Montcalm Signature Tower City Road | Hackney | 24fl | U/C

[london lad]

I like the top half but the bottom section ....well its an aquired taste lol. I think this might get muted down a bit but then again it is Hoxton/Shoreditch so you never know. Typical Alsop though- At least you can say he doesn't do bland.


I see no reason why this wouldn't get built its away from Tol, St Pauls etc & Islington council is actively encouraging high rises here. Eagle House got through planning wihtout a fuss & the 43 storey Squires & partners tower has been in plannig a while now. Not to mention the 2 towers propsed in the article below- I would say Islington are more likely to approve this than not. Why wouldn't this get built- It cost money to propose & design a tower so what would be the point of designing it in the first place.


This from the 2 towers proposed at old st thread.

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A mixed-use masterplan is being drawn up for the area around London’s Old Street roundabout in an attempt to form a gateway to the city’s 2012 Olympic Games.

Fusion Gold, an offshore vehicle for a group of London-based investors, has bought a 2.8 acre (1.1 ha) site at 183-213 Old Street for around £64m from Frogmore Property with plans to develop a residential and commercial scheme of more than 700,000 sq ft (65,031 sq m).

The site is home to two blocks that total 268,000 sq ft (24,897 sq m) of offices and shops. The 214,000 sq ft (19,881 sq m) of offices in the two buildings is let to BT on leases that expire in 2008 and 2009, although it is mostly sublet to other occupiers.

Fusion Gold will take forward the existing plans on the building. Architect Hamiltons has drawn up a scheme that is centred on two tower blocks that will include offices, retail, residential and a hotel.

The site will be available for development in two phases. The office blocks can be redeveloped first, while the 58,000 sq ft (5,388 sq m) of retail let to Somerfield, Superdrug, Peacocks is on longer leases and would provide income while the first phase was developed.

The scheme is part of a wider redevelopment of the area. Islington Council is understood to want several tall buildings around the roundabout, which it sees as a gateway to the Olympics site further east from the City and West End.

[wjfox]

Originally Posted by potto

god we all sounds like a bunch of boring old farts!

Dubai DOES NOT have this edgy flair! Not one bit so please dont compare the two. It is like comparing something produced by a St Martins College student with a slightly wacky top from New Look.

This is hardly an area of historic view points so no need for toning down and the area is so dull save for a single Victorian building and a sudden glimpse of canal along a road that runs through a large slice of London that we should be rejoicing that something so spanking should be proposed. It may date it may be loved it may be listed who knows, but that is the joy of art!

I couldn't agree more.

I think this proposal is PERFECT for the location... it's EXACTLY the kind of thing that's needed here. This area is so drab, boring, rundown and depressing. It needs colour and vibrancy, something arty and unique, and something tall enough to be a real "landmark" for this part of London. This proposal is it. It's perfect. And it will have a public viewing gallery nearly 150m high, looking directly towards the City cluster and LBT. I wish people would try to appreciate Will Alsop a bit more instead of constantly slagging off literally every single thing he does.

[highriser]

Fantastic ,, if this gets built it will be the best skyscraper in the country ,, love it , its wacky alright but thats why i love it ,,Get it built now

[Prestonian]

I'm actually shocked at the generally positive reaction to this, i was expecting people to look at it and start slaggin it off. I'm pleased Alsop has been given a chance and this design is amazingly cool . I think his finished buildings are usually a little toned down but still are amazing fun and of a very very high quality and finish.

[Monkey]

I love the slender profile and angled shape but the brightly coloured squiggles are tacky.

[Jamandell (d69)]

Originally Posted by Prestonian

I'm actually shocked at the generally positive reaction to this, i was expecting people to look at it and start slaggin it off. I'm pleased Alsop has been given a chance and this design is amazingly cool . I think his finished buildings are usually a little toned down but still are amazing fun and of a very very high quality and finish.

