I have been up the Shard and visited the Monument. Both buildings have their charm and give unparalleled views of the London skyline. I have seen Westminster and beyond from the London Eye where your excitement builds as the wheel slowly turns. Eeventually when you reach the pinnacle of the journey, you have a super view of the Houses of Parliament and the Southbank where cars and trains move around like they are part of a model village. There are many others that I have been fortunate to visit over the years and all provide an assortment of bird eye views of London. Do I need to visit another high-rise viewing platform?
My recent visit to London was to undertake a planned photowalk organised by my photo-colleague Peter Thompson, that would take in the Regent’s canal and Shoreditch. We covered most of the itinerary during the day. We were nearing the finish and about to reward ourselves with a cup of tea before heading off for our trains home. We had walked the streets and towpaths of London and my feet were hurting. I was weary. Peter Thmpson suggested Horizon 42 as our final place to visit before that much needed cup of tea. I was not sure what to expect from another high rise viewing platform. Visiting the viewing platform is free but demand for tickets on the Internet is high. Arriving at the entrance door to the building, the sign display indicated that tickets were available. A quick visit of the Horizon42 web site on my iPhone followed by downloading of the tickets, and we were through security and taking the ear popping lift to the summit.
The Horizon22 viewing platform is simple but effectively designed. There are split level floors and there is little to no décor on the white painted walls. This maximises the light reflections and creates few distractions when taking and reviewing your picture taking. Looking down from the upper platform, I noticed how the sun streams into the area creating shadows. People are free to move around the spacious area and interact with the large windows that are present. The day I went the weather was clear and the London landmarks were easy to spot. The viewing platform looks out over Tower Bridge and the Shard. I was able to see Canary Wharf and other places quite clearly. I had my polarising lens cover on my Fujifilm x100v which minimised but did not completely eliminate the reflections in the glass from the strong sunlight. In spite of this my pictures turned out well and I appreciated the view in between using my camera.
I enjoyed my visit to Horizon22, the experience was good and I found the attendants to be pleasant and helpful. I was not allowed to take my mini tripod up to the top but the security ensured that it was carefully looked after and I picked it up on my exit.
There is a photography bonus in the plaza as you exit the building. You are able to look up to the top of the building which makes for a good picture composition.
Would I recommend going up Horizon22? Definitely! The skyscraper is probably a better experience than the Shard which requires the purchase of tickets. In comparison Horizon22 is completely free and a link to the website is below.
Having read my blog then you may find my account of 103 Colmore row in Birmingham interesting. Another viewing platform in yet another skyscraper.
