Originally I had intended on creating a few images of The Shard from some scoped out vantage points, but with a layer of smog clouding the shot, this proved impossible. It was a beautiful blue-sky day so I headed to London’s docklands to check out the Emirates Airline Cable Car instead. The cable car, designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects, was finished in June of this year ready for the Olympics and it connects South London to the North from Greenwich Peninsula to the Royal Docks. Located beneath the cable car on the Northern bank is Siemens Urban Sustainability Centre, also known as The Crystal, and also designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects. Awarded a BREEAM Outstanding rating the building incorporates a number of sustainable design and construction elements including high performance glazing, rainwater harvesting, ground source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels to name a few.
