For those who don’t reside in London, England, or its bordering countries, 20 Fenchurch Street is a commercial skyscraper under construction on Fenchurch Street in central London. It has been nicknamed The Walkie-Talkie and The Pint because of its distinctive shape. According to The Daily Mail, “every day over the past week, for two hours from around midday to 2pm, the bright light reflection of the sun has moved slowly across a stretch of pavement in Eastcheap,” melting cars, destroying tiles, and just wreaking havoc. Continue reading for a video, more pictures, and additional information.
The problem is that the whole of the sun-facing side of the curved building – known as the Walkie Talkie Tower because its distinctive shape resembles an old-fashioned mobile phone – acts as a mirror as the concave surface focuses all light on a single spot on the ground.
Last week, Martin Lindsay, the director of a tiling company, left his Jaguar XJ on Eastcheap for just an hour, only to return to find it melted by the heat. The panels and wing mirror were buckled, and there was a smell of burning plastic.
[Source]
