20 Fenchurch Street

This is the building that is bigger at the top than the bottom, in case anyone's wondering which of the newest London skyscrapers I'm on about. I'd read about it and seen it from a distance, but today was the first day I got up close. I did this by going up The Monument, which is a MASSIVE bargain compared to The View From The Shard. Pics and rambling about that later. 
     
20 Fenchurch Street is also known as the Walkie-Talkie, and (surprise surprise) is quite unpopular. Possibly equally unsurprisingly, I rather like it. It's an odd addition to the skyline, but it has a sort of charm. The curve of the building does make it rather look like an optical illusion in real life. 

The Walkie-Talkie, which in fact looks more like a brimming pint glass, is the most incongruous thing to have appeared on the London horizon for some time – quite an achievement in a city that has recently seen the erection of the Strata, a three-eyed Mordor tower at Elephant and Castle with its trinity of rooftop turbines; and a giant shard of glass at London Bridge.

- from http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/architecture-design-blog/2012/dec/12/walkie-talkie-fenchurch-street-architecture

When it's open, the building is due to have a three-level 'skygarden' which will be open to everyone for free (looking forward to that already), so that's a big big point in its favour. There are the usual arguments about blocking views and buildings not being in keeping with their surroundings, but this is London. Nothing ever stays still for long. 

(there are other issues about companies building towers as vanity projects - I believe the Shard still doesn't have a single tenant - but that's a whole other issue)