Bishopsgate Tower - "The Pinnacle"
The City

Height: 288m | Floors: 63 | Architect: Kohn Pederson Fox | Developer: Union Investment Real Estate AG (formerly known as DIFA)

Links: Bishopsgate Tower promotional video (23mb) (http://realestate.union-investment.com/downloads/difa/6578b558d68b03dfb3ee75ca8ece8f0d.0.0/tbt_en_large.mov) | Skyscrapernews listing (http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=2839)

Notes:

At 288 metres, the Bishopsgate Tower will form the centrepiece of London’s financial district. It will be over 100 metres taller than
the City's current tallest building, Tower 42 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_42).
Plans for a tower on this site have been around since 2002. A previous design (http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=89) by Helmut Jahn was scrapped following concerns over
the base and crown, and its effect on views from Fleet Street. The revised design - by architects Kohn Pederson Fox - is more
sleek and elegantly proportioned, and is intended to complement the neighbouring proposals such as the Leadenhall Building.
A planning application was submitted in June 2005. A revised planning application with a 19m height reduction was submitted
and given final approval in April 2006. In November 2006, the developers secured funding for the project from Arab Investments.
The full planning report for the tower can be accessed by clicking here (http://www.minutes.org.uk/cgi-bin/cgi003.exe?Y,,,0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000010000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000,90,2001,City+of+London,REPORT,london,Planning+and+Transportation+Committee,BROWSE,,,,,,,,,,25.04.06,985850937,986879029,1,000000085967,1,1,1,P,29181892,0,00,00,N).

Current Status:
Piling is complete. Keltbray are back on site, to complete demo of the previous building (by 10th January 2010), and to complete the
enabling works. A new excavation, 5.5 metres below the present basement floor, is to take place in January in preparation for the core in late 2010.

Despite the long wait, it seems highly likely that this tower will eventually be built. All of the retail space has been let, plus over 25% of the office space,
and the four restaurant floors at the top.

Topping-out is scheduled for late 2012, and the building is due to open in 2013.



http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/2839TheBishopsgateTower_pic7.jpg



http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/bishopsgatetower/16.jpg



http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/4874/london4jgpw3.jpg



http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/bishopsgatetower/11.jpg



http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/2839TheBishopsgateTower_pic2.jpg



http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/bishopsgatetower/base.jpg



http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/bishopsgatetower/15.jpg



http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/bishopsgatetower/13.jpg



http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/bishopsgatetower/14.jpg



http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/bishopsgatetower/1.jpg

The above rendering was done by me, to illustrate the building's height and location.

OFFICIAL renderings will be released later today, along with further details.

Stay tuned... :)

Great for London, even better for skyscrapers everywhere.

Let's just keep our fingers crossed on the design. :)

that sounds cool. but what are really the chances of this ever getting built? probably 0.
I'm still waiting for much smaller towers in the vicinity like heron that have been approved ages ago to be built first. but nothing happenes there. even the most promising projects in london like columbus tower seem to be dead now...

by the way: lbt won't be the tallest in europe...there is already atleast one building under construction in europe that will be taller...

Did I get there first???? Did I did I

Here it is:

http://images.thisislondon.co.uk/v2/news/londonskyscape230605_450x350.jpg

amazing news, London gets the best skyline of Europe!:)

holy cow, its mag! reminds me a BIT of the kyiv tower proposed there, but fancier and stylish! YEaaH!

They'll be some more renderings released today.

The base apparently is like a glass snake skin that wraps around the neighbouring buildings.

Another rendering

http://www.egi.co.uk/webpics/cmspics/27944.JPG

from what we can see here it's a great tower :)

i think you'll be able to get a bigger render of the tower soon
those "put it in the skyline and still it is a tiny photo" renders don't appeal to me :D

wow great tower and that part of the city is really gonna change BIG TIME! :)

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/2839DIFATower_pic1.jpg




http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/325DIFAProposeNewTallestForLondon_pic2.jpg

^ These renderings don't include Minerva (217m), Broadgate Tower (164m) and 51 Lime Street (125m). Also don't forget LBT (306m) across the river. :)

OMG this rules, i mean think about a complete rendering of all the towers proposed or under counstruction... *faints* I cannot believe it, London is finaly getting the skyscrapers it long deserved.

Niiiiice! This is exactly the kind of tower that London needs in the middle of the City skyline.

Looks a lot like one of the earlier proposals for the London Bridge Tower.

So what are the chances of it being built?

DIFA and Ken say they're sure the project will go ahead...now we wait for the traditional London style silly nickname..

WOW! Great design, i tryed to do a rendering of all the skyscrapers proposed/approved etc in London but my computer crashed! The view across the river will give London the best skyline in Europe. Sorry Frankfurt :)

On initial reaction, I.....don't like it.

I think its far too OTT for the city, it does not do anything for its surroundings and will make any unrefurbed buildings nearby look even more drab and stick out even more.. I only pray that I warm to this proposal.

initially, if it gets built before the other biguns, it might look a little out of place, but once towers go up around it of a similair quality, its just gonna be fab! :D

It fits in well, just a shame that Swiss RE is blocked by the tower that might be built next door to this one! Great news, lets just hope it actually gets built!

This chances of this getting built are probably greater than any other major tower proposal in London.

DIFA and Ken say they're sure the project will go ahead...now we wait for the traditional London style silly nickname..

