapers are supposed to be shameless and (largely) unnecessary symbols of soar and ambition. well we have ourselves a typically english spire - small, thin and apologetic.

could've looked brilliant - as it is, looks alright. sort of looks like someone stood a yorkie bar up straight and stuck a pin in the top.

I had a proper camera with me this evening, so here's a few with the new spire in all its glory.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4818360441_5dbb9bb7e9_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/4818988748_b8e3af70e3_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4118/4818364915_269a6aa153_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4818362813_f2221ea62b_b.jpg

I personally think it looks pretty darn good, not too big and OTT, just right.

Towers with HUGE spires look terrible and ridiculous IMO

:)

I personally think it looks pretty darn good, not too big and OTT, just right.

Towers with HUGE spires look terrible and ridiculous IMO

:)
Agreed but it seems to me that this is smaller than the render? :shifty:

Still... woooop spire :banana::banana::banana:

Morning!

Thought it would go up overnight and was craning neck from the moment Heron hove majestically into view as my train crossed Walthamstow marshes.

In the flesh the spire is VERY elegant and tapering, got a surprisingly good shot of it on the phone camera from beneath "the mushrooms" @ Liverpool Street but I have no doubt that by the time I get home and upload it it will have been superceded and bettered many times over.

Anyhooooo, what a moment eh? been following her since she were a big 'ole int ground and now the crowning glory!

Happy daze...

CF

Well, as predicted theres been loads of great shots (you just knew Chest would top the lot ;) ) but here goes anyway as I think for a phone cam it wasn't half bad and it is her best angle IMHO...

http://i31.tinypic.com/9auy9y.jpg

CF

Don't be so utterly ridiculous - this is a forum devoted to skyscrapers, not meteorological phenomena. :ohno:

Oh stop moaning you! Sound like an old man! :)

^^That last pic just proves my point, the spire is great, its just right and fits in perfectly....we don't need huge spires like those in other parts of the world, it's another thing that sets London apart from the rest....great architecture, and another great building added to the city!

On reflection my comment about lightning is closer to the truth that this 'spire' is actually more like a largish lightning conductor. Nice, but barely worth commenting on - unless - they do something nice with the lighting

it looks ruddy marvellous. Oh yes it does. The overall finish is looking great - a few random panels to be sorted, but it has the wow factor.

spires on skyscrapers are supposed to be shameless and (largely) unnecessary symbols of soar and ambition. well we have ourselves a typically english spire - small, thin and apologetic.

could've looked brilliant - as it is, looks alright. sort of looks like someone stood a yorkie bar up straight and stuck a pin in the top.

Probably because it isn't actually a spire, it is a simple communications mast. I think it's only people here who call it a spire.

Probably because it isn't actually a spire, it is a simple communications mast. I think it's only people here who call it a spire.

Can of worms. Open.

When complete, Heron Tower's 46 storeys will rise to a height of 202 metres providing unrivalled panoramic views over London. At the top of the building sits an elegant communications mast giving an overall height of 230 metres.
http://www.skanska.co.uk/en/Projects2/Heron-Tower/Project-description/


Now it looks decent and certainly the tower looks a lot better with it than without. But let's be honest, it's a bit underwhelming isn't it.

Here it is in full glory ...shame they had to do it at night and that the sun was in the wrong direction this morning...will get better ones later

[IMG]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4817738934_d55e006b73_b.jpg[IMG]

On the contrary my friend, the lighting in this pic is fantastic...and is one of my favourites posted so far.

When I saw it this morning I knew I had to go home and edit out that crane...


http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/1637/heronspire.jpg

Why was it reduced anyway? I find it proportionally a bit small and whats the lump half way up?

^

One word. Cost.

It's not going to win the worlds best spire competition, but it really adds to this building in a way I did not expect.

It seems to draws both sides of the building into an apex of sorts...

It's alive!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/4818869373_5db75a9e4b_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4819491054_10ba8c0634_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/4818867685_33496ca084_b.jpg

At first I was a little disappointed when I saw it today. So like eddyk I've removed the crane from a couple of the photos and now think it looks fantastic, god we're an inpatient bunch!:lol:

I don't think anyone has linked this yet, but its well worth a glance:

http://www.skanska.co.uk/en/Projects2/Heron-Tower/News-updates/

For all the complaining it does look fantastic on that last shot.

Removing the crane definitely does it.

^^




At first I was a little disappointed when I saw it today. So like eddyk I've removed the crane from a couple of the photos and now think it looks fantastic, god we're an inpatient bunch!:lol:

Wow wow and triple wow is all I can say to this last set of piccies. Thanks Eddyk for enhancing my 1st pic too. I see you have also removed the red box and centre section on the spire improving it vastly.

Thanks also to everyone who has posted pics on what has been to me quite a historical day. I'm suprised however that there was'nt much coverage in the media on this.

I just hope and believe that the end result of the Shard and Bishopsgate is going to end just as incredibaly :)

Why was it reduced anyway? I find it proportionally a bit small and whats the lump half way up?

It was wrapped around the spire to keep it horizontal on the lorry as it gets thinner towards one end.

I don't think anyone has linked this yet, but its well worth a glance:

http://www.skanska.co.uk/en/Projects2/Heron-Tower/News-updates/

Good post. Answers my previous questions.

The red box is temporary as predicted and the "join" is also a temporary lifting section (as I thought) which will also come off in due course.

Spire will look even better then!

Interesting to see the Radley's of Ireland produced it (makers of the Spire in Dublin).

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4818946599_1ba0b6f634_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4095/4818959189_211c9be6f6_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4117/4819643238_0d86a4418a_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/4819647578_181304c620_b.jpg

With the cladding of the top floors of this building added it has been just taken it into another league. Looked a bit iffy before, but it's just be rounded off brilliantly, just like Strata.

The night shots look fantastic! With the spire in place Heron appears to 'jump out' more (in a good way mind), and once the cranes down it'll look even more impressive. I must say London's really starting to get a proper f***off skyline at last.

Not really a fan of the spire since it's up... it's an unnecessary, quite pretentious addition imo. The white colour doesn't match the blue/grey of the tower and the proportions are a bit short. It's annoying me at the moment, but I hope I learn to live with it.

It almost looks like the Heron is a 90's mobile phone and the spire is it's aerial. I don't like the spire, but I don't have anything against it either, it just seems rather pointless from the design point of view, the whole design of the tower is edgy and square, The spire is a contrast to that, but not in a good way.

The top of this tower has always reminded me of this one in Frankfurt

http://th.physik.uni-frankfurt.de/~scherer/Blogging/SkyScraper/frombelow.jpg

Which either looks stupid or really good....I'm not sure.

One more to make it a cluster - now grow Bishopsgate..

...know what you mean, eddy - I used to live in Frankfurt, Commerzbank is an impressive building.

^^ I agree. Whilst it may not be the biggest, fattest, longest appendage out there, the fact that it exists at all is remarkable enough!

