(no subject)

[abigailbrady]

They are, at long last, starting to demolish the Swiss Centre (10 Wardour Street, the building on the north-west corner of Leicester Square). A crane was sighted there yesterday (but went home) and it has less windows than it did before. I'm not entirely clear what will be there afterwards: some generic glass and steel building I guess?

Yet it retains curious signs of habitation : the glockenspiel which was a novelty at first, is still active (and apparently is to be resited nearby, unfortunately); and a discount ticket store is occupying the southern face of the building still, even as workers start to dismantle bits of the tower.

Comments

[battlekitty.livejournal.com]

I didn't know they were demolishing that building, but I really can't understand why they aren't getting ridof the glockenspiel too - that thing is hideous!

Maybe they'll tune it in the move...

[nmg.livejournal.com]

They won't be able to tune it without recasting the bells.

[nmg.livejournal.com]

Or by shaving the inside of the bell - but for that many bells, it'd be a pretty difficult job.

[battlekitty.livejournal.com]

...Good point!

I've heard enough (on continental Europe) that sounded sufficiently in tune to know it's perfectly reasonable for them to be melodious, though. That one are just hideous! I swear I've had nightmares about it.

[nmg.livejournal.com]

It's also questionable how in-tune you can make a carillon, given the complex harmonics of bells. It's bad enough tuning a ring of bells, let alone a carillon.

[abigailb.livejournal.com]

quite. and i work opposite the damn thing! (literally)

i never thought i'd hate Greenselves even more than I already did.

[nmg.livejournal.com]

I think that it's technically an automatic carillon and not a glockenspiel.

Anyway, farewell Swiss Centre. You were ugly, and had the pokiest cinema screens in Leicester Square - no mean feat, considering that the competition includes Odeon AlleywayMezzanine.