筆者很喜歡初秋的倫敦。九月份天氣較清涼,日間時間還不至很短,加上外地遊客比暑假時少,在這季節當上遊客,到倫敦不同地方觀光實在是件樂事。
每年九月份的一個周末,倫敦都有一個名為 Open House London 的建築物開放日活動。這活動有很多機構和私人參與,目的為讓公眾能免費參觀一些平時不開放予公眾的,或是有建築特色的,或是有歷史價值的建築物。今年參與開放日的建築物種類繁多,由十九世紀興建的表演廳 Royal Albert Hall 至唐寧街十號首相府 (首相府和一些地方只供預先抽籤抽中的幸運兒參觀),甚至上文提及的 cabman's shelter (供的士司機飲食和休憩用的綠色小屋)和一些私人住宅也有開放。
筆者今年參觀了兩個還沒有完工的建築物,因為覺得現在不先睹為快,將來正式完工開放予公眾時,景緻又會不一樣。其中一個建築物是在城東 Canary Wharf 商業區的 Crossrail 鐵路車站。曾在前文提及 Crossrail 會在 2018 年通車,貫穿倫敦東西方。Canary Wharf 的 Crossrail 站由擁有整個商業區內商廈的 Canary Wharf Group (CWG) 集團負責興建。筆者曾在 Canary Wharf 上班好一段日子,從2009年開始,看著圍著舊碼頭的水被抽乾,然後好像是不停的打樁和倒進大量水泥建地基,後來又見河水被重新流回舊碼頭。據駐場工程師解釋,整個車站的外牆厚度有一米,但當河水再度給流回碼頭時,水的壓力令外牆被侵蝕了18厘米而變成微弧形。整個車站建築物長256米,除了車站出入口和月台兩層外,還有四層為商場、食肆,和空中花園。
每年九月份的一個周末,倫敦都有一個名為 Open House London 的建築物開放日活動。這活動有很多機構和私人參與,目的為讓公眾能免費參觀一些平時不開放予公眾的,或是有建築特色的,或是有歷史價值的建築物。今年參與開放日的建築物種類繁多,由十九世紀興建的表演廳 Royal Albert Hall 至唐寧街十號首相府 (首相府和一些地方只供預先抽籤抽中的幸運兒參觀),甚至上文提及的 cabman's shelter (供的士司機飲食和休憩用的綠色小屋)和一些私人住宅也有開放。
筆者今年參觀了兩個還沒有完工的建築物,因為覺得現在不先睹為快,將來正式完工開放予公眾時,景緻又會不一樣。其中一個建築物是在城東 Canary Wharf 商業區的 Crossrail 鐵路車站。曾在前文提及 Crossrail 會在 2018 年通車,貫穿倫敦東西方。Canary Wharf 的 Crossrail 站由擁有整個商業區內商廈的 Canary Wharf Group (CWG) 集團負責興建。筆者曾在 Canary Wharf 上班好一段日子,從2009年開始,看著圍著舊碼頭的水被抽乾,然後好像是不停的打樁和倒進大量水泥建地基,後來又見河水被重新流回舊碼頭。據駐場工程師解釋,整個車站的外牆厚度有一米,但當河水再度給流回碼頭時,水的壓力令外牆被侵蝕了18厘米而變成微弧形。整個車站建築物長256米,除了車站出入口和月台兩層外,還有四層為商場、食肆,和空中花園。
由於興建車站耗資龐大,加上建築進度良好,CWG 集團預計明年春夏季便正式竣工,屆時商場、食肆和空中花園層樓會率先開幕為這投資賺些回報。而屬於車站的兩層會交回倫敦交通局作最後的裝飾,例如安裝售票機,出入閘機等。建築物去年已蓋頂,空中花園也已開始種有不少植物,但始終仍是個地盤。到地盤參觀還是第一次,各樣東西都覺得十分新奇。很多倫敦人和筆者一樣急不及待 Crossrail 的通車,所以能先看看車站的模樣也寥勝於無。