I think it adds to the tower nonetheless, it now looks so much taller than T42/St Mary's Axe.

indeed. this is the first true celebration of height we've seen in a skyscraper... it has height for the sake of height rather than simply a functional top. someone has decided it should "soar" and actually got it through the planning system!!!

of course, this is nothing compared to the shard which takes that to extremes - the entire building is effectively a spire. herons might not be the greatest spire in the world, it's hardly the top of the chrysler building, but finally we are getting visible examples of height without fear or a "british compromise" that leaves us with another bloody stump.

the other trend is that it seems that our towers are finally getting tops too - the gherkin is basically crowned by a dome, strata is so sharply angled you could cut yourself on it, then there's this, the pinnacle, shard... etc

And to add to that goth...this even had that 4 floor height increase.


So on the upside...we may have lost 10 meters on the spire...but we gained 20 in roof height.

It's dissapointing that they haven't continued the cross bracing on the boxes at the top of the tower as per the renders. Now it just looks a bit too cluttered at the top with all those boxes poking up and different styles of cladding. The spire is a welcome addition but a good 15m short of what it should have been IMO.

Looks very good from a distance-naturally more aesthetic than close up.
Least we got a spired scraper at last.And i think it's just about tall enough.

Thanks for all the updates and dedication guys - well woth it to see the citys tallest crowned, even if it was at night!

Im no good at doing it but can anyone put up a 'comparision' between a render and pic from yesterday - just so we can see how much shorter the spire really is?

Ha well the spire is certainly a little stunted! Proportionally, it really doesn't fit.
Perhaps symptomatic of the country's economic virility? (or lack of it)

^^ You're reading into it too much ;)

Lorries carrying longer spires would have a lot of difficulty on the corners of London's roads.

spires on skyscrapers are supposed to be shameless and (largely) unnecessary symbols of soar and ambition. well we have ourselves a typically english spire - small, thin and apologetic.

could've looked brilliant - as it is, looks alright. sort of looks like someone stood a yorkie bar up straight and stuck a pin in the top.

Here here.

^^ You're reading into it too much ;)

Lorries carrying longer spires would have a lot of difficulty on the corners of London's roads.
Could have done it in two parts. Or even made it a Top Gear challenge.

Any idea when the top floors' cladding will be completed on all sides? Can't wait for that.

Could have done it in two parts. Or even made it a Top Gear challenge.

:lol::lol: With the Stig driving the truck.

I wander how much more the 44m mast would have cost! As it is, what we've got is OK, does the job but can’t help but think that it could have been magnificent.

Everything comes back to cost.

I cant decide whether id want a taller one or this one, because the spire now seems to fit the building from every angle except one and if they made a larger spire it would run the risk of being really out of proportion.

I think from this angle at least, the longer spire would have looked far better

(From wjfox's site)
http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/heron/5.jpg

Hopefully the aircraft warning light will flash - like Broadgate Tower did before they switched it off - spoil sports.

What a great milestone! Thanks all who posted photos :)
But.. i thought the spire was bigger? :(

^^
Just look back in the thread, that's been one of the main topics of conversation for the last while. ;)

It's dissapointing that they haven't continued the cross bracing on the boxes at the top of the tower as per the renders. Now it just looks a bit too cluttered at the top with all those boxes poking up and different styles of cladding. The spire is a welcome addition but a good 15m short of what it should have been IMO.

Same here mate, i thought the cross bracing on the top boxes were a nice touch, shame they opted out, value engineering at the last minute? Still a great 'scraper though! :banana:

^^ May somebody take a picture from the same angle than the above render? Would be the best way to to see whether Heron is up to it despite its smaller spire or not! Hope you guys can do us this favor... :)

Many thanks for all the lovely pics btw.

does anyone know whether it will be lit up at night? or at least flashing as someone said a few pages back..

Anyway.. looks externally complete, all cladding done, Spire in, topped out, what have they got left to do?
Looks amazing at night

http://www.skanska.co.uk/en/Projects2/Heron-Tower/Project-description/


Now it looks decent and certainly the tower looks a lot better with it than without. But let's be honest, it's a bit underwhelming isn't it.

Nope, I think it's just about right. From Eddyk's photo posted after your post it looks like part of the building and not an add-on to gain height as on so many scrapers. Those guys at PLP know what they're at and this is surely Fred Pilbrow's best yet.

Personally I think it's the best tall building in London by far. KPF's Pinnacle (by PLP's Pollissano) will struggle against this. The pinnacle is too redollent of KPFs earlier building in Abu Dhabi, also by Pollissano. and would be better placed in that environment.

The Shard will probably win on pure wow factor but architecturally the Heron is the best yet.

Congratulations PLP and kudos to Fred. London now has a building of of architectural sophistication to rival the world's best.

sort of looks like someone stood a yorkie bar up straight and stuck a pin in the top.

http://i28.tinypic.com/k19wyv.jpg

With apologies to 11001001. ;)

^^
LMFAO

Nice one! :lol:

Personally I think it's the best tall building in London by far.

That accolade still goes to 1CS for me, and not just because it is the current tallest. I think it is still the classiest and sleekest tower in the country :)

That accolade still goes to 1CS for me, and not just because it is the current tallest. I think it is still the classiest and sleekest tower in the country :)

Agreed up to a point My wrong choice of words, the Heron is by far the best building in the City of London. 1CS is iconic, shame it is neighboured by two nondescript office scrapers.

1CS is abslutely right for it;s location.

Personally I think that Heron is the best scraper in the Country. Let's agree to differ - they are both great buildings :)

http://i28.tinypic.com/k19wyv.jpg

With apologies to 11001001. ;)

better with the wrapper off ...

Looks good at night though :)

Yay we get a mention!
:pepper:

http://londonist.com/2010/07/spire_placed_on_top_of_heron_tower.php

http://homepage.mac.com/benveasey/.Public/P1000179.jpg

I just had to see what it'd look like on your amazing pic as well chest.

http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/8638/heronspire3.jpg

^^^^

Wow, it does look pretty good in that lighting at that angle. Still prefer looking at from broadgate though.

I love seeing the reflection of the Gherkin. The spire looks very balanced in this shot!:)

Yay we get a mention!
:pepper:

http://londonist.com/2010/07/spire_placed_on_top_of_heron_tower.php
Haha: "Depending on your point of view, the spire increases the building's height to 230m, or is in fact nothing more than a bauble, with the tower's true height remaining 202m. Despite the mild controversy (heavily debated over at SkyscraperCity), this is the first tall building in London to get a spire."

...how did they know? :D Mild controversey is an understatement though, the amount of pages that were taken up on this thread over people arguing whether it increased the building's height or not, the issue kept arising every few weeks!

Great pictures btw everyone. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a tad underwhelmed, 40m I think really would have been an improvement, but it's nevertheless a dam fine thing when viewing from afar.

Fair play it does look the bee’s knees. This building has been a massive success, even with the shorted spire. But I personally think if 28m was the original height for it then there would have been no controversy; proportionately it looks pretty much perfect (from a distance).

Fair play it does look the bee’s knees. This building has been a massive success, even with the shorted spire. But I personally think if 28m was the original height for it then there would have been no controversy; proportionately it looks pretty much perfect (from a distance).

I imagine this to be true, if everyone wasn't imagining 44 meter high spires in their head... nobody would be giving a damn right now.



And I know it's weird, and I cant explain why....but the spire does make one hell of a difference to the final look. For the better.

