20 Fenchurch Street – “Walkie Scorchie”

New “Hot Spot” in Eastcheap, London

With the sudden media interest following an incident reported in the press in the last day or so regarding a Jaguar car being partially melted whilst parked on Eastcheap in the City of London, I thought I’d pop over and take a look for myself this lunch-time.

The issue is being caused by the convex shape of the new tower at 20 Fenchurch Street known as the “Walkie-Talkie”.  At this time of the year and for a few hours of the day the angle of the sun is just in the right spot to have its rays focused onto the pavement due to the reflections of the convex glazed south-side of the new tower.  This tower has been almost fully glazed just this year and so this is the first time this phenomena has been noticed.

As you can see from my photos, there is a considerable bright spot on the pavement, and this was during a slightly overcast day! Walking past this spot you can feel a definite difference in temperature to the point of being uncomfortably hot, and on my return there was even a chap being photographed trying to fry an egg in a small frying pan!?

There was a media frenzy taking place with press photographers, and TV crews as well as bemused passers-by crowding the pavement as the hot-spot tracked its way along the pavement.