London Bldg ? Help!

[getg3]

I took this photo during my stay in London last month. It has a very unique architecture, but I do not know the name of this building. Can somebody help me solve this mystery.
http://www.pbase.com/image/22300220/medium.jpg

[tstrickland]

It's the Greater London Authority's HQ (Mayor's office):
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Greater+London+Authority&btnG=Google+Search

aka the GLA building.

Isn't it clever? To the naked eye it seems as if the floors themselves are leaning - this doesn't seem to show up as well in the photos. Well, it seems that way to me, anyway.

Tom

[getg3]

tstrickland wrote:
It's the Greater London Authority's HQ (Mayor's office):
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Greater+London+Authority&btnG=Google+Search

aka the GLA building.

Isn't it clever? To the naked eye it seems as if the floors themselves are leaning - this doesn't seem to show up as well in the photos. Well, it seems that way to me, anyway.

Tom

Tom,

Thank you for your prompt response and the info link. I am really amzed with the architecture. I didn't get a good composition (took it through bus window).

[paul162brown]

Just as an added point of interest, David Blane, the USA magician guy, is in his plastic box with no food for 44 days just to the side of this building. It has caused quite a stir in the UK for a number of reasons, have you heard about it where you are? Not sure it would that much of a good picture though!

[Basiltoo]

It just so happens Guys....

Took this on a recent visit to London ... was shooting some of the 'standard Phil Askey' views (Tower Bridge is close, on my immediate right, in this snap). It demonstates the apparent sloping floors which Tom mentioned. And there is David Blane!

http://www.trevellan.fsnet.co.uk/img_1804sm.jpg

[paul162brown]

I stand corrected. It's a lovely picture! Even with the Blane!

[civis]

paul162brown wrote:
Just as an added point of interest, David Blane, the USA magician guy, is in his plastic box with no food for 44 days just to the side of this building. It has caused quite a stir in the UK for a number of reasons, have you heard about it where you are? Not sure it would that much of a good picture though!

I read about that nutter in the Telegraph. He ought to go away and stop messing up the view.

[Cadenza]

A bit off topic, but can anyone tell me why London's
GLA's reasoning in deciding to go with this building
design? Visually striking as it maybe, it seems like a
precarious, destabilized piece of architecture, and
seemingly ready to tip over. Doesn't inspire solidity
and confidence on a government body, no?

[civis]

An interesting insight. Maybe the teetering design was a clever and subtle comment on the unpredictable frequency of general elections under a parliamentary system where the PM can dissolve the parliament at will and the parliament can in balance vote no-confidence in the PM at will.

Both an absolute monarchy and a constitutional republic could arguably be said to be more predictably stable in terms of duration of governments, although the former only changes with a monarch's death, dynastic overthrow or popular revolution - whereas the constitutional republic changes governments peacefully at the ballot box (as does the parliamentary system), but at regular, predictable intervals.

cadenza wrote:
A bit off topic, but can anyone tell me why London's
GLA's reasoning in deciding to go with this building
design? Visually striking as it maybe, it seems like a
precarious, destabilized piece of architecture, and
seemingly ready to tip over. Doesn't inspire solidity
and confidence on a government body, no?

[paul162brown]

Blimey Civis, that last post was deep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! However, I think the reasoning behind the design of the GLA building went like this.........."Boss, here are 3 different designs for the building you want built by Tower Bridge" " Cheers, that one looks nice" "Yeah, lets build that one"

[civis]

paul162brown wrote:
Blimey Civis, that last post was deep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! However, I think the reasoning behind the design of the GLA building went like this.........."Boss, here are 3 different designs for the building you want built by Tower Bridge" " Cheers, that one looks nice" "Yeah, lets build that one"
Haha, that's probably closer to the truth, "Eenie meenie minie mo...that'll do; oh, well, I have a fund-raiser for one of my core constituency groups, musn't keep them waiting" (walks off thinking "I'll either get pummeled in the press for that decision, or else I'll get a 'K', it's hard to tell these days".