I just walked past the site today on my way to the office (*sigh*) and i captured a few moments of them installing the giant fishtank, which according to one of the guys installing, is the largest freestanding fishtank in the world. It looked enooormous! there were a number of people watching and taking pictures, which is surprising for the city at the weekend.

http://i27.tinypic.com/2znqomd.jpg

http://i29.tinypic.com/2mds313.jpg

chest
Are you smoking something in that pic? Or is there a fire somewhere?

haha, just noticed that on the official website that none of the renders show the crappy looking side ;)

Hi, long time lurker here. After seeing Heron Tower in Thursday's Futurama episode (good job the spire had been put up) I thought it was time to sign up. Looks good from this angle.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_xisc-zdJ3Co/TEr_iEySpAI/AAAAAAAAEWs/hzqcNMz59F0/futheron.jpg

Imagine being the poor sap who had to manouvere that monster through London traffic!

hi that poor sap is john carroll from hospital co .limerick ireland and a very professional driver with o'neills heavy haulage also from hospital co .limerick irealnd and he did a very good job. he also delivered the dublin spire withe the same company

Hi, long time lurker here. After seeing Heron Tower in Thursday's Futurama episode (good job the spire had been put up) I thought it was time to sign up. Looks good from this angle.

I thought the same thing when watching :D

another good job carried out by o neills heavy haulage from hospital co .limerick ireland who also delivered the dublin spire in 2000 from radley eng dungarvan waterford also the manufacture of the heron tower spire,
the same driver delivered both spires ; mr john o carroll hospital co .limerick alias the DOC

Sunday morning

The Spire close up
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab287/LondonScraper/IMGA0249.jpg?t=1280058677

Zoomed out
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab287/LondonScraper/IMGA0250.jpg?t=1280058713

Forgot to Rotate :(
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab287/LondonScraper/IMGA0251.jpg

With the cladding
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab287/LondonScraper/IMGA0268.jpg


http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab287/LondonScraper/IMGA0269.jpg

One of the TC's is coming down
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab287/LondonScraper/IMGA0275.jpg


http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab287/LondonScraper/IMGA0270.jpg

Ground level
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab287/LondonScraper/IMGA0272.jpg

Close up
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab287/LondonScraper/IMGA0273.jpg

Something going on at ground level
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab287/LondonScraper/IMGA0276.jpg?t=1280059427

http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab287/LondonScraper/IMGA0277.jpg?t=1280059459

http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab287/LondonScraper/IMGA0278.jpg

http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab287/LondonScraper/IMGA0281.jpg

The only remaining tower crane; with the western facade

http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab287/LondonScraper/IMGA0279.jpg

Final photo
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab287/LondonScraper/IMGA0280.jpg

And a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbqxUe5XFVc

how are they going to replace those missing bits of cladding?

http://homepage.mac.com/benveasey/.Public/heronfromafar.jpg

from Skanska's website

http://www.skanska.co.uk/upload/Projects/lifting2.jpg
http://www.skanska.co.uk/upload/Projects/faraday%20cage2.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4096/4827869961_bb56109462_b.jpg

Short Spire? - Problem Solved......

http://www.bluetang.co.uk/images/heron.jpg

I just walked past the site today on my way to the office (*sigh*) and i captured a few moments of them installing the giant fishtank, which according to one of the guys installing, is the largest freestanding fishtank in the world. It looked enooormous! there were a number of people watching and taking pictures, which is surprising for the city at the weekend.

[IMG]http://i27.tinypic.com/2znqomd.jpg

[IMG]http://i29.tinypic.com/2mds313.jpg

I was there when they were lifting it and was one of the people taking photos! :)

Can bearly even see the spire from a distance, Dissapointed.

Can bearly even see the spire from a distance, Dissapointed.

Probably the same with most skyscrapers in the world with spires that aren't 20 foot thick.


Not to mention that picture is taken from 2.5 miles away, and is off a grey pole against a bright silver background.

Photos of the spire on a bright cloudy background will cause the sky to wash out a darker line as the camera struggles with the exposure settings.

Nice one Cat man do :lol:

try putting one on the gherkin

here's a couple from me taken on saturday

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/2590HeronTowerGetsItsSpire_pic1.jpg


http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/2590HeronTowerGetsItsSpire_pic2.jpg

Lovely shots Gothic!

^^ Indeed. She looks great in the sun. The glazing is beautiful, so happy that you can see the stair case threw it.

I bet it's freaking hot on a summer's day in that stairwell

For anybody that's still unsure about these "boxes" still on the mast.

http://www.skanska.co.uk/upload/Projects/the%20following%20morning.jpg

From Skanska: "The mast is erected in position with the temporary lifting connection 2/3 up the mast and protection around the mast. At the base is the red bespoke access platform that is removed once the works are fully complete"

This should make it look a little bit taller at least. Besides, who's going to go up inside the cage at the very top of that spire? That's got to be worth £100 :cheers:

A lightbulb...a flashing one hopefully.



Any Heron folk reading...make it flash please. Slowly. On 2 seconds, then off to seconds...and repeat.

I bet it's freaking hot on a summer's day in that stairwell

It probably has glass that stops the heat becoming too much

Im hoping theres easy access to that stairwell so can get in and take a pic towards gerkin/tower 42 on every floor to make a sort of acending time-lapse

A lightbulb...a flashing one hopefully.



Any Heron folk reading...make it flash please. Slowly. On 2 seconds, then off to seconds...and repeat.

My favo(u)rite American spire - the old John Hancock in Boston:

http://i701.photobucket.com/albums/ww14/lightparade1960/Boston2.jpg

Sorry this has come out so BIG.

I've been away for a while and was hoping to see the spire atop Heron on my return to London. I'm pleased to see it's up there, but too be honest I'm a little disappointed. I can't shake the feeling that it would have looked so much better bigger.

A few pics from the inside.

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/8962/48130555729c3b753857b1.jpg

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/3488/4813049994e7b1ecf784b1.jpg

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/6402/48124230491cc04dfd1eb1.jpg

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/6482/4813052450f5a18d41edb1.jpg

http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/8553/481304702472c5da8d3bb1.jpg

http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/5223/4813052812813e4a488fb1.jpg

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/166/4812432179cbd425a30fb1.jpg

http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/2493/481305096688704321cab1.jpg

http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/7889/48124260834ecc8ba9cfb1.jpg


Find more here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/16797610@N06/tags/heron/

That interior is lush! Thanks for the update!

Those ceilings look quite low to me

Seems to be shots of the conference/meeting rooms area which are always typically lush. Would be interested to see what a normal office floor looks like.

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc360/londonfire/Picture15221535-3.jpg

good lord i would want to work there :eek:

in that one where the guy is painting it lookes like he's painting that picture of the city :lol:
but seriously... thats so futuristic

Those ceilings look quite low to me

That was my first thought too, I would have expected them to be a foot higher, looks pretty claustrophobic for a major office building.

Those ceilings look quite low to me

F*cking 'ell.
What else are people going to moan at next?


'Welcome' on the floor mat is in too small of a font.

The turret on the castle in the fish tank is too short?

The spire looks fantastic from that angle Gazkinz.

F*cking 'ell.
What else are people going to moan at next?


'Welcome' on the floor mat is in too small of a font.

The turret on the castle in the fish tank is too short?

I read it as an observation, not a moan. I bet the average US skyscraper has higher ceilings than that.