Helter-Skelter will be the probable silly nickname. We should have a poll and suggestions ;)

and will make any unrefurbed buildings nearby look even more drab and stick out even more..
Some of those buildings around Cannon Street (just below and to the right of the tower) will be demolished by the time it's built. :)

This tower will look amazing at night...hope we get a night time render..

wow.. thats a beautiful tower... very classy :)

But Swiss Re will still be visible from Waterloo Bridge, which will give a better balanced view of the skyline anyway compared to the view from Tate Modern.

From the initial renders it looks stunning, would love to see some close up and ground level renders.

Wonder what night lights this will have?

Helter-Skelter will be the probable silly nickname. We should have a poll and suggestions ;)

No way...

I was looking up the DIFA tower on google a few days ago and came accross a story about it...

They said 'It will be called the DIFA tower before it given some witty nickname, like the lemon juicer.

The had a pic of the old design of the buildings....and I looked at it and thought....'Helter-Skelter more like'


I think there is too little of a twist of call it that though...I cant think of anything at current.

and will make any unrefurbed buildings nearby look even more drab and stick out even more..

Some of those buildings around Cannon Street (just below and to the right of the tower) will be demolished by the time it's built.

Also, the old Stock Exchange tower to the left of T42 is getting a shiny new reclad.

just wish all those proposals and approvals in London will ever come true...:)

Wonder what night lights this will have?

I reckon the purple bit at the top will light up, I think purple would really look good next to the blue of T42 and the Gold of Swiss Re.

just wish all those proposals and approvals in London will ever come true...:)

this has more chance than any of the other proposals, except maybe Leadenhall.

it's quite nice... i give it around an 8 or 8.5/10 based on those renders.

the cladding is quite nice, but i am getting a bit tired of the all-glass 'scrapers. the reason for my measured reaction is because of the top of the building. the lower 'wrap' forms a straight edge facing the south, but the tapering upper 'wrap' seems curved, echoing the original design of the LBT. i don't like that (apparent) curvature. i'd prefer it if the upper 'wrap' formed a straight edge than a curve.

will have to see a plan to know for sure

Bye bye swiss re!!!!! :rofl::rofl: I dont' like this design, sorry :(

i really like it if it gets built and a couple of the others london will have a skyline that most citys can only dream about.

The more I look at it, the more I love it. A fantastic design!

What a cool looking tower! :) I think it fits the surroundings pretty well.

That's a brilliant tower. I think it will fit in quite nicely.

I like it, it's different.

London would be have a wonderful skyline

By far Europe's most beautiful skyscraper....if built.
Let's hope so. GO London !

-"a 2nd supertall for London!"

... Where's the first one?

Sorry lads, buildings under 1,000 feet don't make it into the "supertall" category anymore. :cheers:

London's a massive city, why all the short buildings?

-"a 2nd supertall for London!"

... Where's the first one?

Sorry lads, buildings under 1,000 feet don't make it into the "supertall" category anymore. :cheers:

London's a massive city, why all the short buildings?
Well, 307m converts as 1007.2178477690288 feet so technicaly, tis a supertall :cheers:

The first would be the long-awaited LBT at 310m , which is fully approved for construction and will begin when the current tenants on the existing site move out.

i think London bridge tower is actually 306 meters....so the Difa tower will actually be the tallest in the UK...and mabey europe.

:eek2:

I love it!


oh by the way...am I the only one who thinks it looks like a dancer? Just looks at the big pictures of it for awile.

Well, 307m converts as 1007.2178477690288 feet so technicaly, tis a supertall :cheers:

LOL... by the skin of your teeth, ok FINE!!! :) :) :)

Must say I think that looks the bollocks!!!

Its alright but not as good as I was hoping for.

Basically it's like adding that Shaquille O'Neal bloke to the top of a regular 'skyscraper' :D

Wow, great new projects in and around the City. It's going to make Canary Wharf buildings look so square!

what a nice design, go London!

alrighty then......so how many decades is this thing going to have to wait to start construction......

Why do I get a feeling that this is a joke? I hope I'm wrong, looks great!

It'll be built. I reckon contrsuction will start in 2 years or so. By far the best proposal anywhere in the World right now. London will look like fucking Oz when it's done and obviously I don't mean Australia. As a Manc, I'm supposed to despise London, but by Christ's fat 'un, is this a beauty.

Looks good to me! Now build it!

My very first reaction to that tower.

Helter Skelter.

Not trying to be downbeat but I would like some of these proposed and even approved towers for London to actually appear on the Skyline some day. I just get a sneaking feeling in the back of my mind they'll get cancelled due to some future unknown event, but then again my glass is usually half empty.

London could have two world class skylines.
The City
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid174/p52ea1cff43e8201a1067a1fe8ea473d7/f3910723.jpg
Canary Wharf
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid174/pf0095a45e439f304474c4a936b5724b5/f3910725.jpg

^ Plus additional clusters in Vauxhall, Stratford, Croydon, Greenwich, Elephant & Castle...

Incredible renders, hopefully it translates to an incredible building. Another non- reflective glass scraper for London - that look worked damn well with Swiss RE so this should look equally stunning. Can't say I've seen that shade of purple used in a scraper much before - interesting.

Excellent design. I like it. That said, it's a shame St Paul's will be surrounded by tall buildings. It would look much better in CW.

St pauls is hardly surrounded by tall buldings...the city cluster is far enough away from st pauls that it doesnt have much effect on it (in my opinion anyway). Also..this tower is in the middle of the exisiting cluster so it wont be bothering st pauls.

If anything its the barbican towers that do the most damage to the views of st pauls.

