It depends who and what you think a city centre is for, doesn’t it? Personally I don’t like skyscrapers- to me they scream that this building wasn’t created for humans, and the wind tunnels they create are horrible to navigate, especially if you have to do so daily. I had to work in Canary Wharf for a couple of years and deeply loathed everything about it, but especially the fact that nothing is on a human scale. But for a long time now, the City of London has been a business district within which St Paul’s is stranded as a memento of a very different era. Very few people live in the City, and it’s not a big draw for tourism or leisure activities- it feels very dead at the weekend. Is it really comparable to the centre of Paris?
Thank you, Claire for your thoughtful comment! You’re absolutely right—it all comes down to what we think a city centre is for. Some people see skyscrapers as a mark of progress, even a source of pride. For many locals, their presence and sheer height are a statement of modernity, a symbol of their city’s ambition.
That said, I completely understand your perspective. Personally, I find it a bit of a shame that St Paul’s, which was once an awe-inspiring giant, now looks almost dwarfed by the surrounding towers. Its proportions are staggering when you consider the construction techniques of its time, but today, that sense of scale is lost unless you really stop to think about it.
And I hear you on the wind tunnels! I’ve worked a few times in La Défense on business trips, and it was just as blustery as in Canary Wharf!
I really appreciate your perspective—it’s such an interesting discussion, especially when comparing London and Paris! Thanks again for sharing your thoughts. 😊
It depends who and what you think a city centre is for, doesn’t it? Personally I don’t like skyscrapers- to me they scream that this building wasn’t created for humans, and the wind tunnels they create are horrible to navigate, especially if you have to do so daily. I had to work in Canary Wharf for a couple of years and deeply loathed everything about it, but especially the fact that nothing is on a human scale. But for a long time now, the City of London has been a business district within which St Paul’s is stranded as a memento of a very different era. Very few people live in the City, and it’s not a big draw for tourism or leisure activities- it feels very dead at the weekend. Is it really comparable to the centre of Paris?
Thank you, Claire for your thoughtful comment! You’re absolutely right—it all comes down to what we think a city centre is for. Some people see skyscrapers as a mark of progress, even a source of pride. For many locals, their presence and sheer height are a statement of modernity, a symbol of their city’s ambition.
That said, I completely understand your perspective. Personally, I find it a bit of a shame that St Paul’s, which was once an awe-inspiring giant, now looks almost dwarfed by the surrounding towers. Its proportions are staggering when you consider the construction techniques of its time, but today, that sense of scale is lost unless you really stop to think about it.
And I hear you on the wind tunnels! I’ve worked a few times in La Défense on business trips, and it was just as blustery as in Canary Wharf!
I really appreciate your perspective—it’s such an interesting discussion, especially when comparing London and Paris! Thanks again for sharing your thoughts. 😊