Wednesday:

http://www.abload.de/img/img_5667_shiftn-18dvc.jpg

Friday:

http://www.abload.de/img/img_5995_shiftn-1dcfe.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/img_6102_shiftn-1sh92.jpg

Monday:

http://www.abload.de/img/img_6471_shiftn-18et9.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/img_6479_shiftn-1je6x.jpg

The spire looks fantastic from that angle Gazkinz.

Funny that, I was just thinking the exact opposite.

Yes the spire looks good from some angles but a bit misplaced from others. It looks great in Bob's 2nd, 3rd and 5th pictures (thanks for those bob), well balanced and well proportioned with the rest of the building... but the whole building looks a mess, let alone the positioning of the spire, in Gazkinz's photo. Asymmetrical buildings always seem to have an ugly side...

The spire seems to look best (IMO) when viewed from a higher position, when it's more level with eye (ie - in Bob's 3rd picture it looks pretty good) - however, the lower the vantage point the more inconsequential it looks. :(

Those ceilings look quite low to me

Looks like it might be a basement floor.

Who would of thought that inside this:

http://www.lonocreative.com/wp-content/uploads/Heron-tower-website.jpg

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/1500HeronTowerFinallyUnderConstruction_pic1.jpg

You would get this:

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/6402/48124230491cc04dfd1eb1.jpg



Good God Just somebody tell me what happened to the composure of Heron, the style, the elegance?

This building follows efficiency, regularity, attention to detail, and thought through floor plans making space count. Next thing you know there is what looks like a un-designed interior with developer esque low ceilings and space wasting curvy walls. Dotted with random lighting and awkwardly placed ceiling vents!

Whoever designed this part of the interior for Heron should be sacked, then sued, then shot...!!

This is nothing more than a contemporary interior trying desperately hard to be contemporary, and failing badly. It sort of looks like a combination of interiors between Barclays Bank and McDonalds.



Here's my list of bad points to prove my argument:


http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q75/tristanphoto_bucket/Crazy.jpg

Very disappointed.

I hope the Shard will show us how interiors should be done. Paring the exterior design aesthetic with the interiors. Herons interior just makes me want to cry seeing just how badly its done.

And for curves done well. The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, enough said:

http://www.adfilmfest.com/images/films/02%20Guggenheim%20Museum,%20Bilbao,%20Spain.jpg

Some people seem to be going into 'bash Heron' Mode now. This building is exactly as I expected - exactly as the renders showed. The cielings, however, do look low. I am 6'4'' and I would feel a bit oppressed and clautrophobic! I Cycled past yesterday - it is a welcome addition to the city and helps provide a dynamic vista as you come into the city from Shoreditch. Some people have said it is a filler - to be truthful I lean in that direction - it does not have the feel or presense of a 'Skyscraper' for me - it is simply a tall building. The spire works well, better than I thought it would, and for me is the right hieght for the building. A good building yes- good for the City -yes - but a great building? For me no. a good functional tower, the like of which can be seen all over the world.

A few pics from the inside.

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/8962/48130555729c3b753857b1.jpg

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/3488/4813049994e7b1ecf784b1.jpg


It's all looking a bit 'Cloud City' interior to me.

http://www.c-a-n-y-o-n.com/images/updates/leveldesign/cloudcity/cloudcity4.jpg

In all honesty, slightly try hard and naff.

Obviously - before all y'all jump down my throat - it's early(ish) doors, but, what with other aspects of the building being, dare I say, disappointing I'm sure I'm not alone on here in feeling a bit uneasy about the final look.

Some people seem to be going into 'bash Heron' Mode now. This building is exactly as I expected - exactly as the renders showed. The cielings, however, do look low. I am 6'4'' and I would feel a bit oppressed and clautrophobic! I Cycled past yesterday - it is a welcome addition to the city and helps provide a dynamic vista as you come into the city from Shoreditch. Some people have said it is a filler - to be truthful I lean in that direction - it does not have the feel or presense of a 'Skyscraper' for me - it is simply a tall building. The spire works well, better than I thought it would, and for me is the right hieght for the building. A good building yes- good for the City -yes - but a great building? For me no. a good functional tower, the like of which can be seen all over the world.

But it's because we get so few skyscrapers (let alone tall buildings) randolph that we want so badly for the ones that do materialize to be the best they can be.

That's why people (such as myself) get a bit downcast when the reality fails to match the 'vision'.

I suppose that the moral of this story is 'don't believe the hype'.

Again.

I love how people are seeing photos from one small unfinished part of a megabuilding and instantly label the whole project a failure. Typical ssc.

Well they do look like Dr Who sets from the 1980s

I love how people are seeing photos from one small unfinished part of a megabuilding and instantly label the whole project a failure. Typical ssc.

I love how you're seeing people expressing their doubts and misgivings based on a number of different aspects and elements of a "megabuilding" and instantly labelling them as misguided doom-sayers. Typical DarJole.

I love how you're seeing people expressing their doubts and misgivings based on a number of different aspects and elements of a "megabuilding" and instantly labelling them as misguided doom-sayers. Typical DarJole.

I love how you.... Oh forget it.

http://www.youtube.com/user/NODDINGCAT#p/u/0/1msxYCZWb0E
Check my film of the Heron

http://www.c-a-n-y-o-n.com/images/updates/leveldesign/cloudcity/cloudcity4.jpg

Are they particle transporters hanging from the ceiling like the starship Enterprise has?? I quite like it though :nuts:

http://www.youtube.com/user/NODDINGCAT#p/u/0/1msxYCZWb0E
Check my film of the Heron

This is not a film, it is just a few photos zooming in, what a twat you are. Cheap shot.

This is not a film, it is just a few photos zooming in, what a twat you are. Cheap shot.

I agree :)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2522/3907041046_57e30eed60.jpg

This is not a film, it is just a few photos zooming in, what a twat you are. Cheap shot.

I agree :)

Why be so unpleasant, what harm does it do if someone posts a little 'film' eh?

Wasting your precious time is it. :ohno:

Walked out from Liverpool street station yesterday. It's a great addition to the city's skyline, it truly does soar into the sky elegantly and once the last tower crane is taken down its sheer slender soar will become more prominent from the skyline and the ground.

Why be twats yourselves, what harm does it do if someone posts a little 'film' eh?

Wasting your precious time is it. :ohno:

you are a twat

http://www.youtube.com/user/NODDINGCAT#p/u/0/1msxYCZWb0E
Check my film of the Heron

Don't worry Brenda Goats I enjoyed your photographic montage of Heron tower...:)

This forum is in desparate need of active moderation. Its gone to the dogs.

I agree, there's around 20 members who although they seem to post a lot offer absolutely nothing and may as well be banned.

Apart from the fairly low ceilings, I actually quite like the interior shots - it's still not finished, and so I will reserve final judgement until it is! To be honest, if I was lucky enough to work in one of the upper floors, I would not care what the office looked like, as the view must be spectacular.

from Hamstead

http://homepage.mac.com/benveasey/.Public/P1040466.JPG
http://homepage.mac.com/benveasey/.Public/P1040479.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/benveasey/.Public/P1040503.jpg

Looks like that 'knob' from half way up the spire has gone.

Great pics chest.

