Do not try and watch this video.
That's not a play button, but an architectural feature.
The Square Mile seems to have contrived an elaborate joke on the people of south-east London. For weeks now, puzzled tweets have been flying around asking just why there's a large play button within the City cluster.
It's most apparent on the lines out to Deptford. Our image above was taken from South Bermondsey station. The effect is even more noticeable if you happen to have a helicopter. The ever-brilliant Jason Hawkes snapped this view from above:
The roof of the #Scalpel in the @cityoflondon looking like a giant “ play" icon. pic.twitter.com/GTYUgE0qUy
— Jason Hawkes (@jasonhawkesphot) July 20, 2018
So what is this peculiar tower? It's the recently completed Scalpel development, which stands in the Square Mile beside the Gherkin and Cheesegrater — officially the greatest density of oddly named buildings in Europe. Perhaps it should be renamed the Clickbait Tower for its finger-seducing profile.
Indeed, the Scalpel seems to have been designed with social media in mind. While YouTubers are having fun or frustration with its triangular top, Instagramers go for the northern facade. Stand in the right place, and the building offers the craziest reflections.
The towering office block even has its own Twitter account on @ScalpelLondon. We're expecting the Scalpel's debut release on SoundCloud any day now — perhaps a cover of The First Cut Is The Deepest.