Also there will be a cluster in Croydon at some time hopefully (this is a borough of London to the south of the city centre). Plus, as has been mentioned, clusters in Greenwich, Southbank/Elephant&Castle, Vauxhall and possibly even Wapping...

The location of this tower simply couldn't be better. It will stand almost directly in the centre of an area specifically designated for tall buildings. It won't interfere with any viewing corridors or heritage sites. St Paul's will still be very prominent on the skyline.

There was a little bit in the metro this morning on this--put LBT ahead of Broadgate tower...don't expect anything more from a paper called the Matro though..

but columbus is in doubt and im confused about whats going on :'(

Well - not a lot is actually going on! Think of London as a place full of huge proposals, many of which are approved, but none of which are being built!

At the moment only 51 Lime Street is actually UC - but that's a mere 125m..

Its the same in many other cities in the UK, and to be it politely...its getting on my royal tits !

The thing with London is even if there were no new proposals for skyscrapers starting tomorrow we'd still end up with at least 20 skyscrapers in total built by the end of the decade (and that's assuming some of the present approved/proposed won't be built)! But yet we still get new proposals - Britannia says another one is coming along soon. Could be a Beetham residential tower.

Bishopsgate Tower, if it is approved, will be another major leap forward in London's skyscraper future as it would signal that supertalls are fine (only 5 years ago this was unthinkable, especially one in the City itself) and that the City is a skyscraper free for all! We just need the economy to hang on so that these towers come to fruition...

the office market in the city is forecasted to explode in terms of demand. I'm confiden't these will go up.

i love to see this...

the office market in the city is forecasted to explode in terms of demand. I'm confiden't these will go up.
As long as that happens, most of the London projects will go up! They may even go up sooner than expected!

Reports keep saying that the office market in London is going to boom next year, which I sure hope it does, but why do people think this? What's gonig to happen over the next 12 months that will create such large demand for office space?

Omg!! Looks great. I prefer this one more than teh London Bridge Tower.

Reports keep saying that the office market in London is going to boom next year, which I sure hope it does, but why do people think this? What's gonig to happen over the next 12 months that will create such large demand for office space?Two good things have happened in the last 3 years:
1 - London and the UK didn't go into recession like much of the world did.
2 - Global companies and UK companies are looking to expand and consolidate their businesses in the void after the global recession.

In the next 12 months, we will see pre-lets come in, more proposals and approvals and construction work start.

http://img183.echo.cx/img183/5164/15je.jpg

Well, I like it and don't. The glass looks great but the bottom's kinda messy.
Once above that though :)

good! Looks amazing!

But who is the architects? I can't find it in this topic and it's kinda important isn't it?

The architects are Kohn Pederson Fox (http://www.kpf.com/) (the same people who designed the Shanghai World Financial Center).

I think the square mile of London proper doesn't need any more tall buildings. London is London and I'd hate to see it look like an English Chicago. Build all the tall buildings in the docklands.

too late matey boy ! supply and demand and all that

restrictions on tall buildings in the core worked for Paris. . . If St.Pauls was in a canon of steel and glass would London still be London?

http://img183.echo.cx/img183/5164/15je.jpg



:drool:

restrictions on tall buildings in the core worked for Paris. . . If St.Pauls was in a canon of steel and glass would London still be London?That would never happen - these skyscrapers are only gettng building in areas where they do not interupt the sightlines from areas around London, eg Greenwich Park.

Also no skyscrapers would dare be built around St Paul's, infact what is happening is that density is being lost around St Paul's to open it up more to the surrounding area and being added on the other side of the City of London - the buildings being replaced are 60's concrete glass and steel monolothic structures that are eye-sores, so no loss there and instead London gets a massive new signature skyscraper that compliments not goes against St Paul's.

Also Paris is a city that is stagnating because of far too strict planning guidelines, I believe the City of Paris mayor even tried to get skyscrapers built on the City of Paris side next to La Defense but that aint going to happen anytime soon.

restrictions on tall buildings in the core worked for Paris. . . If St.Pauls was in a canon of steel and glass would London still be London?
Yes, since the City cluster is comfortably far away from St Pauls and other heritage sites. A true world city never languishes as a massive historical souvenir, but rather evolves as times pass. High-rise construction interferes with continuity, but not the actual urban fabric.

The irony is, is that Haussmann demolished over 60% of medieval Paris and it could be said that London contains more historic buildings than Paris, the reason it doesn't look like that is because of the different planning styles and of course the Luftwaffe.

woow!! let's build this !!

Amazing design! I have now drawn it for the diagram.

The only bad thing is that Swiss Re is hidden from that angle.

Despite my rather obvious reserved judgement of this tower's dominance over the city, I must say I'm hooked on the base, very delicate looking, kind of related to Swiss Re without being too similair..

I think I know what my problem is with it after seeing that close up, I just think despite being so tall, it just appears to be so chunky, it needs a smaller floorplate IMO..Uhm, it seems with new renders comes more liking on my behalf so, maybe I just need a good half dozen renders..

http://img183.echo.cx/img183/5164/15je.jpg

Gawd that render looks like a ladies skirt being lift up.

Jeez an Helter Skelter with a skirt. Get real people, this is some architects wet dream, and London has far too many of them at the moment.

If they build this, it will be one of the best new buildings in the country.

they do!

when construction will start???

This is a glass erector set with a helter-skelter dumped on top of it. But ooooh,err missus, it's tall, ain't it? So everybody lurves it!!!

that base is just awesome!!! :) :cool: :okay:

If they build this, it will be one of the best new buildings in the country.

if not the world....