Just caught the end of "Men who jump off buildings" in Channel 4. A man base jumping from the Heron Tower while under construction! Should check it out on 4oD. Those guys probably knew Downfallen :(

A load of bollocks...

Such an overreaction from a few shots of what looks like a basement floor (hence the low ceilings and lack of windows). Why does it even matter what the interior looks like anyway? Will you ever work there?

Chest if it weren't for you then this forum would be s**t

People should stop getting upset about the spire and be greatfull that a building of this scale has been built in London.
does anybody no if theres going to be a light on the spire? and what colour it will be and if it will flash?

Such an overreaction from a few shots of what looks like a basement floor (hence the low ceilings and lack of windows). Why does it even matter what the interior looks like anyway? Will you ever work there?

It looks like a temporary marketing suite for prospective tenants to me - could be wrong.

It looks like a temporary marketing suite for prospective tenants to me - could be wrong.

I think it's pretty obvious that's what it is. Perhaps too many forumers are just too young to have ever worked in an office and that explains why they think that's what one looks like.

Whoever pointed out the shoddy finishing is absolutely right of course, those criticising the criticisms are just exposing their ignorance, but that said a marketing suite only has to stand up for a year or so and then the sledgehammers come out, so I guess it's to be expected. Also, it doesn't look like it's finished yet, so maybe it still needs a bit of snagging.

Oh, and for the record, I think the spire looks just fine. :)

I agree, there's around 20 members who although they seem to post a lot offer absolutely nothing and may as well be banned.

+1

This forum is in desparate need of active moderation. Its gone to the dogs.

I agree, there's around 20 members who although they seem to post a lot offer absolutely nothing and may as well be banned.

+1

I agree. Wish I could help... but somebody decided I shouldn't mod here anymore.

I agree, there's around 20 members who although they seem to post a lot offer absolutely nothing and may as well be banned.

yeah, lets just ban everyone and rename this thread " SkyscraperCity, for the extremely narrow minded and facist elements of our society "

yeah, lets just ban everyone and rename this thread " SkyscraperCity, for the extremely narrow minded and facist elements of our society "

Firstly, this forum isn't publicly owned, so there is no reason why everyone should be allowed a say. It is not fascist for a privately owned website to make its own rules regarding what people can or cannot say, you have no inherent right to be on this website, no inherent right to be a member.

If the people/person who runs this site decided they wanted to attract more industry professionals to the site, with more in-depth knowledge, then they would be well within their right to start ridding the forums of all the people who drag it down with foul language, immature remarks and general hostility. Perhaps it would do some people good to simply read the forums without posting.

I agree. Wish I could help... but somebody decided I shouldn't mod here anymore.

I thought Medo was doing a decent samurai job for a while.

He seems to have gone very quiet though.

yeah, lets just ban everyone and rename this thread " SkyscraperCity, for the extremely narrow minded and facist elements of our society "

Look, just try to refrain from personal abuse and swearing, it doesn't make you look good and tars all of us - but perhaps that's what you enjoy?

I agree. Wish I could help... but somebody decided I shouldn't mod here anymore.

Who decided that? and why?

It looks like a temporary marketing suite for prospective tenants to me - could be wrong.

It is - as this stock photo website shows...

http://www.superstock.com/stock-photography/communications+tower

Each photo is clearly marked "Heron Tower Marketing Suite".

It has that unmistakable 'snap 'n klik' look to it - still I think my 'cloud city' comments still stand. :)

yeah, lets just ban everyone and rename this thread " SkyscraperCity, for the extremely narrow minded and facist elements of our society "

Your recent post in the thread where you insulted another member was completely uncalled for and I reported it. There's just no need for that attitude or language here.

Firstly, this forum isn't publicly owned, so there is no reason why everyone should be allowed a say. It is not fascist for a privately owned website to make its own rules regarding what people can or cannot say, you have no inherent right to be on this website, no inherent right to be a member.

If the people/person who runs this site decided they wanted to attract more industry professionals to the site, with more in-depth knowledge, then they would be well within their right to start ridding the forums of all the people who drag it down with foul language, immature remarks and general hostility. Perhaps it would do some people good to simply read the forums without posting.

I agree.

And I would like to see more active moderating which is less or zero tolerant of posts which are worthless / rude / full of sexual innuendo etc. There are plenty of other forums on the web if people want to post such things.

So I'm a twat. That's hilarious coming from some one that comes from Braintree, one of the most backwrd Essex outposts (overflow council estate) that i've ever had the missfortune to come across.

Your recent post in the thread where you insulted another member was completely uncalled for and I reported it. There's just no need for that attitude or language here.

woopdidoo... good for you, I hope it made you feel better. I think everybody on this forum has used foul language at some time or another. Don't be so sensitive. If I use foul language on this forum it is because somebody used it against me or their post was so stupid that foul language is the only response that comes to mind.

woopdidoo... good for you, I hope it made you feel better. I think everybody on this forum has used foul language at some time or another. Don't be so sensitive. If I use foul language on this forum it is because somebody used it against me or their post was so stupid that foul language is the only response that comes to mind.

Or, y'know, you could just not respond when you feel like you're going to use foul language?

So I'm a twat. That's hilarious coming from some one that comes from Braintree, one of the most backwrd Essex outposts (overflow council estate) that i've ever had the missfortune to come across.

Sorry it was me who said it first. You were telling us all to look at your film and when you click it, it's just a montage of photos. One of my pet hates about youtube and if I was in person I would have used language a whole lot more colourful than that. You seem to judge people from where they come from aswell which is incredibly snobbish.

Keep digging Drewhallam.

Or, y'know, you could just not respond when you feel like you're going to use foul language?

I could... but I don't have that kind of control. Call me imature but when someone insults me then I have to respond. It's a weakness I know but most people on this forum are the same, and it's very easy to respond on a forum because you don't have to face the person who you are insulting. I'm sure there are plenty of people who I would never insult in person and visa versa. it always degenerates into this tit for tat thing but this is human nature, if you ban everybody who shows some emotion then you will be left with a very boring forum. I think we must all just learn not to take everything so seriously - me included.

Calm down dears, its only a forum! I for one find the amount of backstabbing, cattiness, immaturity, high-horsing and other such "handbags at dawn" behavior highly amusing. Keep it up girls.

....aaaaanyway, back to Heron Tower.

I could... but I don't have that kind of control. Call me imature but when someone insults me then I have to respond. It's a weakness I know but most people on this forum are the same, and it's very easy to respond on a forum because you don't have to face the person who you are insulting. I'm sure there are plenty of people who I would never insult in person and visa versa. it always degenerates into this tit for tat thing but this is human nature, if you ban everybody who shows some emotion then you will be left with a very boring forum. I think we must all just learn not to take everything so seriously - me included.

It is not human nature to start abusing people because they post a youtube clip you don't like. That's what is known as being rude.

If people don't take a forum like this seriously then it pretty soon degenerates into what so many of the world forums are, a picture update, a comment criticising the speed of progress, a picture update, a comment criticising the speed of progress... ETC.

If you don't think people should take this website seriously then perhaps people shouldn't bother uploading pictures? Shouldn't bother posting useful links? Shouldn't bother revealing inside knowledge? Perhaps we should all just start calling each other twats, and then you'll be happy I assume?

