Sky Garden, London

Sky Garden is the viewing space spread across the upper levels of 20 Fenchurch Street, the commercial tower better known by its nickname, The Walkie-Talkie. The garden opened in January 2015 and occupies three floors, with a viewing area, terrace, bar and restaurants available to visitors with restrictions. The building rises about 160 m and contains 38 storeys, giving this planted interior an extraordinary height above the City.

Rafael Viñoly designed the tower in modern architecture, shaping its upper mass so it swells outward above the narrower base. That form created a striking silhouette, but it also produced a remarkable problem during construction. Sunlight was focused onto streets below, where recorded surface temperatures reached 91 °C and 117 °C; the reflected beam damaged vehicles, scorched a shop’s doormat and even cooked an egg in a frying pan.

The upper floors later gained a permanent awning along their southern facade. The garden itself is more restrained than early planning images suggested: instead of a grove of full-height trees, the finished space uses a slope planted with ferns and succulents. That contrast between dramatic structure and measured planting defines the experience here.