Europe at least.

Despite my rather obvious reserved judgement of this tower's dominance over the city, I must say I'm hooked on the base, very delicate looking, kind of related to Swiss Re without being too similair..

I think I know what my problem is with it after seeing that close up, I just think despite being so tall, it just appears to be so chunky, it needs a smaller floorplate IMO..Uhm, it seems with new renders comes more liking on my behalf so, maybe I just need a good half dozen renders..

I'm with you ferge, I agreed with your comments on the UK thread about it being a little Moscow but I'm definately warming to it after seeing that stunning base. For me I think I was ary that detail had been forsaken for shape but I think that was perhaps a little unfounded now. Another half dozen renders and i'll be loving it :)

Following on from Shaun's comments about the difference of the wrapped bit at the top. It looks odd that the spiral is curvy at the top but a straight diagonal edge on the south (river) side. I think it should be curved all the way, it would look less chunky on the southside and more elegant and slender.

Love it.

The uk needs to pull its fingure out and start building now!!!

That base is stunning. I don't know what to say about it?

Love it.

The uk needs to pull its fingure out and start building now!!!

well its not up to the UK really. Its a German companay, as soon as they get planning permission, which is very likely, its all up to them really :)

Its a German companay, as soon as they get planning permission, which is very likely

Oh that's good... I'm glad you've got such faith in me! Not sure I'd make such an assumption quite just yet though.

we all have faith in you brit ;)

Yesterday when I say the base for the first time I hated it as I thought it looked messy but I'm starting to like it now. Looks really welcoming I think.

wow, nice projects guys, but are any actually going to be built? if so when?
lets see action!

I like it. It carries on the tradition of ott modern architecture in London which can be either stunning or jarring, but rarely boring. In that sense it fits in nicely. I'm actually quite surprised this is a KPF design.

I dub thee "the ziggurat":D

one thing you can always guarantee with london skyscrapers, lots and lots of renderings, some of the pictures are the highest quality you'll see anywhere in the world for a proposed tower. It reminds me of that program on discovery called extreme engineering, where as soon as something has been shown it never gets built, but they have the best graphics in the world.

love the look of the base, i was working down leadenhall the other day would have been amazing to be confronted by this skyscraper.

I must admit :( ... it is probably the most amazing skyscraper I have ever seen. No doubt about it being built aswell, you only have to look at the statistics released the other day to see that the UK attracted more oversees investment in terms of jobs and offices then all other European countries combined.

Its going to make other UK cities work harder aswell, they had started to catch up with Londons tallest but now there going to have to push a little bit harder again to get close to this beauty.

London's in the position where it cant do no wrong. The likelyhood of seeing a disgusting skyscraper on the skyline is as far away as it can be. Building late might actually be to Londons advantage.

one thing you can always guarantee with london skyscrapers, lots and lots of renderings, some of the pictures are the highest quality you'll see anywhere in the world for a proposed tower.

The guys who create our images are amazing. The detail is simply stunning... I've seen these things projected full-height onto walls and zoomed in to individual cladding panels, and each panel is different, with its own reflections etc. Several dozen renders have been produced, and each requires as much attention to detail. The hardest shots are the street level shots, because in some cases the entire image is computer generated, rather than being a CG model placed into a real photo.

I agree with you Birminghamculture. London is about quality, not quantity. There are so many consortiums and pressure groups to stop rubbish high rises so the skyline is safe. Although sometimes some groups go too far. Namely the one headed by Prince Charles who seem to only want wattle and daub buildings with carved with heroes of British past. They even got Libeskind's Spiral (new wing of the V&A museum) stopped. Exhibition Road could of been a showcase of stunning lowrise architecture of past and present if that went ahead.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/graphics/2004/09/18/bamyweek2.jpg

Alas, but thank god for this sudden surge in high rise proposals.

The base of it looks huge.

epic base!


:D

That base is awesome! The rest of the tower still hasn't completely grown on me, though.

This is a long distance view from Greenwich in East London (just to the south of Canary Wharf).

I did these renderings myself, using Photoshop.




http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/london2012/14.jpg



http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/london2012/15.jpg



http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/london2012/16.jpg

wow very impressive! well done! The skyline will look great for 2012

Those are fanatastic. And just to think of everything else going up in the city. We need a panorama with Southwark, The City and Canary Wharf done now, with ever single 100 odd towers put on. You up for that Wjfoxy ;) :cheers:

Howmany Towers are proposed for London over 20 storeys now?

Nice pics wjfox, St Pauls is so prominent on the skyline!

The City cluster needs to expand outwards now :cheers:

impressive Skyline :D

A truely graceful and elegant design. It will be the icing on the cake for the financial district.

Truly a stunning design, far and away the best in Europe. I think it's a good idea to cluster the City with towers, in order to keep such development away from other districts. And let's face it, this would not fit right in Canary Wharf. If this project goes through, CW and the City will each have a great skyline with its own distinctive style.

I can't say enough good things about this...

not bad at all. i like it very much...
but 400m $ sounds a little bit too less...

Great news!!

not bad at all. i like it very much...
but 400m $ sounds a little bit too less...

Construction costs are about £300m (~$450m), with a capital value of about £800m ($1.2bn).

Best skyscraper in Europe if built!

Some big news from the UK and Ireland forum. It seems we were incorrect about the height of this proposal.

We thought the reduction by the CAA had taken it down to 288m.

But in actual fact, this was incorrectly reported... and 305m is the height after the reduction. In other words, the original height was 325m. So London WILL have 2 supertalls after all!

