London's high-rise architecture has a culinary bent of late. First there was the “Gherkin” by architect Norman Foster; now there is the “Cheese Grater” by Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners, London. The city's next major high-rise, mothballed for three years during the foundation stage but about to spring to life, got its nickname thanks to its silvery leaning south facade. Passersby likely will find the profile of 122 Leadenhall Street to be the building's most striking feature. But project engineers are more intrigued by the node connections within the structure's expressed structural-steel megaframe.
“The most interesting part of what we have been doing over the past several months has been the analysis and detail design of these nodes,” says Damian Eley, associate director with the project's structural designer, Arup Group, London. “It's visual engineering,” he adds.