The Fenchurch Building (The Walkie-Talkie)

landmark

The building looming above you at 20 Fenchurch Street is famously known as the Walkie-Talkie because of its top-heavy, flared silhouette. While it now serves as a major office tower in the heart of London, its most infamous chapter began shortly after construction concluded in 2014. The building's signature concave glass facade acted like a giant mirror, focusing sunlight into an intense beam that struck the street below. This concentrated heat became so powerful that it scorched storefronts, blistered paint, and famously melted parts of a parked car, leading locals to briefly rename the structure the Walkie-Scorchie. Engineers eventually addressed the issue by installing permanent solar shading, but the incident remains a defining part of its architectural legacy.

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