OPINION - This beautiful building could well gentrify Paddington — and the area needs it

So, Renzo Piano’s stumpy cigarette is almost open. Aflame, maybe. Lit. It’s actually called the Paddington Cube, but it’s almost ready to go. This beautiful 18-storey, cube-shaped redevelopment next to Paddington Station, designed by Shard architect Piano, had originally been given a late 2021 target date for practical completion when it was approved in 2017. Because of Covid, and the unhelpful collapse of the development’s M&E (mechanical and electrical services) contractor Michael J Lonsdale (owing creditors £65 million), it is way overdue, although no less anticipated.