Entry for April 10, 2008 – City Gent’s Playhouse

Months ago, on a visit to Leadenhall Street, I saw a demolition site where a building is being dismantled from the ground up. In fact, I posted about it on my blog at the time, complete with a picture out of my DSLR.

The demolition has progressed by a storey or two since I last saw it, and the top of the building is now wrapped in plastic, but it seems that this upside down demolition is proceeding very slowly.

The actual reason for the manner of the demolition is that the building was built with all the floors hanging from structures at roof level. There are a half a dozen such buildings in London, and at least one other is also being demolished. They must have reached a “certain age”!

This is quite a successful camera phone picture, but I have to put my hand up and say that I did edit it in PhotoShop a little bit. 🙂

Entry for August 04, 2007 – more on the topsy-turvy demolition in Leadenhall Street

I blogged a week or two ago about the strange demolition going on in Leadenhall Street, and then again when I got one of my pictures published.

Now the BBC are carrying this report: Tower demolition defies gravity

Basically, that method of demolition is being used because the floors are supported by a beam hanging from the roof. It’s only one of four buildings constructed in this manner.

I’m glad I finally know the explanation.

It’s such an odd sight that it’s getting more camera lenses aimed towards it right now than there are camera lenses aimed at “The Gherkin”, which usually inspires a fair amount of photographic activity.

Entry for July 23, 2007 – Sort-of famous

The 28th July edition of “Amateur Photographer” arrived today, and there on page 5 in the Snapper’s Diary was a picture of mine! 🙂

“While on a visit to London recently, I saw a building in Leadenhall Street, next to the Aviva Plaza, that is apparently being demolished from the ground up, and I had to have some pictures of it. It demonstrates how all the strength of a modern building is in its core, but it still looks very odd – something like a giant tree-house for City gents to play in!”

My published picture is today’s picture. If you want to see some of the other pictures I took the same day, click here.

Website update: City of London Pictures, June 28th, 2007

I have put up some more pictures taken when I was looking at the building on Leadenhall street being demolished from the ground up.

I’ve also included some pictures of the new Willis Building (pictured) whose exterior is now complete.

The page is rounded off with pictures of the two tallest buildings in The City, Tower 42 and the Swiss Re Building (a.k.a. “The Gherkin”) and a couple of pictures of The Monument.

Click here to view the pictures.

Entry for June 28, 2007 – The City revisited

I’ve just spent a couple of days up in The City of London working in one of our customer’s offices.

There are a few changes to The City in the five months since I was banished to Basildon:

• Jessop’s in Cannon Street has closed.
• A building has disappeared across the road from Cannon Street Station.
• The exterior of the new Willis Building is complete.

…and by far the best…

• A building on Leadenhall Street is being demolished from the ground up!

I’ve included a picture of this building, which looks for all the world like a giant tree house.