The tower at Guy’s Hospital is widely regarded as one of London’s ugliest buildings. At 143 m it’s the tallest hospital in the world, and the most lofty example of the style known as brutalism.
Rumours are circulating that Guys’s are considering selling off the tower to developers, raising cash to pay for new facilities. With any luck, the tower would be given a much-needed reclad so it can stand proud next-door to the forthcoming ‘Shard of Glass’ tower.
Alternative schemes are being considered for selling parts of the Guy’s campus. Some speculation suggests the whole campus might be abandoned in favour of a new site – which seems unlikely given the historic medical connections of some of the buildings. Skyscrapernews.com, a reliable source of redevelopment gossip, has more.
What do you think should be done with the tower? Tear it down, reclad, or leave it be?
Image from dumbanimal’s Flickr photostream.
Leave it! It’s gorgeous! (in its own way)
It’s going to look odd next to the Shard, when they get round to building it:
Not odd, just different.
I was thinking just the other day, when passing the Middlesex Hospital (now closed), which was all boarded up – how often will we have an area of land as big as that available in central London in the one chunk? I really want them to do something special with it, but I think it will (just) be luxury flats.