It is not human nature to start abusing people because they post a youtube clip you don't like. That's what is known as being rude.

If people don't take a forum like this seriously then it pretty soon degenerates into what so many of the world forums are, a picture update, a comment criticising the speed of progress, a picture update, a comment criticising the speed of progress... ETC.

If you don't think people should take this website seriously then perhaps people shouldn't bother uploading pictures? Shouldn't bother posting useful links? Shouldn't bother revealing inside knowledge? Perhaps we should all just start calling each other twats, and then you'll be happy I assume?

I agree either way if you like it or not that person put some time and effort into the video so should not have to be called a twat for it and as for the interior bitching ITS NOT EVEN ONE FLOOR OF A 47 FLOOR TOWER! why is everyone getting worked up over it and also its unfinished and correct me if im wrong but dont the office tenants choose their interior.

as for the interior bitching ITS NOT EVEN ONE FLOOR OF A 47 FLOOR TOWER! why is everyone getting worked up over it and also its unfinished and correct me if im wrong but dont the office tenants choose their interior.

The decor per se, I agree. But the ceiling height, would that not be uniform on every floor? Or do the basements have lower ceilings? I would have thought that the basements would have simple, functional decor which suggests perhaps that the photos we have seen are not of the basement, but I don't know :) I don't think anyone is looking to criticise for the sake of it, or enjoying doing so - I am not. And as was pointed out, I won't be working there so it won't affect me either way. We are just offering observations based on the photos as presented really.

The decor per se, I agree. But the ceiling height, would that not be uniform on every floor? Or do the basements have lower ceilings? I would have thought that the basements would have simple, functional decor which suggests perhaps that the photos we have seen are not of the basement, but I don't know :) I don't think anyone is looking to criticise for the sake of it, or enjoying doing so - I am not. And as was pointed out, I won't be working there so it won't affect me either way. We are just offering observations based on the photos as presented really.

I do agree to some degree regarding the ceiling height if that is indeed every floor but i just dont think that a developer would make such an elementary mistake when liveable offices is one of their design goals.

Bear in mind each village will be quite open with a 3 storey atrium.

I agree either way if you like it or not that person put some time and effort into the video so should not have to be called a twat for it and as for the interior bitching ITS NOT EVEN ONE FLOOR OF A 47 FLOOR TOWER! why is everyone getting worked up over it and also its unfinished and correct me if im wrong but dont the office tenants choose their interior.

the crux of the matter is that he didn't post a video, he posted a set of photos and told us it was a video. People do it all the time on youtube. if he hadn't felt the need to decieve everyone by telling us it was a film when it wasn't a film he probably would not have been called a twat. people want you to click on their video so if you lie and say your photos are a movie clip then more people will click on it making you more popular. People who lie like this on youtube are twats and deserve to be called so.

The decor per se, I agree. But the ceiling height, would that not be uniform on every floor? Or do the basements have lower ceilings? I would have thought that the basements would have simple, functional decor which suggests perhaps that the photos we have seen are not of the basement, but I don't know :) I don't think anyone is looking to criticise for the sake of it, or enjoying doing so - I am not. And as was pointed out, I won't be working there so it won't affect me either way. We are just offering observations based on the photos as presented really.

OK - here's the thing. These photos aren't representative of the floor to ceiling height in the building. The floor to ceiling heights will be approximately 2.75m as they are in most modern spec offices. It should be obvious that the arrangement shown on the photos isn't for the building as a whole.
Apologies Dirtydog - this isn't just directed at you but everyone's going round in circles on this. If anyone thinks the photos do represent the floor to ceiling height throughout the building can I suggest they contact Davis Langdon (Cost Management for the project) and get them to let their client know that the contractor has built a tower with really low ceilings and bloody massive service voids.

edit

the crux of the matter is that he didn't post a video, he posted a set of photos and told us it was a video. People do it all the time on youtube. if he hadn't felt the need to decieve everyone by telling us it was a film when it wasn't a film he probably would not have been called a twat. people want you to click on their video so if you lie and say your photos are a movie clip then more people will click on it making you more popular. People who lie like this on youtube are twats and deserve to be called so.

Oh dear, were you 'deceived' :ohno: :nuts:

Mate you need to calm down if this stuff upsets you so much, it isn't normal. If you can't think of something nice or constructive to say, don't post.

OK - here's the thing. These photos aren't representative of the floor to ceiling height in the building. The floor to ceiling heights will be approximately 2.75m as they are in most modern spec offices. It should be obvious that the arrangement shown on the photos isn't for the building as a whole.
Apologies Dirtydog - this isn't just directed at you but everyone's going round in circles on this. If anyone thinks the photos do represent the floor to ceiling height throughout the building can I suggest they contact Davis Langdon (Cost Management for the project) and get them to let their client know that the contractor has built a tower with really low ceilings and bloody massive service voids.

Is this based on assumption or do you have firm knowledge? I would expect you are quite correct of course, I'm just asking :)

Here you go - reference to it on Davis Langdon website:-

http://www.davislangdon.com/EME/Projects/HeronTower/

Click on the Project tab on the left hand side.

The Acquarium Lands At Heron Tower 28th July 2010

This weekend saw the successful delivery of the aquarium for Heron Tower having completed a round trip of 5,000 miles from Colorado, USA by road and sea.

Measuring 12m long, 2m wide and 4m high with 230mm thick acrylic walls the aquarium is the largest complete unit to be manufactured by specialist Reynolds in Grand Junction, Colorado and will be the largest privately owned aquarium in Europe.

Bridge height restrictions in London required the aquarium to be transported on its side and the unit, within a steel protective frame, was righted in Bishopsgate to its correct orientation before the frame was removed and the aquarium lifted onto air skates. The tank was then slid into the entrance lobby and lifted onto a temporary plinth where the grp rockwork and artifical coral will be installed before the the whole unit is to be slid into its final location beneath a steel lantern.

The aquarium will hold approximately 70,000 litres of water and will be home to 1200+ tropical marine fish.

http://www.skanska.co.uk/upload/Projects/Heron-1819.jpg

Above: The aquarium was delivered on its side due to bridge height restrictions in London

http://www.skanska.co.uk/upload/Projects/Heron-1858.jpg

Above: Two cranes carrying out a tandom lift righted the aquarium to its correct orientation

http://www.skanska.co.uk/upload/Projects/Heron-1813a.jpg

Above: Preparing for the frame removal

http://www.skanska.co.uk/upload/Projects/Heron-1916.jpg

Above: The aquarium lifted out of its protective shipping frame

http://www.skanska.co.uk/upload/Projects/Heron-1950.jpg

Above: The aquarium positioned onto air skates

http://www.skanska.co.uk/upload/Projects/Heron-1982.jpg

Above: The aquarium being slid into the Heron Tower entrance lobby

Source: Skanska (http://www.skanska.co.uk/en/Projects2/Heron-Tower/News-updates/)

for those who want to see what the service voids are actually like in terms of size.... this isn't heron tower by the way but ropemaker place but you get the idea.

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/dump/P1030021.jpg

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/dump/P1030009.jpg

Noob question, what is a service void?

Noob question, what is a service void?

ouuuchhh, its the gap between the top of slab and the floor or the ceiling and the bottom slab. It is used to run all the services in, electrics, HVAC, fire systems water, you name it, its in there

Noob question, what is a service void?

