OK, so no one likes to be negative, it's not a good energy (unless it's directed at Katie Hopkins - is she getting fat, by the way? More ugly? More of a total and utter bitch? ... so sorry, we digress...) but every once in a while it's OK to be a little less than positive; so it's with a smidgen of karmic trepidation that we present what we consider to be London's ugliest buildings...
Walkie Talkie
Not only has 20 Fenchurch Street, aka the Walkie Talkie, been likened to a sanitary towel, its glass structure magnifies the sun’s rays to such an extent it’s managed to melt cars, bicycle seats and even people’s shoes. Its awkward curved shape also creates a powerful wind tunnel capable of knocking down signs. Little wonder it was awarded the prestigious 2015 Carbuncle Cup for Britain’s ugliest building.
The Barbican Centre and the surrounding housing has been dividing opinion ever since its conception in the early 80s. While some praise it as a perfect example of Brutalist architecture, it’s frequently voted one of the capital’s ugliest constructions by Londoners who consider it to be little more than a concrete mess.
The 2014 Carbuncle Cup winner of Britain’s ugliest building was deemed “oppressive and inept” by judges. It looks a bit like a sci-fi jail block, and is also home to the biggest Tesco in Europe.
Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre
As if the nightmarish roundabout at Elephant & Castle wasn't enough to greet visitors, the crumbling shopping centre soldiers on, despite talks of demolishing have been ongoing for several years. But what will it be replaced with?
St. George Wharf Tower
Beauty is clearly in the eye of the beholder with St. George Wharf Tower, more commonly known as the Vauxhall Tower. The go-ahead for the building was given by former deputy prime minister John Prescott, despite advice from senior officials who stated that "harm would be caused by the building to the setting of the Westminster World Heritage Site".
Royal Lancaster Hotel
Why do so many luxury hotels look like prison blocks from the outside? A case in point is the Royal Lancaster Hotel, an incredibly grim eyesore you'd never guess has such well-appointed suites inside. Unsurprisingly their website has no images of the exterior.
When the Westfield shopping centre opened in Shepherds Bush in 2008 there was much rejoicing among locals and staff from the nearby BBC headquarters, as previously the area was a bit of a wasteland in terms of food and retail. Unfortunately it didn't do much to improve the scenery, being called "a wall-eyed blot on the streetscape".
Strata
In 2010 developers plonked this 480 foot skyscraper in the middle of Elephant & Castle as part of the area's regeneration project. This caused the ire of many as it dwarfs the surrounding low-rise buildings. Telegraph architecture critic Ellis Woodman went so far as to call it “quite simply the worst tall building ever constructed in London”.
Canaletto
Building work hasn't finished yet, but Canaletto has already set tongues wagging about it becoming the capital's next eyesore. Featuring a swirling design of metal and glass to break up the tower into clusters, Guardian architecture critic Oliver Wainwright has said it looks like "the back of a computer server".
Stratford Halo
In the build-up to the 2012 Olympics developers jumped at the chance to gentrify vbgStratford. The Stratford Halo is one of the worst offenders of the new East London skyline, a 43 story striped purple tower of garishness.
