Architect Behind London's 'Fryscraper' Blames Outside Consultants For Building's Car-Melting Deathray

REUTERS/Stefan WermuthSunlight is reflected from the Walkie Talkie tower in central London September 3, 2013. The developers of a London skyscraper that reflects sunlight at such intense levels that it warped panels and melted mirrors on a parked car will not need to break the bank to fix the problem, a project source told Reuters. Rafael Viñoly, the architect who designed the skyscraper currently frying eggs and melting cars on a London street, says the building's glitch is not his fault.

Architecture magazine BDOnline's Andrea Klettner reports that Viñoly is instead blaming an army of consultants that he says have invaded the architecture profession, needlessly complicating the design process:

One of the problems that happens in this town [London] is the superabundance of consultants and sub consultants that dilute the responsibility of the designers until you don't know where you are.

...

Architects aren't architects anymore...You need consultants for everything. In this country there's a specialist to tell you if something reflects. It's the fault of the architectural discipline which has cast itself into a completely secondary thing.

He also said the design flaw had in fact been spotted, by that the extent of the effect was underestimated:

...the calculations said it was only going to be 36 degrees, but in fact it's 72".

It's not clear whether Viñoly addressed the fact that he already designed a fryscraper in Las Vegas four years ago.

In the meantime, the London structure's developers say they are erecting temporary scaffolding to shield pedestrians from the glare.