While the near-complete Shard steals most of the attention, two of the City's daftly nicknamed skyscrapers are reaching noteworthy heights.
The Leadenhall Building, affectionately known as the Cheese Grater because of its eventual profile, recently started to climb above street level. The Richard Rogers-designed tower should be five storeys high by the end of the month, and contains the chunkiest girders outside of an Irn Bru factory. The skyscraper will eventually stand 225 metres tall, roughly the same height as the Heron Tower, the tallest structure in the City. The neighbouring Pinnacle, which would be even taller, remains stalled at the sixth floor due to lack of funding.
Meanwhile, the core of 20 Fenchurch Street, commonly called the Walkie Taklie, is reaching its full height. 34 of the eventual 36 floors are currently visible, and the final core levels are in the process of completion. The surrounding steelwork will then be constructed around and above the core, eventually giving the building its distinctive (and divisive) top-heavy appearance. Viewed from across the Thames, the structure already makes its presence felt, being much closer to the water than the other City towers.