I'm pleasantly surprised too. For me personally I looked at it, said "Whoa!" out loud and I suddenly realised it would be REALLY cool looking if it did indeed get built. It's an incredible contrast to other proposed tall buildings out there. It's our version of one of the new La Defense skyscrapers...only less ugly

[Zedferret]

I'd hate it in the city...but up on City Rd...yes, I think I'd love to see something like this, the areas buildings are foul, unimaginative and souless...could do with a bit of livening up. ...also with Eagle Tower and a possible Monmouth Tower at the Old St roundabout...a whole new cluster is created...

[Medo]

I think it's fantastic and would do wonders for that area. As the day has gone on my opinion of this tower has gone from 'wtf?!?!!' to 'hmmm weird design' to 'wow this can turn out really cool'. I am also surprised by the positive reaction to this tower from most of you guys. A small cluster around that hideous roundabout would look great I think.

[nukey]

I realy realy dislike the design... but I REALY REALY REALY REALY LOVE the fab mix of uses that they have goin on within the built envelope... makes for an excitig area. So cos of that I am very much for this building... tacky exterior or not, if it makes for lively streetlife, even ugliness becomes endearing eventualy...

[GazKinz]

zedferrett the Eagle tower is NW of the Alsop one on the site of the car park, also there is this proposed on the SW corner of of the roundabout.



A great place for a residential cluster, so close to the City, and I guess will help the City compete with Canary Wharf in terms of residential towers.

[Zedferret]

Cheers Gaz, Changed.

[Sy]

It's FUGLY

I hope it never gets built. It will age horribly in a very short amount of time.

[london lad]

So whos going to go to the public exhibition this week. Theres sure to be models of the tower, renderings etc etc.

[TallBox]

It looks horried. It may be out of the way of the City and any important sightlines, but that's nto a reason to build it. Somebody mentioned that it looks like those 1990-era Argos curtains. It all seemed to be the rage back then. It's hideous and will polarise most people against skyscrapers.

This scraper is more hassle than it's worth.

[Bob]

Originally Posted by potto

god we all sounds like a bunch of boring old farts!

Dubai DOES NOT have this edgy flair! Not one bit so please dont compare the two. It is like comparing something produced by a St Martins College student with a slightly wacky top from New Look.

This is hardly an area of historic view points so no need for toning down and the area is so dull save for a single Victorian building and a sudden glimpse of canal along a road that runs through a large slice of London that we should be rejoicing that something so spanking should be proposed. It may date it may be loved it may be listed who knows, but that is the joy of art!

There are loads of very conservative people on these boards. High rise, yes, for the my-dick-is-bigger-than-yours factor. Architecture departing from the strict conformity of something like Pan Peninsular, no. If something is different it should make you stop and think. It's not what we're used to and it takes effort to re-adjust. Switch it around and imagine the whole world was Alsop towers, bubbles and teddy bears and someone proposes Pan P. In this case most people would hate Pan P. That's just my take on it though.

[MercuryRise]

I think its an interesting desgin, but that black bit with sqiggles is really over bearing, if the size of that was halfed and the red stripes made thinner i would give this my support but at the mo im dead agasint it.

[randolph]

Originally Posted by Bob

There are loads of very conservative people on these boards. High rise, yes, for the my-dick-is-bigger-than-yours factor. Architecture departing from the strict conformity of something like Pan Peninsular, no. If something is different it should make you stop and think. It's not what we're used to and it takes effort to re-adjust. Switch it around and imagine the whole world was Alsop towers, bubbles and teddy bears and someone proposes Pan P. In this case most people would hate Pan P. That's just my take on it though.

I agree - so many people on this forum are concerned only with how tall a building is. Sometimes it seems there are more nimbys and covert EH supporters here than there are people who actually like and appreciate modern design.

[Prestonian]

Originally Posted by randolph

I agree - so many people on this forum are concerned only with how tall a building is. Sometimes it seems there are more nimbys and covert EH supporters here than there are people who actually like and appreciate modern design.

[ismail]

Well I for one, like it.
London needs a bit of colour like this, if only the windowless bit was a giant visual display panel, it would give the area a Time squarish feel.

[randolph]

My gut instinct is that this will be built without too many obsticles in it's way - just a hunch but I feel confident we will see this one going up fairly soon.