Watch the Towering Inferno if you want to see the service void in full action!
:lol:

:ohno: Wonder is a heron (bird) would ever perch on the top of the spire? That would look tops.

ouuuchhh, its the gap between the top of slab and the floor or the ceiling and the bottom slab. It is used to run all the services in, electrics, HVAC, fire systems water, you name it, its in there

Ooh I seeeee, of course :lol: Cheers.


Watch the Towering Inferno if you want to see the service void in full action!
:lol:
:okay:

forsakenarchitecture - Thanks for posting the article 'The Acquarium Lands At Heron Tower 28th July 2010', interesting to see it will be the largest privately owned aquarium in Europe.

photo by ROBD:
]http://i30.tinypic.com/2crmrti.jpghttp://i30.tinypic.com/20ppmpx.jpg

Those shots are AMAZING! It's brilliant how you can see EVERYTHING! Even as far out as Cheshunt! :eek:

Those shots are AMAZING! It's brilliant how you can see EVERYTHING! Even as far out as Cheshunt! :eek:

Cheshunt? Really? I must admit I'm a bit disorientated by these but I thought the second pic is a view East. Guy's/Shard and City appear off to left, which would suggest that view is off to North East and N.West London is bottom left.

first pic appears to orientate North. Guys/Shard and City appearing to the right (North East). So N.West London is off to upper left of shot. :nuts:

Great pics though.

i would say the first pic is pretty much facing due north. Second pic possibly facing more north north east.

EDIT: first pic maybe a tad north west (just a fraction)!

Yeh, first pic is pretty much north with tower 42 and the broadgate tower lining up. Second one is harder to tell, but with the royal london hospital appearing to the east of the shot, it has to be north east. A more panoramic shot including the canary wharf cluster, and I'd say its the best up to date shot of London skyscrapers.

^^Great shots indeed, Strata stands out so well...Heron's spire is visible from afar which also is a good thing.

i agree, its an amazing photo, shows how much a difference Heron tower makes to the city. apparently the photo was taken from a hot air baloon by robd, lucky guy!


we should all open a pot, chuck £10 in each and send cybertect up in a hot air ballon with his favorite panoramic lens, any money he makes on the shot we get a share each!

^^ I'm game. £10 from scalatrava :)

et voila... one complete heron tower

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/59HeronTower_pic1.jpg

Rubbish.


















;)

Sorry.

Last photo is great! Really good shot. Its really standing there....... I easily remember those days when the first floors got up. And now there it stands, as if nothing happened. If I look at my own life...so much has happened in the time Heron got build.

Great soar from that angle..

With the last crane how do they get it down? Do they jack it down section by section until the cab and boom can be lifted by a mobile crane?

It looks fantastic in gothic's pic, from those angles the spire looks just fine and complements the building beautifully :)

I just phoned my Mother asking her what the hell that weird text was this morning she sent me (apparantly I had to guess the next lyric and the song?... )and shes at the base of the bloody Heron Tower!! :bash: How dare she see the Spire in the flesh before me, she knows too.

The view from London Wall is the finest, nice one Gothic :)
Saying that, the view from Bishopsgate isn't too bad either :lol:

If only the fish tank were bigger mind...

I really don't understand why there are so many different type of glazing/cladding. Really damages how it looks for me.

The strange thing about the Heron Tower is that it'll be the most angular tower in the city of any significant height (150 metres +), as Tower 42, The Gherkin, The Pinnacle, 20FS all curve in some way or another.

The only one with any great height that would be as angular would be 100 Bishopsgate (if it's built) and even then it'll be right next to Heron - along with the Broadgate Tower the three will form a square group to the north and the rest a curved group to the south.

The view from London Wall is the finest, nice one Gothic :)
Saying that, the view from Bishopsgate isn't too bad either :lol:

If only the fish tank were bigger mind...
I'm not sure if the fish tank is taller than Guy's yet.

The strange thing about the Heron Tower is that it'll be the most angular tower in the city of any significant height (150 metres +), as Tower 42, The Gherkin, The Pinnacle, 20FS all curve in some way or another.

The only one with any great height that would be as angular would be 100 Bishopsgate (if it's built) and even then it'll be right next to Heron - along with the Broadgate Tower the three will form a square group to the north and the rest a curved group to the south.

what about 122 leadenhall

A distant shot!

http://67.202.71.95/images/949450heron-1.jpg

Wow best skyline pic ive seen in ages!

Re: post 9196; Where was that taken from, Potto?

Re: post 9196; Where was that taken from, Potto?

Looks to me like the Maze Hill side of Greenwhich Park... I might be wrong though.

Cheshunt? Really? I must admit I'm a bit disorientated by these but I thought the second pic is a view East. Guy's/Shard and City appear off to left, which would suggest that view is off to North East and N.West London is bottom left.

first pic appears to orientate North. Guys/Shard and City appearing to the right (North East). So N.West London is off to upper left of shot. :nuts:

Great pics though.

The water furthest back is probably the reservoirs at edmonton/chingford. So if it wasn't for the cloud or mist or whatever it is you probably would see cheshunt, quite clearly!

Does anyone have an update on Heron Plaza/Baby Heron? Has this been shelved?

Does anyone have an update on Heron Plaza/Baby Heron? Has this been shelved?

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=909806&page=15

EDIT: for some reason this seems to have disappeared from the London Metro Area section.

Looks to me like the Maze Hill side of Greenwhich Park... I might be wrong though.

sounds about right, somewhere in Greenwich park! East side I guess

Quite a bit of the hoarding has come down on Bishopsgate, giving us some tantalising views of the ground floor entrance area for the first time

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4857607611_e50f610a71_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4101/4858225200_9bf36a4b51_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4101/4858222024_54bd8e7f71_b.jpg

Almost time for the UK's tallest tower crane to come down

^ I was thinking about that today. How does it come down? Are they going to remove sections and lower it, or place a temporary crane on the roof to bring it down.

Spire is looking good in leytonstonia's photos - just need that red box to go now.

I imagine the spire will have just a red light on top to warn off helicopters and planes.
How about a lighthouse effect?
http://i34.tinypic.com/dwqbo3.gif

Question: After the final tower crane comes down, how will the remaining missing pieces of cladding get fitted? I could understand that a cherry-picker could be used for the first few floors, and possibly a mobile crane for the next few, but what about the pieces further up?

Would they be installed from the inside?

^^
i wondered that when i passed it a few days ago
not sure.

Maybe they'll use the window cleaning contraption.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4857607611_e50f610a71_b.jpg

http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/heron/5.jpg

:cry:

(apologies to scrollers)

http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/3158/40109506.jpg

http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/5236/32864026.jpg

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/2730/89771578.jpg

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/3496/83026160.jpg

^^ awsome:cheers:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y68/El_Greco/EveningWalk2.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y68/El_Greco/EveningWalk4.jpg

^ That last picture is excellent El Greco. It's already starting to look good lit up

I agree, Gherkin. I think with Heron it's very difficult to get an idea of the finished article with all that paper wrapping covering over the inside of the windows which make the building look a bit dated - once it's all taken away, cranes removed, lit up etc I think Heron will come into it's own. I've been tempted to bad mouth it because of the amount of wrapping left in the windows but it now beginning to look good.

