Developers finalise fix for Walkie Scorchie

The developers behind London’s Walkie Talkie tower have finalised a solution to prevent the tower beaming extreme heat on to the streets below in summer.

Land Securities and Canary Wharf Group plan to fit horizontal aluminium fins across the south-facing facade from level three up to just below the sky garden and restaurants.

The firms said the fins had been designed by Rafael Vinoly Architects, which designed the distinctive building, alongside solar glare experts Loisos + Ubbelohde and Gordon Ingram Associates.

The 37-storey tower, officially named 20 Fenchurch Street, gained the nickname ‘Walkie Scorchie’ last summer after reflected heat melted part of a Jaguar car and fried an egg.

Land Securities and joint developer Canary Wharf have previously told Building the solution will cost “low single digit millions”, within the £500m project’s existing contingency fund.

With planning consent the fins should be fitted by the end of the year.

Today the developers said they had submitted a planning application to the City of London for a brise soleil system on the southern façade of building.

In a statement the developers said: “Modelling shows the brise soleil will prevent solar glare by absorbing and diffusing sun light, thus preventing it being reflected from the building.

“It is made up of a series of horizontal aluminium fins that run across the southern façade, installed from level 3 up to level 34.

“If approved, installation is expected to take approximately six months.

“Handover of the pre-let office floors remains on schedule and the Sky Garden is scheduled to open for business in late 2014 as always planned.”