Check out the mayor's planning report for full details: http://mayor.london.gov.uk/mayor/planning_decisions/strategic_dev/2005/20051215/difa_tower_bishopsgate_report.pdf

:cheers:


http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers2/bishopsgatetower/3.jpg


http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers2/bishopsgatetower/5.jpg


http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers2/bishopsgatetower/6.jpg

excellent news!

Excellent news!

The GLA planning team is extremely supportive!

I really like the snakeskin look of the cladding, looks very sophisticated. Like the idea of a pinnacle.

I also had a laugh at EH comments on the supposed detrimental effect this tower will have on Butler's Wharf...I was wondering if there were kidding or not...are they mad? the view is "spoilt" for almost 40 years now...

Very good news :okay:
London will have two towers breaking the 300m barrier!

amazing! just amazing! go London!

I read an article today in the Times, that the London financial district has the possibility of overtaking Wall street as the premier financial district in the world. Apparently far too much of wall street is based on American commodities and that London is now in a prime position to take the international lead.

Maybe wishful thinking, but with some towers in the heart of London of this standard maybe there is some truth in it.

Also traders earn a lot more in London than NY according to the article.

wrong news, the tower is still only 288m :(

wrong news, the tower is still only 288m :(
Yes Wjfox2002 delivers false news as always. At lease we are getting the nice short fat version of the tower thought.

Is it a lot 'fatter' than previously shown?

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87/johnmhinds/bishelevationplustower42.jpg

Yes Wjfox2002 delivers false news as always.
Erm... a couple of points:

1. Don't blame me. It quite clearly stated in the planning report that the revised version was 305m, after the height reduction! We only have reason to believe it's actually 288m because of that diagram which Jonny checked.

2. "Delivers false news as always"
- erm.... Do I have a reputation for delivering false news? I think not.

:)

Erm... a couple of points:

1. Don't blame me. It quite clearly stated in the planning report that the revised version was 305m, after the height reduction! We only have reason to believe it's actually 288m because of that diagram which Jonny checked.

2. "Delivers false news as always"
- erm.... Do I have a reputation for delivering false news? I think not.

:)
I did not mean to say that, my keyboard is playing tricks on me again.

Err... no it isn't. I just read the pdf. It clearly states under the CAA topic that the height of the tower has been reduced by 19m from 324m to 305m!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/dominiccherry1/Image1.jpg

Then why is that diagram showing 288m????????????????????????????????????????????????????? :(

That Mayoral PDF is from Dec showing the original scheme- This scheme was resubmitted since then

The 305 metre version looks so much better, 288 looks a bit silly, too fat & stumpy looking.

Well it's a shame they lowered it, but ever since they first unveiled plans for the tower it became a favorite of mine, it's a true beauty, it's a little thicker now, but nonetheless the best tower to be built for London, even better than LBT IMO

It's the crack...

So hang on..........just to clarify........

Is the building 288 or 305????????????????????????????????

IT IS 288M

This PDF is the Mayors planning report which is dated for December & this mayoral planning decisions look at previous months applications so it would be commenting onthe original proposal fro the summer of 05. The revised height of 288m was submitted after this.

It kind of looks eastern European in design.

So how many floors?

That Mayoral PDF is from Dec showing the original scheme- This scheme was resubmitted since then

But I don't see why CAA would make them lower the tower to 288m when they themselves say 305m is an acceptable height. Why did they make them change it twice.

And is the only thing we are actually going on that render?

Oh shit!
I thought the tower was going to be 305m tall :(

A new, slightly better rendering. This is viewed from the balcony on St Paul's Cathedral:-

http://i3.tinypic.com/vqr0hj.jpg

Thats an old render, wjfox. nonetheless, nobody should have seen it unless they've already viewed it on emporis.

Can you possibly include the refurbished version of the Old Stock Exchange tower in that view Wjfox?

:cheers:

This is very impressive,Wjfox2002

The more I see new renders of this tower the more I like it.Thanks for the render Wjfox :okay:

I am wondering if this project so far has started construction yet.

that would be grand, but it hasn't been approved yet

that would be grand, but it hasn't been approved yet
Oh! well, we have to wait a bit longer for it. :sleepy:

The official planning decision is due tomorrow:


"...22-24 BISHOPSGATE, 38 BISHOPSGATE AND 4 CROSBY SQUARE

For Decision

Demolition and redevelopment to provide a building arranged on 2 basement floors, ground and 59 upper floors (including 6 plant floors) comprising floorspace for use within Classes B1 and A of the use Classes Order; the creation of new public realm and pedestrian routes; the provision of ancillary servicing and other works incidental to the development. (135,511 sq.m.)..."



http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/London_skyline_2012_large.jpg

Recommendation: planning permission be granted


http://www.minutes.org.uk/cgi-bin/cgi003.exe?Y,,,0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000010000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000,90,2001,City+of+London,REPORT,london,Planning+and+Transportation+Committee,BROWSE,,,,,,,,,,25.04.06,985850937,986879029,1,000000085967,1,1,1,P,29181892,0,00,00,N

The proposed building has two basements, ground and 59 upper floors (the top 6 would be occupied by plant). It is 287.9m high (304.9m AOD), which is similar to the “Shard” proposed at London Bridge. It would be 100m higher than any existing office building in the City and approximately 64m higher than the next highest office building proposed in the City at 122 Leadenhall Street. The application originally proposed 63 upper floors and a height of 324.25m AOD but this was reduced to the current proposal following objections on aircraft safety grounds by the London City Airport and BAA.

