Tough market conditions in the City may have claimed another casualty: the Richard Rogers-designed 'Cheesegrater' building on Leadenhall Street is set to be delayed, say property group British Land, as they prepare a cost review of the project. Originally due for completion in 2011, the 48-storey 'scraper, to be built on the plot of land previously occupied by the old P&O HQ (whose demolition is in itself an interesting project), could be finished by 2012,......

The tussle over the fate of an east end council block stepped up a gear over the weekend, as a heavyweight "starchitect" and a respected art critic both sided with a campaign to save the building. Robin Hood Gardens, a 1972-built concrete block in Poplar, was recently singled out as a failed estate by local MP and culture minister Margaret Hodge, who wants it demolished. However, it has been defended by Richard Rogers and......

After a surprisingly quick public inquiry, a new skyscraper for the City of London has been approved. Called "the Walkie Talkie" by nickname lovers thanks to its distinctive appearance, the 160 metre tall building will be replacing a 100 metre 1960s tower currently on the site. The building proposals had been called in by the then Secretary of State for Communities, Ruth Kelly, after concerns were voiced by UNESCO at the increasing number of......

While we love London as it is, there's no denying that this place is changing. These changes are in some cases very welcome, much needed and the result of earnest campaign. In some cases, these changes are unwanted, unwelcome, unnecessary and wasteful. There's a certain amount of debate on this very website about London past, present and future but we note with great pleasure a far grander and, dare we say, better organised lot......

Celebrating the capital's carbuncles, misfits and ne'er-do-wells. 1. The Millennium Dome It might be lambasted as any number of journalistic clichés that are applied to failure, from ‘white elephant’ to ‘waste of taxpayers’ money’, but I think this building is anything but. Misunderstood from its birth, the architectural quality of the scheme has soared over the heads of most, who instead concentrate on the budget. The Richard Rogers Partnership attempted to do exactly what......

All go at the future Olympic venue. League One underachievers Leyton Orient are hankering for the main stadium once the games close. The 24th best side in the second-lowest league would be somewhat humble occupants of the Olympic cenrtrepiece. But the plucky little team are already proving they can punch above their weight by hosting a forthcoming international game. You’ve got to admire the spirit. Someone who doesn’t is Walter Calazacon, a tribal shaman......

A particularly silly article entitled Is London the New New York? Or Is It the Other Way Around? appeared recently in the New York Sun. The main arguments for the immediate twinning of our two cities put forward by the hackette what wrote said article seem to be: A) Paul McCartney, Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna all own homes in both cities; B) sushi-lovers can choose to eat from at least two Nobu restaurants; C)......

All those skyscrapers they've been promising us are finally going up...at least in Google Earth. 3D models of London buildings are springing up on the web faster than you could make a crude joke about who, exactly, Richard Rogers (is it the same person that Norman Fosters?). The view above is very approximately that from the top of the Shard in, say, a decade's time. As well as most of the buildings in the......

A double whammy for you concerning one of the future City’s most innovative towers. Rumours are flying over on the skyscraper forums that the much-delayed Leadenhall Building will begin construction early next year. The 225 m Richard Rogers tower will be significantly larger than the nearby Gherkin and looks set to become another famous new landmark for the City. But if you can’t wait that long, here’s a 3-D model for GoogleEarth, courtesy of......

The late great Douglas Adams once wrote: It is no coincidence that in no known language of the galaxy does there exist the expression ‘as beautiful as an airport’. Words of wisdom, indeed. However, in a few years’ time, this once-universal truth could be fundamentally challenged. The forthcoming Heathrow Terminal 5, scheduled to open in 2008, has been designed by a team of architects led by Richard Rogers (not Norman Foster, as claimed in......

Where are all those tall buildings they promised us? Good question. We’re glad you asked it, because we’ve been wondering too. So we thought that it’s time for a round-up of who’s building what, when, and with whom. For comparison, London’s tallest building, 1 Canada Square, is 235 m high. Name: Bishopsgate Tower Nickname: To be decided, but we reckon ‘The corkscrew’ would be a good bet. Height: 307 m, and London’s tallest. Architect:......

It's time for the ugly issue of pedestrianisation to rear its ugly head once more. Remember the furore surrounding the Public Spaces Report and the report in the Independent that Ken was set on pedestrianising "significant portions of the city centre in a ten year plan to model London on the boulevards of Paris, Copenhagen or Barcelona.", which Ken then denied strenuously? Well here it comes again. Today's Times carries an article about Ken-endorsed......