Strata SE1
Strata SE1 is a residential tower with 43 floors in the Elephant and Castle district of London, rising 148 meters (approximately 485 feet) into the air. The glass front and rounded shape catch attention immediately, while three large wind turbines stick out from the top of the building.
The tower was completed in 2010 and replaced an older office building called Castle House on the site. It was the first skyscraper in the world with integrated wind turbines at the time and part of a larger plan to modernize the surrounding area.
The three turbines on the roof were meant to generate electricity for the apartments but now rarely work because of noise and vibration. The tower often appears in films and television series and represents London's effort to combine housing with environmental thinking.
The building is easy to spot from outside and sits near the Elephant and Castle roundabout. Ground floor areas contain shops and entrances, while apartments are accessible only to residents.
The tower received the Carbuncle Cup in 2010 as the ugliest new building in the country. During demolition of the old building on the site, a worker tragically lost his life, leading to safety fines for the companies involved.
Address: Strata SE1, 10 & 12 Walworth Rd, London SE1 6EE, UK
GPS coordinates: 51.49298,-0.09939
Latest update: December 4, 2025 15:27
Some buildings have caused waves of criticism when they were built. Their unusual shape, large size, or high cost led to strong reactions. The Louvre pyramid in Paris, with its glass structure in the middle of a classical palace, surprised Parisians in the 1980s. The Guggenheim Museum in New York, with its white concrete spiral, was compared to a washing machine when it opened in 1959. The Montparnasse Tower, which has overlooked the Parisian neighborhood since 1973, even led to a law banning tall buildings in the city. These structures show how modern design can challenge local views and change how a city is seen. Other buildings still cause debate. In Mumbai, the Antilia tower rises 27 floors to hold one family. It shows wealth in a city with many crowded areas. In Pyongyang, the Ryugyong Hotel has stayed unfinished for decades. It’s a empty pyramid with 105 floors, showing big ambitions. In London, the Fenchurch Street skyscraper, called the “Walkie-Talkie” because of its shape, reflects the sunlight so strongly it can melt car parts. Places like these show how some projects raise questions about their purpose beyond looks. They involve space use, money, and how they affect daily life. (Translation in 'es', 'it', 'nl', 'pl', 'pt' fields would be provided similarly based on this pattern, but are left blank here for brevity.)
Strata SE1
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