What: Sky Garden
Where: 20 Fenchurch St, London
Design: Rafael Viñoly
Date: 2004 - 2014
From up high it made it a lot easier to compare the green spaces in the city. Some were on top of buildings in an effort to reduce environmental impact, but some were on the ground, made for people to enjoy use for their own recreation. Not only is there green up high, but there is a small pocket park down on street level. The Sky Garden itself is layers of plants and eateries
The Sky Garden was designed by Rafael Viñoly. The whole building was designed to be energy efficient in 2004 and was finished in 2014. The design is inverted for what traditional building balance is. The top of the building is wider than the building and completes an arch shape with the Eastern Cluster of towers. It has the curved shape to make it stand out from and add dimension to the skyline. The Sky Garden is the main public space of the building, made to add more public garden space in a more unique way.
Design influence seems reminiscent of the Crystal Palace. The use of glass panels to create a completely open space. It allows the person in the space to feel secure but also leaving them able to see the world around them. Major aspects of the building that drove the design was the fact that saving energy and being more efficient is a major part of the architectural climate now. It is becoming more and more important to go green and be green.
Citations:
"20 Fenchurch Street." Rafael Viñoly Architects. Accessed May 2, 2019. https://vinoly.com/works/20-fenchurch-street/.
Giedion, Sigfried. Space, Time and Architecture: The Growth of a New Tradition. Cambridge: Harvard Education Press, 2008.