Urban Diary

London: a metropolis of fast-rising tumescent architecture

A landscape dominated by cranes and phallic symbols Photos by author

“When did we become a city of scaffoldings?” I pondered as I looked north. “And when did we become a city of phallic buildings?” I wondered as I looked east. I had just paused halfway through my regular eight-mile run at the top of Alexandra Palace (although it was more of a schlep going uphill). I remember reading somewhere that this iconic…