The Top 10 Skyscrapers that are changing London’s skyline

London’s skyline is changing and now has more than 500 tall buildings in the pipeline and a record 115 under construction, however planning application for new tall buildings has fallen 10% since 2016, according to research from New London Architecture

 

The fifth NLA London Tall Buildings Survey, with research partners GL Hearn and data provider EG showed that despite signs of a slowdown, London has 510 tall (over 20 storeys) buildings proposed, in planning or under construction, compared to 455 in 2016, and with 115 schemes under construction compared to 91.

The analysis says that living in tall buildings is becoming more accepted, with over 90% (458) of those coming forward residential, and with the potential to deliver some 106,000 homes. And data from EG shows that 30% of the proposed schemes in 2017 were Build-to-Rent compared with none in 2013.

The top 10 tall buildings in London include:

The Scalpel

Lime Street is home to some of London’s most remarkable buildings, including the iconic Lloyds Building. At a cost of £500 million, The Scalpel joins the cluster of high-rise buildings in Lime Street. It was designed by leading architectural firm, Kohn Pedersen Fox and is currently under construction, eventually reaching a height of 190m. The tower will have 35 storeys plus two basements and two plant roofs. Multinational construction company, Skanska are responsible for the development of The Scalpel.

One Nine Elms

One Nine Elms, an innovative development comprised of two towers, is coming to London’s luxury housing market in 2019. When it’s completed, it will be the tallest residential tower in Western Europe. This skyscraper has been developed by a UK subsidiary of the Chinese company, Dalian Wanda, in collaboration with award-winning international architects, Kohn Pedersen Fox. The building will cost around £700m, and will be the first residential tower in the capital with its own five-star hotel. The building has received its fair share of controversy with critics stating the project has been behind several forced evictions. The Dalian Wanda firm, as well as Boris Johnson, have however denied these claims. One Nine Elms is part of a wider regeneration of the Nine Elms area, which will see 16,000 new homes built.

100 Bishopsgate

100 Bishopsgate is an office development under construction on the Eastern edge of the City of London’s financial district. Brookfield Multiplex were selected as the main contractor on the project, designed by architectural firms, Arney Fender Katsalidis and Allies and Morrison. The main tower will be a 37 storey commercial office building, designed in the form of a parallelogram at its base that rises to a rectangle at the top. Its shape was designed to overcome the complex geometries of the site. The second building will be a seven-storey structure and will house restaurants and offices. It will total costs of approximately £400m once completed, which is due this year.

1 Undershaft

When completed, 1 Undershaft will become the tallest skyscraper in the City of London Square Mile, and the second highest in the whole city (behind The Shard). Its distinctive feature is its cross brace-patterned façade. The Architectural firm, Eric Parry Architects lead the design team of this project. It was commissioned by Aroland Holdings Limited, a Singapore-based company, and it will contain 1.4 million square feet of office space and also houses restaurants, an education centre, and retail spaces. The tower will sit on steel legs and will replace the St Helen’s Tower.

80 Fenchurch Street

80 Fenchurch Street will be a 14 storey building. It’s a £200 million job and Skanska has been lined up to build the structure. It will be comprised of 240,000 square feet of high-quality office accommodation and 12,250 square feet of retail space, with a series of roof gardens. Construction of the building will commence in Spring 2018 and the aim is to achieve a high rating using the BREEAM method for sustainability. BREEAM has become the industry standard for assessing the environmental performance of buildings.

1 Leadenhall Street

1 Leadenhall Street is a planned £400m skyscraper, which will stand at 182 metres, to be built next to the historic Leadenhall Market – one of London’s most significant and oldest markets; featuring in the Harry Potter films, so the market is no stranger to Potter fans clutching their location maps searching for Diagon Alley. Despite being given the go-ahead, the proposed building has received strong criticism from conservative charities, namely The Victorian Society and Historic Royal Palaces. The latter believes the plans are “not appropriate” to the area. However, supporters of the project argue that the building will add value to the area and join London’s long history of innovative architecture.

10 Fenchurch Avenue

Designed by Eric Perry Architects, 10 Fenchurch Avenue is a 15 storey building, which will have office and retail spaces. The design comprises of minimal, sharp angles with a crystalline appearance that changes depending on daylight and weather conditions. The building will have a roof top garden and an open-air area offering panoramic views of London. The upper floors of the building will boast a high performance, double skin passive façade. The development of the project is a shared venture between Greycoat and Core and will cost around £420 million. The project will also involve the creation of valuable features in the surrounding area, such as bicycle parking and improved walkways around the development.

One Blackfriars

Set on the banks of the Thames, One Blackfriars will stand at 170 metres. It will be one of the tallest residential buildings in Europe. It’s due for completion this year, having topped out in July 2017. The most distinctive feature of the projects is its curved façade. The curved shapes were combined using 3D and parametric modelling designed by Architectural practice SimpsonHaugh. Originally, it was proposed at 200 metres but was scaled down due to protests from residents and English Heritage. The revised plan still qualifies as one of the tallest building in the district, using an incredible 5,800 tonnes of steel and 621 miles of cabling. Also, One Blackfriars will feature lifts that have a speed of 4m per second – it will amazingly only take 40 seconds to reach the 50th floor from street-level.

70 St Mary Axe

The much delayed 70 St Mary Axe, dubbed the ‘Can of Ham’ is back underway. The building designed by London firm Foggo Associates was granted planning approval in 2008, but was placed on hold for six years. Like many other skyscrapers, the global financial crisis put the project in turmoil. It’s nickname, the ‘Can of Ham’, is a reference to the building’s similarity to a can of tinned ham. The perfect accompaniment to the “Cheesegrater” and The Gherkin, you could say. The structure is expected to have 26,000 square metres of office space and it’s believed it will exceed £100m in total costs.

22 Bishopsgate

Remember ‘The Pinnacle’? It was an earlier project that was suspended at just seven storeys, due to the Great Recession. The structure was later redesigned and became known as 22 Bishopsgate. Once completed, it will be the tallest building in London’s financial district at 62 storeys. It’s estimated completion date is 2019. To the delight of thrill-seeking employees working at 22 Bishopsgate, the building will have a “climbing window”. Down on the ground, workers can enjoy coffee shops and workspaces. One of the central goals for the project was attracting a diverse mix of people to the area, acting as a hub for local social and business communities.

 

London’s skyline has evolved since the Canary Wharf created strong competition to the City of London and encouraged the City Father’s to embark on a radical change and allow more tall building to be constructed. The concept of tall buildings has stretched into the residential sector and despite new commercial developments easing the demand for residential space has continued to fuel investment. The Great City of London, west, east and central, is reaching for the sky and building upward.