Latest news with #TheGherkin
Wales Online
08-05-2025
- Science
- Wales Online
New asteroid as big as The Gherkin added to Earth threat-list
New asteroid as big as The Gherkin added to Earth threat-list Asteroid FA22 has been placed at number three on the risk list by the European Space Agency Composite image showing an asteroid the size of The Gherkin The European Space Agency has identified another asteroid as a potential collision risk for Earth, placing it in the top three hazards for the planet. 2025 FA22 is 656 feet or 200 meters in diameter - as tall as The Gherkin in London or New York's Trump Tower - and will approach Earth on September 19, 2089. The asteroid was found by the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System 2 (Pan-STARRS 2) in Hawaii on March 29 and has been assigned a rating of above -3 on the Palermo Scale. The Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale is used by astronomers to assess the risk of an asteroid or comet impacting Earth. It combines both the probability of impact and the potential energy of the impact to provide a single risk score. The asteroid's score means 'not currently concerning'. It has a Torino Scale score of close to 1, meaning 'no cause for concern'. FA22 will make a relatively close pass on September 18, 2025 before returning in 2089. After the close pass, scientists will have a better idea of the asteroid's make-up and trajectory. There are 1,782 objects on the ESA 'watchlist' as potential threats to Earth. 2025 FA 22 is currently third on that list, after 2023 VD3 - due between 2034 and 2098, and 2008 JL3 - due between 2027 and 2122. None of the asteroids has a high potential of hitting the planet at present. Article continues below An asteroid named Apophis, officially designated 99942 Apophis, is due to pass closer to the Earth than some satellites orbit on April 13, 2029. Apophis was discovered on June 19, 2004, by astronomers at Kitt Peak National Observatory, Arizona. It is 340 meters (1,100 feet) in diameter - large enough to cause major regional damage if it hit Earth - and has been named after Apophis, the ancient Egyptian god of chaos. In late 2004, astronomers calculated a relatively high probability (up to 2.7%) that Apophis could impact Earth on April 13, 2029 — an unprecedented concern for an object of its size. It briefly reached a level 4 on the Torino Scale — the highest ever recorded. (Level 4 means it merited attention from astronomers and potentially civil authorities.) Article continues below Impact has been ruled out for the foreseeable future, but it will pass just 19,000 miles from the Earth making it visible to the naked eye. The asteroid 2024 YR4 recently garnered significant attention due to initial assessments suggesting a potential impact with Earth. Early observations indicated up to a 3.1% chance of Earth impact on 22 December 2032, the highest ever recorded for an asteroid of this size (40 to 100 meters). The impact risk has been downgraded to nearly zero, and the asteroid has been removed from ESA's risk list.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
London Eye, pioneering observation wheel, turns 25
By Francesca Halliwell and Will Russell LONDON (Reuters) - Tourists wanting a bird's eye view of Big Ben, St Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace have put the London Eye in the ranks of the city's most visited attractions since it was opened 25 years ago on Sunday. The observation wheel, which offers visitors a 30-minute ride in a glass pod, was supposed to stand for five years before being dismantled, but its popularity led to it being made a permanent fixture on the River Thames last year. On a clear day, tourists riding the wheel can spot Windsor Castle, the royal family's 900 year-old home 40 kilometers (24.85 miles) away, while for Britons it has become synonymous with the city's fireworks on New Year's Eve. The wheel was the idea of husband and wife architects David Marks and Julia Barfield to celebrate the millennium. Its shape symbolises the cycle of life. "A circle has no beginning and no end. It is symbolic of the passing of time," Barfield told Reuters, adding that when it opened, it was one of the few options for a view of London from a height. Since it started operating, the city's skyline has been transformed by new skyscrapers that can be viewed from the wheel. All named after their shapes, The Gherkin opened in 2004, the Shard, London's tallest building, followed in 2013 and the Cheesegrater in 2014. About 3.5 million people pay from 29 pounds ($37.17) per ticket to ride the London Eye each year. Its popularity has inspired dozens of copycat wheels in cities around the world, but at 135 metres (442.91 ft) tall, the London Eye remains the world's largest cantilevered observation wheel. The architects' plan was for the attraction to revitalise a part of London's South Bank, and 1% of the attraction's annual revenues are paid to help maintain the public area around. ($1 = 0.7802 pounds)
Reuters
06-03-2025
- Reuters
London Eye, pioneering observation wheel, turns 25
LONDON, March 6 (Reuters) - Tourists wanting a bird's eye view of Big Ben, St Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace have put the London Eye in the ranks of the city's most visited attractions since it was opened 25 years ago on Sunday. The observation wheel, which offers visitors a 30-minute ride in a glass pod, was supposed to stand for five years before being dismantled, but its popularity led to it being made a permanent fixture on the River Thames last year. On a clear day, tourists riding the wheel can spot Windsor Castle, the royal family's 900 year-old home 40 kilometers (24.85 miles) away, while for Britons it has become synonymous with the city's fireworks on New Year's Eve. The wheel was the idea of husband and wife architects David Marks and Julia Barfield to celebrate the millennium. Its shape symbolises the cycle of life. "A circle has no beginning and no end. It is symbolic of the passing of time," Barfield told Reuters, adding that when it opened, it was one of the few options for a view of London from a height. Since it started operating, the city's skyline has been transformed by new skyscrapers that can be viewed from the wheel. All named after their shapes, The Gherkin opened in 2004, the Shard, London's tallest building, followed in 2013 and the Cheesegrater in 2014. About 3.5 million people pay from 29 pounds ($37.17) per ticket to ride the London Eye each year. Its popularity has inspired dozens of copycat wheels in cities around the world, but at 135 metres (442.91 ft) tall, the London Eye remains the world's largest cantilevered observation wheel. The architects' plan was for the attraction to revitalise a part of London's South Bank, and 1% of the attraction's annual revenues are paid to help maintain the public area around. ($1 = 0.7802 pounds)
