London, The Cheese Grater Building, Leadenhall Building, HDR by Martin Pettitt is licensed under CC BY 2.0
The Leadenhall Building or Cheese Grater is located in downtown London. This unique 802-foot tall building, one of the highest in London, is actually the first prefabricated skyscraper to be assembled in a small space.
It was largely built off-site due to space constraints and later assembled in its current location. This process helped to reduce waste and noise. Over 200 designers worked meticulously to ensure each component would fit properly when it arrived. 300 miles of cable were used, which is the same distance as London to Dublin! 18,000 tons of steel were used, that’s more than a school bus!
The unusual shape with its 10-degree angle serves to preserve views of St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Palace of Westminster. In fact, seen from Fleet Street, the Cheese Grater seems to lean away from the Cathedral. It also provides progressively decreasing office sizes, accommodating a variety of businesses.
Much consideration was given to making it sustainable. 293 meters were installed throughout the building to monitor energy use. It utilizes a triple-layer glass exterior to keep the office space cool throughout the day. This is significant as artificial cooling is usually the largest single cause of energy consumption for an office building. The escalators run slowly when not in use, increasing to a normal speed when people approach. The Cheese Grater has received several awards including the City of London Building of the Year.
Explore more of London’s architectural oddities: The Gherkin, Inside-Out Building, The Shard, and The Walkie Talkie.
