Walkie-Talkie Crowned UK's Ugliest Building

London's "Walkie-Talkie" building has won an award for being the biggest architectural eyesore in the UK.

Building Design's annual Carbuncle Cup was awarded to the office block after it received a clear majority in the contest.

Thomas Lane, who runs the awards, said that the skyscraper "crashed into London's skyline like an unwelcome party guest".

He added: "It bulges out towards the top in a cynical move to maximise the amount of high-value space at the upper levels, in defiance of the principle tall buildings should taper elegantly inwards or at least feature parallel sides.

"The result is Londoners now have to suffer views of this bloated carbuncle."

Judge Ike Ijeh said it is "a gratuitous glass gargoyle graffitied onto the skyline of London," while fellow panellist Eleanor Jolliffe described it as a “Bond villain tower, as it could melt your car with a solar beam from space".

The building, formally known as 20 Fenchurch Street, was designed by Uruguayan architect Rafael Vinoly for the developer Land Securities.

Since its designs were revealed in 2006, the official eyesore received widespread criticism due to concerns about its impact on the London skyline, including strong objections from Heritage bodies UNESCO and English Heritage.

The building has had an eventful and at times troubled existence, most famously when in 2013, sunlight reflecting off its concave glass exterior melted parts of a Jaguar sports car.

Other complaints include high winds at the base of the building, which have prompted official wind assessments, as well as the three storey sky gardens being described as bland and likened to an airport terminal.

A YMCA building and student halls in Cambridge were runners up in the competition this year, whilst previous winners include the Strata Tower in south London's Elephant and Castle, Liverpool's ferry terminal and the renovation of the Cutty Sark.