14. Between this tower building and 6-8 Bishopsgate there would be what the architects call the “Sliver” building. This fills a gap caused by the form of the tower and would be 12 storeys high. It would be linked to the main building and would provide part of the office, retail and plant accommodation.

15. An “Annexe” building would occupy a re-entrant between 1 Great St Helen’s and the link road into Crosby Square. This would be equivalent to the height of 1 Great St Helen’s (10 storeys) but would contain only a void, providing air-intake to the basements of the tower.

16. The tower would taper as it rises and the top third spirals up to a point. At the base the cladding fans out into a “skirt” that projects over the public footways and Crosby Square at a height that varies from approximately 6m to 15m. This “skirt” is an integral part of the design but its main function is to deflect wind away from the ground.

17. Groups of passenger lifts serve the lower, mid and high rise portions of the building and are connected by transfer lobbies at various levels. The office reception is at 1st floor accessed from ground level by escalators and lifts. From the first floor reception the main lifts provide access to various parts of the office accommodation. The upper floors include “sky lobbies” with conference facilities at levels 20 & 21 and public restaurants at levels 42 & 43.

18. Office floors vary in size and range from 2,360sq.m net at level 4 to 549s.q.m net at level 53. Most of the floors can be sub-divided into two independent tenancy units. The architects say that the geometric form of the building creates many rooms with spectacular views across London.

19. Three levels of retail accommodation are located on ground, first and second floors providing space for a combination of shop (A1) and catering (A3/A4) uses. The public restaurants on the 42 and 43 sky lobby floors are served by dedicated lifts from ground level.

20. There are two levels of basement containing servicing facilities, parking and plant accommodation. Servicing would take place via two vehicle lifts from Undershaft. A courier delivery facility is provided at ground level adjacent to these lifts.

21. The only car parking is six disabled user spaces. No motor cycle parking is proposed. Parking for approximately 540 bicycles is included at basement level, accessed by stairs with ramps from a freestanding entrance pavilion at the corner of Bishopsgate and Great St Helen’s.

22. A wide new pedestrian way is proposed under the building leading to the present location of Crosby Square and on down to Undershaft, via a curving ramp. This would all become a public space with seating, a water feature and public art. Some of the new retail space, including a cafe with external seating would front onto this space.

23. The applicants propose to change the status of Crosby Square from public highway and to manage all of the new open space themselves, but providing public access at all times.

24. The City Walkway bridge and stair would be demolished and not replaced.

25. The proposed floorspace is:

Gross external Net internal

Offices 126,187 sq.m 76,397 sq.m

Conference facilities 2,332 sq m 989 sq.m

Retail at lower levels 3,984 sq.m 2,026 sq.m

Restaurants at levels 42 & 43 2,248 sq.m 1,008 sq.m

Air intake in annexe building 760 sq.m

Total gross external 135,511 sq.m

:applause: :applause: :banana: :cucumber: :yes: :master: :master: :cheers1: :pepper:

Come on son!! After what seems like decades of waiting, we are at the crunch stage, prepare to pop open the chamapaign bottles lads! Man, I'm so delighted about this news, give us a hug Foxy :hug: :hug:

Bring on tomorrow!

give us a hug Foxy
:hug:

:cheers1: :banana: :happy:

hey, i thought i was the one called Foxy... :)

cheers, gentlemen, rather excited to see bad-boy Bishopsgate begin rise~~


:D :cheers: :drunk: :tyty: :eat: :cheer:

We'll see good news tomorrow!
I really want to see this tower growin up,I love its elegant design!

HUZZA!!! :cheers1: :banana2:

Its gettin so tense, itll be like christmas come early for me, if this gets approved, which it must and will.

GO BISHOPSGATE TOWER!!!!

hey, i thought i was the one called Foxy... :)

cheers, gentlemen, rather excited to see bad-boy Bishopsgate begin rise~~


:D :cheers: :drunk: :tyty: :eat: :cheer:

I think this one if assigned a gender, would be a girl. After all, it does have a skirt and is purple!

i really hope this gets the nod but aren't all the zany smiling faces and stuff a bit early...decision hasn't been made yet and all that??

i really hope this gets the nod but aren't all the zany smiling faces and stuff a bit early...decision hasn't been made yet and all that??
Quiet you! We'll deport your ass if you start sending out them neagtive waves :D

:cheers:

apparently the decision is tomorrow, jef got his dates mixed up

I tihnk this tower looks ridiculous. The tower looks like a toy just dumped on the city. Maybe its the curvature that reminds me of a helter skelter. I'm not keen on it.

^^ Well I think that new Las Vegas style thing proposed for Birmingham looks ridiculous, and I also think this is one of the best proposals in europe

Some big news from the UK and Ireland forum. It seems we were incorrect about the height of this proposal.

We thought the reduction by the CAA had taken it down to 288m.

But in actual fact, this was incorrectly reported... and 305m is the height after the reduction. In other words, the original height was 325m. So London WILL have 2 supertalls after all!