參觀車站過後,乘搭無人駕駛輕鐵 (DLR) 往市中心。由於英國經濟逐漸復甦,倫敦市中心近年大興土木,有不少新商廈陸續建成。筆者的第二站為位於繁華的 Leadenhall Street 的 The Leadenhall Building 大廈。倫敦人總喜歡替一些有特色的大廈起個別名,例如大概十年前建成的 30 St Mary Axe 大廈,因為外型像條酸瓜,倫敦人便索性叫它做酸瓜大廈 (The Gherkin)。新入伙的 20 Fenchurch Street 大廈,倫敦人因為覺得它外型像個對講機,便給它起了別名做對講機大廈 (The Walkie Talkie)。而剛落成的 The Leadenhall Building, 由於建築物是底部較闊而逐漸向上收窄的直角三角形形狀,倫敦人認為它像個刨芝士用的刨,便叫它做芝士刨大廈 (The Cheesegrater)。相信現在已經沒有多少人知道這幾座大廈的原有名稱。
步行往芝士刨大廈之際,從遠處已看到一條長長的人龍。估不到當香港人在排隊輪候購買最新手機之際,倫敦人竟然情願排隊去參觀新落成的大廈。筆者詢問在隊尾維持秩序的志願者大概輪候時間有多久,他説要一個半小時!筆者平時是個沒耐性的人,但那刻認為人已在此,亦打聽到附近有參與建築物開放日的酸瓜大廈和Lloyds銀行大廈都是大排長龍,只好乖乖地跟其他人一起慢慢排。芝士刨大廈樓高246米,共有四十六層,已算是泰晤士河以北最高的大廈 (全倫敦和歐洲最高的大廈為泰晤士河以南,位於 London Bridge 火車站旁的 The Shard 大廈)。果然等了一個半小時後才進入大堂,參觀過用樂高積木造的大廈模型和由不同倫敦建築物做的國際象棋後便乘坐升降機。該大廈的升降機為玻璃觀景型升降機,不消三十秒便直達四十樓,升降機上升之快令大家都嚇了一跳,不敢向下望。由於大廈尚未入伙,四十樓在開放日成了臨時觀景台,參觀者源著窗邊觀賞倫敦市內三百六十度風景。可惜當時剛巧有霧氣,大霧籠罩著倫敦,只能隱約看見不遠的聖保羅大教堂,倫敦塔 (Tower of London), 塔橋 (Tower Bridge), 對講機大廈和酸瓜大廈等。
今年的開放日才剛完結,筆者已期待下年的開放日的來臨!
參觀車站過後,乘搭無人駕駛輕鐵 (DLR) 往市中心。由於英國經濟逐漸復甦,倫敦市中心近年大興土木,有不少新商廈陸續建成。筆者的第二站為位於繁華的 Leadenhall Street 的 The Leadenhall Building 大廈。倫敦人總喜歡替一些有特色的大廈起個別名,例如大概十年前建成的 30 St Mary Axe 大廈,因為外型像條酸瓜,倫敦人便索性叫它做酸瓜大廈 (The Gherkin)。新入伙的 20 Fenchurch Street 大廈,倫敦人因為覺得它外型像個對講機,便給它起了別名做對講機大廈 (The Walkie Talkie)。而剛落成的 The Leadenhall Building, 由於建築物是底部較闊而逐漸向上收窄的直角三角形形狀,倫敦人認為它像個刨芝士用的刨,便叫它做芝士刨大廈 (The Cheesegrater)。相信現在已經沒有多少人知道這幾座大廈的原有名稱。
步行往芝士刨大廈之際,從遠處已看到一條長長的人龍。估不到當香港人在排隊輪候購買最新手機之際,倫敦人竟然情願排隊去參觀新落成的大廈。筆者詢問在隊尾維持秩序的志願者大概輪候時間有多久,他説要一個半小時!筆者平時是個沒耐性的人,但那刻認為人已在此,亦打聽到附近有參與建築物開放日的酸瓜大廈和Lloyds銀行大廈都是大排長龍,只好乖乖地跟其他人一起慢慢排。芝士刨大廈樓高246米,共有四十六層,已算是泰晤士河以北最高的大廈 (全倫敦和歐洲最高的大廈為泰晤士河以南,位於 London Bridge 火車站旁的 The Shard 大廈)。果然等了一個半小時後才進入大堂,參觀過用樂高積木造的大廈模型和由不同倫敦建築物做的國際象棋後便乘坐升降機。該大廈的升降機為玻璃觀景型升降機,不消三十秒便直達四十樓,升降機上升之快令大家都嚇了一跳,不敢向下望。由於大廈尚未入伙,四十樓在開放日成了臨時觀景台,參觀者源著窗邊觀賞倫敦市內三百六十度風景。可惜當時剛巧有霧氣,大霧籠罩著倫敦,只能隱約看見不遠的聖保羅大教堂,倫敦塔 (Tower of London), 塔橋 (Tower Bridge), 對講機大廈和酸瓜大廈等。
今年的開放日才剛完結,筆者已期待下年的開放日的來臨!