The Independent
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Queen's memorial design shortlist includes Lord Foster, who once criticised King
The shortlist of teams vying to design the national memorial to the late Queen has been unveiled – and includes a renowned modernist architect who once criticised the King for using his 'privileged position' to intervene in a development. Lord Foster of Foster + Partners – the famous British architect who was responsible for The Gherkin in London – is among the five finalists. His team also features British artist Yinka Shonibare, whose work explores cultural identity and the post-colonialism world, and ecologist Professor Nigel Dunnett, who was behind the Superbloom planting scheme in the Tower of London's moat to celebrate the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Hailed as one of the most significant design initiatives in modern British history, the tribute in St James's Park, close to Buckingham Palace in the heart of London, will provide the public with a permanent memorial to the country's longest-reigning monarch. The shortlisted teams have been asked to create a masterplan which celebrates Elizabeth II's 'extraordinary life of service' and also provides a space for pause and reflection. In 2009, Lord Foster was one of a number of architects who publicly criticised the then-Prince of Wales over his lobbying and wrote a letter to a newspaper accusing Charles of using his 'privileged position' to 'skew the course' of the planning of the former Chelsea Barracks. The prince, who championed traditional approaches to architecture, had reportedly privately contacted developers Qatari Diar, backed by the Qatari royal family, to recommend more classical plans by architect Quinlan Terry, rather than those by another modernist architect, Lord Rogers. In 2023, Lord Foster told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he would 'love the opportunity' to talk to the King about the 'benefits of change' in architecture. The King has not been involved in the shortlisting process, which is said to have attracted a wide range of 'excellent creative talent' from across the UK and internationally. The task was carried out by the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, headed by the late Queen's former private secretary Lord Janvrin. The five teams now have to submit their designs later in the spring, with the winner announced this summer. The final design will be submitted to the King and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for approval and announced in 2026 to coincide with what would have been Elizabeth II's 100th birthday year. The Foster + Partners bid also involves the firm's joint head of design, architect Spencer de Grey, French landscape architect Michel Desvigne Paysagiste, who is known for his contemporary designs, and glass structural engineering firm Eckersley O'Callaghan. The project, which has a provisional construction budget of between £23 million and £46 million excluding VAT, includes a replacement of the Blue Bridge in St James's Park. An artist or sculptor with the key task of depicting a likeness of Elizabeth II will also be appointed by the lead designer in consultation with the committee. The other shortlisted teams are: – Heatherwick Studio with sculptor and ceramicist Halima Cassell Architect Thomas Heatherwick is one of the UK's most prolific designers and known for the Olympic cauldron at the 2012 London Games and the redesign of London's famous Routemaster buses. He also worked on the plans for the ill-fated Garden Bridge across the River Thames, which was backed by Boris Johnson as London mayor but abandoned after being labelled a waste of taxpayers' money. Heatherwick created the 21-metre high living Tree of Trees sculpture staged outside Buckingham Palace for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Cassell, who was born in Kashmir, Pakistan, and grew up in the north west of England, is known for her intricate carvings. 'This fusion of cultural environments as well as my love for Islamic art and historical British architecture has shaped my identity and underpins my practice,' Cassell has said. – J&L Gibbons with production designer Michael Levine, and William Matthews Associates Johanna Gibbons has been hailed as a visionary landscape architect, recognised for her 'pioneering and influential work combining design with activism, education and professional practice'. J&L Gibbons partner Neil Davidson was responsible for the Urban Nature Project at the Natural History Museum. The five-acre green space in central London wraps around the building with a Discovery Garden and an Evolution Garden and was backed by the Princess of Wales last year. Levine is a Canadian set and costume designer, known for his opera work, while William Matthews Associates designed the Tintagel Castle footbridge in Cornwall. – Tom Stuart-Smith with Jamie Fobert Architects and artist Adam Lowe of Factum Arte Stuart-Smith is a landscape architect, recognised for his numerous gold medal-winning Chelsea Flower Show gardens. He also created the Jubilee Gardens at Windsor Castle in 2002 – the first to be completed at the ancient royal residence for nearly 200 years – and he joined the late Queen and Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh for a stroll through the finished landscape. His work is described as combining 'naturalism with modernity and built forms with romantic planting'. Jamie Fobert was responsible for the redevelopment of the National Portrait Gallery. Adam Lowe, who trained in fine art, has dedicated himself to merging new technologies and craft skills, setting up the multidisciplinary workshop Factum Arte and later the Factum Foundation for Digital Technology in Preservation to create digital documentation of cultural heritage sites and global artworks. – WilkinsonEyre with artists Lisa Vandy and Fiona Clarke The firm restored and repurposed the Grade II listed Battersea Power Station and designed the Sky Bridge at Hong Kong International Airport and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Architects Jim Eyre and Sebastien Ricard are leading the pitch.
