The architects’ preferred nickname of the “Tulip” for the latest proposed addition to the City of London skyline — a 305m viewing platform — is full of irony. This flower is, of course, the very symbol of a speculative bubble, one which would now be planted in the heart of a City attempting to position itself as the safest and most global financial centre.
In truth, the name may not survive. When the FT published images of the Foster + Partners project under the Tulip tag this week, Twitter lit up with fruitier alternatives: the “Turkey Baster”, the “Inseminator”, the “Forceps”, the “Asparagus”, the “Cotton Bud”, even the “Sex Toy”. None might appeal to the developers.
The strangest thing about this new building, however, is its function. Plenty of City office towers now have viewing platforms at their summits — the Shard, the Walkie Talkie, the restaurants atop Heron Tower. But the Tulip is all viewing platform, no offices.