Gosh .. we are all so sensitive to such irrelevant details as the wrappings in the windows. Of course it will look better without them. I mean really, do you think this wasn't considered in the original design :lol: This is a forum for architectiure so why do we get so hung up about trivia. Heron is clearly a great piece of design - with or without the wrappings :banana:

Does anyone know if the cross-bracing at the very top, on the (assumed) maintenance floors is still going to be installed? From all the photos I've seen it's simply not there, and with the crane going down i'm sure it'd be near to impossible to put them in.

You can see what I mean by this render, it's the cross bracing right at the top of the tower, above the restaurant levels.

http://ligress.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/59herontower_pic9.jpg

Gosh .. we are all so sensitive to such irrelevant details as the wrappings in the windows. Of course it will look better without them. I mean really, do you think this wasn't considered in the original design :lol: This is a forum for architectiure so why do we get so hung up about trivia. Heron is clearly a great piece of design - with or without the wrappings :banana:

umm, perhaps one of the most contradictary posts I've ever read.. "irrelavant details as the wrappings in the windows - yet of course it would look better without???" and nope, I never mentioned that wasn't considered in initial design.. finishing off with, "great piece of design - with or without wrappings"

Read me post again please, sir - I'm not sensitive about it lol

A magnificent night shot from the Barbican:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4869181281_6c1288f5ec_b.jpg
Source: David Bank (http://www.david-bank.com/) on flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/david-bank/4869181281/in/contacts/)

^^ That really does show how well the smaller spire works on this tower.

Stunning indeed...Heron looks great in that pic. Cheers bob!:)

umm, perhaps one of the most contradictary posts I've ever read.. "irrelavant details as the wrappings in the windows - yet of course it would look better without???" and nope, I never mentioned that wasn't considered in initial design.. finishing off with, "great piece of design - with or without wrappings"

Read me post again please, sir - I'm not sensitive about it lol

Sorry to disappoint Turbosnail but my post didn't quote you nor was it aimed at you. I was just getting tired of seemingly endless nitpicking about irrelevant details of Heron. The thread at times sounds more like a WI - Women's Institute for those who don't know - at the risk of being accused of sexism) discussing curtains than an architecture forum.

There were no contradictions in my post. The details are irrelevant as they are temporary - not because they look bad per se. The last sentence was simply pointing up the fact that the overall design of the building as architecture is so much more significant than the ******* wrappings. :nuts:

My wallpaper is changing daily with all these fantastic images.

Bob's shot above illustrates how important the lighting of the spire will be.

I’ve been looking at the early renders and I think the original spire would have looked too big for the tower. And from that view point ^^^ it looks perfectly balanced.

Audio slideshow: Rise of the Heron Tower

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8892000/8892494.stm

I've given it the customary crane removal treatment, also added a red light to the top of the spire.


http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/1572/heronnight.jpg
David Bank

It would be nice if there was a somewhat interesting lighting scheme. I'm generally opposed to unnecessary lighting but the City could do with something interesting (in addition to Lloyd's).

^^ how did you remove the crane and put in the background where the crane was? As in those canary wharf buildings and all the buildings vertical to them, if you get what i mean.
Clearly I am a photoshop noob :nuts: :lol:
The spire from that angle looks fantastic and well proportioned, even though it was reducted.
but that red light looks good, i think there will be one according to this render.
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab287/LondonScraper/render.jpg

^^ Simple copying and pasting into new layers! The crane's still there - it's just covered up by pasted sky and building(s). You can see where he's copied the far right of the tower at Heron Quays (left of Heron), as there are two red lights next to each other; when in the original image there aren't. The picture is high quality and was taken on a level surface so all the vertical lines are true vertical. This makes photoshopping so much easier. It's annoying when they're slightly off by a degree or so.

And all tall buildings require a red light on top. It's so important for low flying aircraft, especially since 9/11.

Just used the 'clone' stamp....which is probably still an amateur way to do things. As I too am not so photoshop savvy as others.

Basically the 5 pixels left of where the crane was I have copied and put over the crane to make it vanish. The red light I've put on top of the Heron is the red light from the HSBC tower in the same image.


http://www.skanska.co.uk/upload/Projects/faraday%20cage2.jpg
In this photo of the top of the spire you can see where the lightbulb is going in the top.

I think the law in the UK is 130m+ = must have a red light.

^^ Thanks eddy I've just been looking for the minimum height for a tall building to have a red light (nothing better to do after coming back from the pub tonight). I found figures around about the 150m mark, but all regional UK cities seem to have red lights on their 100m ish towers. I expect the law is a red light on the tallest building of each city/area and a red light for every other building over 130m.

http://www.wembleystadium.com/NR/rdonlyres/2590161D-6307-48CF-AADD-58F62BA78A38/85507/web_park.JPG

Went past Wembley Park Station yesterday and realised the Heron is not the first to have a spire!!!!!!!!!

:nuts:^^^^^:nuts:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20407/jul1.PNG

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20407/jul2.PNG

http://www.wembleystadium.com/NR/rdonlyres/2590161D-6307-48CF-AADD-58F62BA78A38/85507/web_park.JPG

Went past Wembley Park Station yesterday and realised the Heron is not the first to have a spire!!!!!!!!!

Far from it - step forward Charles Holden...

Osterley has a spire (or is more of an Empire State Building steeple?):

http://i701.photobucket.com/albums/ww14/lightparade1960/images3.jpg

Southgate looks as though it has two spires, though the freestanding one on the right is actually a magnificent lamp-post:

http://i701.photobucket.com/albums/ww14/lightparade1960/U138431.jpg

And Boston Manor... Boston Manor just IS the Heron!

http://i701.photobucket.com/albums/ww14/lightparade1960/imagesCAOT7WZU.jpg

awesome skansa update thing. :) where do you get them?>

By eddyk on fliqour
http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/2333/heron42.jpg

More coming prob

Those 30's suurban tube stations are brilliant

Clear as a bell. Nice picture man. Can people go to the top of Tower 42? Vertigo 42 is the bar I think.

Clear as a bell. Nice picture man. Can people go to the top of Tower 42? Vertigo 42 is the bar I think.

I rang up the reservations number and asked if I could come up because I was near by, they said 'sure'. 10 minutes later I was at the top of T42 taking photos.

So surprisingly easy.

By eddyk on fliqour
http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/2333/heron42.jpg

More coming prob

Give me a minute whilst I mop up this saliva on my keyboard :drool:

you can quite clearly see the banks of lifts there on the outside of the building.

I rang up the reservations number and asked if I could come up because I was near by, they said 'sure'. 10 minutes later I was at the top of T42 taking photos.
So surprisingly easy.

Did you ask them why the blue lights on top of T42 always have some blown bulbs/tubes while you were there? I can't remember the last time the surround lights were all working. Looks shabby.

Give me a minute whilst I mop up this saliva on my keyboard :drool:

saliva?

you can quite clearly see the banks of lifts there on the outside of the building.

err ... where? :?

That staircase... :nuts:

That staircase... :nuts:

There were guys walking up and down top to bottom of this staircase yesterday carrying work equipment. Crazy stuff.

http://img541.imageshack.us/img541/231/heronsteps.jpg