Cheesegrater Plaza Opens To The Public

M@
By M@ Last edited 115 months ago
Cheesegrater Plaza Opens To The Public
Fans of steel shall whoop and squeal.
Fans of steel shall whoop and squeal.
Looking south, towards Richard Rogers' earlier Lloyds Building.
Looking south, towards Richard Rogers' earlier Lloyds Building.
The main supporting columns are 25 metres long - the lengthiest payload that can be driven through the City.
The main supporting columns are 25 metres long - the lengthiest payload that can be driven through the City.
Cool vents.
Cool vents.
Check out the security guard's posh togs.
Check out the security guard's posh togs.
The atrium contains a couple of heritage features: a sculpture of Navigation from the old P&O offices that used to stand on this site; and a replica maypole representing the historic pole that once stood nearby, giving the name St Andrew Undershaft to the nearby church.
The atrium contains a couple of heritage features: a sculpture of Navigation from the old P&O offices that used to stand on this site; and a replica maypole representing the historic pole that once stood nearby, giving the name St Andrew Undershaft to the nearby church.
World's biggest piece of graph paper?
World's biggest piece of graph paper?
Trademark Richard Rogers vents. Blue vents suck cool air in, and red vents push hot air out.
Trademark Richard Rogers vents. Blue vents suck cool air in, and red vents push hot air out.
A touch of green. Apparently, the grassy area partly withdraws to reveal a fire escape from the nearby Aviva Building.
A touch of green. Apparently, the grassy area partly withdraws to reveal a fire escape from the nearby Aviva Building.
The seven-storey atrium from Leadenhall Street.
The seven-storey atrium from Leadenhall Street.
14379117603_06e1342f41_z-1.jpg

A headline that would have baffled and confounded a few years ago is today a reality. The new public space beneath the Cheesegrater skyscraper is now open to the public.

One feels like a mere shaving of Parmesan within this vast atrium. The 224 metre Leadenhall Building (to use its official name) has no concrete core and effectively stands on steel stilts. This frees up plenty of shuffle space for pedestrians to mill around. For once, the City's denizens are staring upwards rather than down at their phones.

While there, you can inspect a small exhibition about the building. A cut-through to St Helen's Square has yet to open, and the east side is still masked by hoardings. Nevertheless, it's good to have access to a bit more space in the crowded Square Mile — and one in which the security guards don't seem to mind you taking photos.

Click through the gallery for more info on the features of interest.

Last Updated 20 August 2014