I love early autumn in London. It's the best time to be out and about, as day time is still reasonably long, the air is crisp, and the vast amount of foreign tourists have thinned out. London is never short of things to do in autumn, so I play tourist and visit different places at this time of the year.
Every year in September, there is a Open House London weekend. This is an event whereby many buildings with historical or architectural value are opened to the public for free and some with guided walk provided. From Royal Albert Hall to 10 Downing Street, green cabman's shelter to private homes, this is a popular event eagerly anticipated by many Londoners.
This year two of the buildings I visited are not quite finished. I thought if I didn't go to see them now, they would certainly look different when they're finished and opened to the public. One of these buildings in Canary Wharf Crossrail station. As mentioned in one of my earlier blogs, Crossrail is a railway that would connect the west and east of London and be opened in 2018. Back in 2007, Canary Wharf Group (CWG) agreed to build a station to service Crossrail. Construction commenced in 2009, and as I worked in Canary Wharf area for a few years I witnessed the construction, from draining all the water from the dock, to piling and the building of the foundation, to when the dock was refilled with water. According to an engineer on site in the open day, the walls of the box construction of the station is 1 metre thick, but when water was flooded back into the dock, the pressure ate 18cm into the concrete, creating a concave wall. The whole station is 256m long, and including the concourse and platform levels, there are six levels altogether, with four levels of retail, restaurant and roof garden space.
CWG expects the station to be completed by next spring/summer. While the two station levels will be handed back to TFL for final fit outs such as installing ticket machines and barriers, the other four levels will be opened for business soon after completion. After all CWG needs to make some returns on this massive investment! Although plants are already being planted in the roof garden and first fix has taken place, the station is still pretty much a construction site. It was the first time for me to visit a construction site and everything seems very interesting. Many Londoners like me cannot wait for the first Crossrail trains to run, but since it's still a few years away, seeing a brand new station will just have to do for now.
After visiting Crossrail station, I took the DLR to the city because I wanted to see one of the new iconic buildings in the city. As London economy recovers, new commercial buildings are popping up everywhere and the city seems like one big construction site. The building I was heading to see is The Leadenhall Building in the heart of the square mile. Londoners love giving nicknames to iconic buildings. Some examples are The Gherkin (30 St Mary Axe) and The Walkie Talkie (20 Fenchurch Street). As you can probably guess, we are not that creative with nicknames, we just call these buildings according to what they resemble. So, with its right-angled triangle shape, The Leadenhall Building is unofficially known as The Cheesegrater. I think nowadays one would struggle to find a Londoner who actually knows the official names of these buildings!
As I was approaching the building, I could see a long queue snaking around the building. When I reached the end of the queue, I asked a volunteer the approximate waiting time to enter the building and was told it would take a good part of an hour and a half! I am normally a person with no patience whatsoever, but thinking that I had already made the trip there, and people in the queue said the queues at The Gherkin and Lloyds Bank Building (both were part of Open House London) were just as bad, I had no choice but to stay in the line. The Cheesegrater has a height of 246m, making it the tallest building north of The Thames (the tallest in London and Europe being The Shard in London Bridge). After over an hour and a half I finally made my way through the door of the building. The foyer has a Lego version of the building and a set of chess made up of pieces representing iconic buildings in London. Passing the foyer we were shown to the lifts. The Cheesegrater has the fastest glass scenic lifts in Europe, and we were whisked up to the 40th floor in a mere 30 seconds. I couldn't bear to look down! As businesses have not yet moved into the building, the 40th floor was used as a temporary viewing platform. It was quite a sight looking at London from that height! It was quite hazy when I was up there but nonetheless I could see clearly the buildings nearby, such as The Walkie Talkie and The Gherkin, and could just about see Tower Bridge, The Shard and St Paul's Cathedral through the mist.