Check out the mayor's planning report for full details: http://mayor.london.gov.uk/mayor/planning_decisions/strategic_dev/2005/20051215/difa_tower_bishopsgate_report.pdf

:cheers:


http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers2/bishopsgatetower/3.jpg


http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers2/bishopsgatetower/5.jpg


http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers2/bishopsgatetower/6.jpg

thanks for not crediting me with my own photos wjfox! You can even see me reflected in the glass box of the final shot with Oakleys on my head and my Canon peering through the glass. Still, didn't stick my own signature on them, so what's the harm!

go on, have another you cheeky scamp. I've posted this in the UK Projects and Constructions forum, but no doubt it would make its way on to here in no time at all, so I'll save you the hassle! Looking down Bishopsgate from the intersection with London Wall:

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/1985/img01119wh.jpg

p.s., before anyone else says it, yes from this angle it looks rather like the Chicago Trump Tower.

p.s., before anyone else says it, yes from this angle it looks rather like the Chicago Trump Tower.
No, from that angle it looks ridiculous....ridiculously good!!! What did ya think I was gonna say? ;)

Ok then, seeing as someone cocked up the dates on this thing, I'm gonna put the champagn on ice till tomorrow...later today I mean actually. I want good news!

When next I come on here I want someone to have posted a comment that says clearly "Don't worry JackRabbitSlim, they have approved the tower, here is the news articleabout it..."

Else I'm gonna get pretty dam pissed...and not the good kinda pissed either!

:cheers:

Quiet you! We'll deport your ass if you start sending out them neagtive waves :D

:cheers:

i'm just being realistic

i will be as happy as the next man if / when it gets the nod but until then why start celebrating?

but until then why start celebrating?
This project is 99.99% certain to get approved.

The Corporation of London needs this tower to compete with Canary Wharf.

Beautiful. This is a stunning building that is tall but perfectly in proportion with the rest of the skyline. This will be one of the world's most beautiful towers

why was it reduced in height ? what the hell is the differnce between 305 and 288 metres ???? none so why ? noone has yet given me a good reason why.

the CAA probly got bribed by the planners from Shard London Bridge to complain abt Bishopsgate tower, so that the Shard would be the tallest in london not Bishopsgate.

haha, just jkn

But still thats true, 17m difference is nothing it doesnt make sense why they would just go and complain abt such a small amount of height.

why was it reduced in height ? what the hell is the differnce between 305 and 288 metres ???? none so why ? noone has yet given me a good reason why.

If there's no difference then why do you care..?

Comparison with the HoP:

http://www.skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?18353033

why was it reduced in height ? what the hell is the differnce between 305 and 288 metres ???? none so why ? noone has yet given me a good reason why.

305m is the height limit of any structure imposed by the CAA over the City Of London, this is to include the height limit of cranes during the construction of the tower, therefore to accomodate the cranes the tower height had to be reduced to 288m.

Needless to say, due to the terrain of City, it will look 305m tall from angles where the base is hidden.

Gorgeous tower!

And it's just gotten full Approval!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://international.difa.de/index2.php

25 April 2006
For immediate release

TALLEST BUILDING IN CITY OF LONDON GETS GO AHEAD

The Bishopsgate Tower has today received a resolution to grant approval from the City of London’s Planning and Transportation Committee and will become the tallest and largest building in prime City at 60 storeys and 288m tall. The development by the German capital investment company DIFA (Deutsche Immobilien Fonds AG) and the international architecture practice Kohn Peddersen Fox (KPF) will create a high quality addition to the London skyline and a fitting pinnacle to the growing City cluster of tall buildings.
The building is the best located of any of the towers planned being in the heart of the City of London, EC2 fronting Bishopsgate. It will create a vibrant new public realm within and around the site. A new pedestrian route through from Bishopsgate will open up and lead to an enhanced Crosby Square. This in turn links in to a series of new landscaped open spaces planned by others which will combine to create a significant amenity for this area.
Environmentally, The Bishopsgate Tower will be an exemplary building with investment in energy efficient measures minimising the carbon footprint of the building. There will be attractive skylobbies containing social and public space including a restaurant at level 43.
Large, flexible floor plates of up to 2,381 square metres are created on the lower floors. As the tower tapers upwards, floor plates reduce to create unique double height spaces at level 57. The overall gross external area of the development is 131, 511 square metres, offering approximately 88,000 square metres (circa 950,000 sq ft) of office accommodation over 47 floors between levels three and fifty three. Three levels of retail in the base provide a new concentration of public activity on Bishopsgate and St Helen’s Square. A total of 2,026 square metres A1 and A3 use is proposed on the Ground, 1st and 2nd floors.
Welcoming the Committee’s decision, Dr Frank Billand, Member of the Board of Directors of DIFA Deutsche Immobilien Fonds AG said:
“The Bishopsgate Tower will be a development of exceptional quality which has been carefully designed by KPF to create a vibrant commercial hub for this central City site whilst making a significant contribution to public realm.
“We are delighted that the City of London has resolved to grant approval for The Bishopsgate Tower and we look forward to progressing the development shortly. We believe that investing in the London property market represents a sound long-term strategy and the potential for a new global icon in the heart of Europe’s most important City is a very exciting prospect going forward.”

