pl ifting " ▁and ▁described ▁the ▁v istas ▁from ▁the ▁central ▁pla za ▁as ▁" a ▁joy ", ▁pra ising ▁the ▁skill ▁that ▁had ▁gone ▁into ▁the ▁design . ▁P iano ' s ▁standing ▁as ▁an ▁" intern ational ▁star " ▁had , ▁in ▁Sid or ' s ▁view , ▁given ▁the ▁architect ▁the ▁cl out ▁to ▁ins ist ▁on ▁the ▁development ' s ▁more ▁un orth odox ▁features ▁and ▁had ▁been ▁essential ▁for ▁such ▁an ▁am bit ious ▁complex ▁to ▁receive ▁planning ▁permission ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁place . ▁ ▁A ▁less ▁fav ou rable ▁perspective ▁was ▁offered ▁by ▁Ell is ▁Wood man ▁of ▁Building ▁Design , ▁who ▁critic ised ▁the ▁l ur id ▁appearance ▁of ▁the ▁development . ▁He ▁compla ined ▁that ▁" the ▁site ▁has ▁been ▁over develop ed , ▁to ▁my ▁mind , ▁gro tes qu ely ▁so " ▁and ▁that ▁its ▁visual ▁impact ▁was ▁" as ▁shock ing ▁as ▁that ▁of ▁any ▁building ▁real ised ▁in ▁central ▁London ▁in ▁ 4 0 ▁years ". ▁He ▁was ▁particularly ▁critical ▁of ▁the ▁way ▁that ▁the ▁colour ful ▁upper - floor ▁fa ç ades ▁cl ashed ▁with ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁lines ▁of ▁exposed ▁columns ▁at ▁the ▁ground ▁level ▁and ▁called ▁the ▁site ▁" a ▁gr im ▁comprom ise ▁between ▁two ▁fund ament ally ▁opposed ▁ideas ▁of ▁how ▁the ▁capital ▁might ▁develop ". ▁On ▁a ▁more ▁positive ▁note , ▁he ▁pra ised ▁the ▁high ▁quality ▁of ▁the ▁office ▁space ▁and ▁the ▁spect ac ular ▁views ▁from ▁the ▁top ▁flo ors ▁and ▁roof ▁terra