Although Open House London 2014 has just ended, I am already looking forward to next year's!
Every year in September, there is a Open House London weekend. This is an event whereby many buildings with historical or architectural value are opened to the public for free and some with guided walk provided. From Royal Albert Hall to 10 Downing Street, green cabman's shelter to private homes, this is a popular event eagerly anticipated by many Londoners.
This year two of the buildings I visited are not quite finished. I thought if I didn't go to see them now, they would certainly look different when they're finished and opened to the public. One of these buildings in Canary Wharf Crossrail station. As mentioned in one of my earlier blogs, Crossrail is a railway that would connect the west and east of London and be opened in 2018. Back in 2007, Canary Wharf Group (CWG) agreed to build a station to service Crossrail. Construction commenced in 2009, and as I worked in Canary Wharf area for a few years I witnessed the construction, from draining all the water from the dock, to piling and the building of the foundation, to when the dock was refilled with water. According to an engineer on site in the open day, the walls of the box construction of the station is 1 metre thick, but when water was flooded back into the dock, the pressure ate 18cm into the concrete, creating a concave wall. The whole station is 256m long, and including the concourse and platform levels, there are six levels altogether, with four levels of retail, restaurant and roof garden space.
CWG expects the station to be completed by next spring/summer. While the two station levels will be handed back to TFL for final fit outs such as installing ticket machines and barriers, the other four levels will be opened for business soon after completion. After all CWG needs to make some returns on this massive investment! Although plants are already being planted in the roof garden and first fix has taken place, the station is still pretty much a construction site. It was the first time for me to visit a construction site and everything seems very interesting. Many Londoners like me cannot wait for the first Crossrail trains to run, but since it's still a few years away, seeing a brand new station will just have to do for now.
After visiting Crossrail station, I took the DLR to the city because I wanted to see one of the new iconic buildings in the city. As London economy recovers, new commercial buildings are popping up everywhere and the city seems like one big construction site. The building I was heading to see is The Leadenhall Building in the heart of the square mile. Londoners love giving nicknames to iconic buildings. Some examples are The Gherkin (30 St Mary Axe) and The Walkie Talkie (20 Fenchurch Street). As you can probably guess, we are not that creative with nicknames, we just call these buildings according to what they resemble. So, with its right-angled triangle shape, The Leadenhall Building is unofficially known as The Cheesegrater. I think nowadays one would struggle to find a Londoner who actually knows the official names of these buildings!
As I was approaching the building, I could see a long queue snaking around the building. When I reached the end of the queue, I asked a volunteer the approximate waiting time to enter the building and was told it would take a good part of an hour and a half! I am normally a person with no patience whatsoever, but thinking that I had already made the trip there, and people in the queue said the queues at The Gherkin and Lloyds Bank Building (both were part of Open House London) were just as bad, I had no choice but to stay in the line. The Cheesegrater has a height of 246m, making it the tallest building north of The Thames (the tallest in London and Europe being The Shard in London Bridge). After over an hour and a half I finally made my way through the door of the building. The foyer has a Lego version of the building and a set of chess made up of pieces representing iconic buildings in London. Passing the foyer we were shown to the lifts. The Cheesegrater has the fastest glass scenic lifts in Europe, and we were whisked up to the 40th floor in a mere 30 seconds. I couldn't bear to look down! As businesses have not yet moved into the building, the 40th floor was used as a temporary viewing platform. It was quite a sight looking at London from that height! It was quite hazy when I was up there but nonetheless I could see clearly the buildings nearby, such as The Walkie Talkie and The Gherkin, and could just about see Tower Bridge, The Shard and St Paul's Cathedral through the mist.
Although Open House London 2014 has just ended, I am already looking forward to next year's!