I'll post the news article that has just appeared on skyscrapernews.com

25 Apr 2006 > DIFA Bishopsgate Tower Approved

The Corporation of London has given the go-ahead to what will be the tallest building in the City of London, The Bishopsgate Tower developed by German fund management company DIFA and designed by architects KPF, after council planners presented a report recommending it be approved.
Nicknamed the Helter Skelter it sets new records of heights for the city rising to 288 metres and stand next to the existing 6-8 Bishopsgate Tower formerly occupied by Barings Bank. The scheme will see the demolition of the existing buildings on site.
When built it will contain 81,000 square metres of space, largely offices over 60 floors. The floors have been designed so they can easily be split into small sections or merged into one appealing to both large and small companies alike, the sort of ploy that has worked successfully in the past with multi-let towers. The largest single floor-plate available will be 2,381 square metres.
The blue glass tower largely tapers up to the top third that spirals into a spire. At ground level the tower terminates with what's been dubbed "the skirt". Wind modelling showed rather large downdrafts in the area and the best way to regulate for these was the architects idea of flaring out the structure at the bottom in the form of an extended canopy. As with the rest of the tower this will be clad in the same glass creating a flowing look from the sharp spire down to the curving bottom.
The going for the scheme hasn't been entirely easy, the Civil Aviation Authority insisted that almost 20 metres be sliced off the top for reasons of air safety whilst English Heritage and Westminster Council claimed that the tower would affect views from St James's Park and possible potential future sightlines that have yet to be decided. The previous architect, Murphy Jahn, had also left after conflicts with the client about the direction the scheme was heading.
The question now is when the tower will actually start construction? It's not certain whether DIFA will take the same ambitious stance as British Land are and begin building speculatively or wait for a substantial pre-let from an anchor tenant but either way it does set a new standard in sheer scale for the City of London.

Great news!

Now come on London don't take another 10 years to get the thing built!

Well, walking down Bishopsgate will be an amazing experience in 10 years or so.

Nice building, even with the height reduction.

Oh and should Britannia still lurk from time to time, congratulations. :)

:righton:
I love London

Height comparison with the City's current tallest buildings, Tower 42 (http://www.willfox.com/images/london/2/1.jpg) and 30 St Mary Axe (http://www.willfox.com/images/upc/10.jpg):


http://i3.tinypic.com/whbmf5.jpg

any idea when demo will start? glad this one got the go ahead will make it easier for alot of towers to go up in the city

Possibly as soon as early 2007.

There will be attractive skylobbies containing social and public space including a restaurant at level 43.

Will level 43 be the highest level with public access? That's about same level as top of T42 and Swiss Re I guess.

There are 19 more levels. Are they planning any observation deck?
Perhaps they don't want to create too much public traffic.

Perhaps as LBT is having an observation deck, and there's the London Eye, they didn't think it would be economical?

Anything that shortens the queues on the Eye is welcome.
Last time I had visitors we just dropped it... :)

LBT probably gives the best view anyway, as you get some distance to the City cluster.

Is that 288 mtrs with or without the '20 mtrs slice'???

Is that 288 mtrs with or without the '20 mtrs slice'???

That's with the height reduction. It would have topped 300m otherwise.

288m is still "supertall" by London's standards though :)

I think Bishopsgate tower is the best looking tower in the world in it's height league! 250-299m

288m is still "supertall" by London's standards though :)
I agree, by European standards as well if you ask me. Glad to hear that it will become 288 meters tall. That's gonna look damn fine! :)

Yeah, anything over about 250m in Europe is VERY tall.

from property-week.co.uk

DIFA seeks £400m Bishopsgate sponsors

Fund manager searches for partners to share development costs and risk

28.04.2006

By Daniel Thomas

DIFA is searching for a £400m joint venture funding partner for the tallest building in the City of London.

The German property fund manager is seeking up to £400m of additional funding for the tower, for which the Corporation of London this week granted a resolution for planning consent.

It has instructed Savills to search for partners and is expected to focus on larger UK institutional funds as well as private investors.

DIFA joins the developers of several large City schemes in seeking funding.

Land Securities is also talking to partners to share the development cost and risk for One New Change.

It is in talks with a shortlist of potential funders to take up to half of its 560,000 sq ft (52,025 sq m) building, which contains 220,000 sq ft (20,438 sq m) of retail.

DIFA's plans are similar to that for Gerald Ronson's Heron Tower, where a series of parties have been lined up to help fund the development.

DIFA's Bishopsgate tower is bigger, however, with 950,000 sq ft (88,257 sq m) of offices on 60 storeys at around 945 ft (288 metres).

Dr Frank Billand, DIFA board member, told Property Week: ‘The scheme is too big for one investor alone. We have been approached by institutions in the past, but we weren't ready.'

Billand said DIFA wanted to find partners by the end of the year.

‘We can fund the preparation work but want someone to share the construction costs,' he said.

Construction costs for a tower are around £250/sq ft (£2,691/sq m) and the potential site cost is around £260m, so DIFA is expected to need as much as £400m to cover the build costs and the site.

English Heritage said it was unlikely to oppose the scheme.

‘English Heritage welcomes the changes to the height and design of this tower in order to address concerns about its wider impact,' said a spokesman. ‘We are no longer minded to advise the first secretary of state to call the case in for his determination.'

Savills is advising DIFA; DP9 is the planning consultant.

That is actually good news, it says they have been approached before, and that EH won't oppose! They want an investor by the end of the year, and they are "expected to focus on larger UK institutional funds"

A little update - DIFA has today appointed Stanhope Plc (http://www.stanhopeplc.com/) for the development of the Bishopsgate Tower.

These are some of the buildings and projects which Stanhope have been involved with:-


The Broadgate Estate - 3.5m square feet of offices, employing over 20,000 people; the largest office development in London until Canary Wharf came along
Stratford City - the largest urban regeneration project ever seen in London
Paternoster Square - 700,000 sq ft office and retail development adjacent to St Pauls Cathedral, including the new Stock Exchange
51 Lime Street - 125m tower currently under construction
31 Gresham Street - big groundscraper in the City which is now fully let
Chiswick Park - large business park in West London employing over 7,000 people
The Treasury - redevelopment and modernisation of Grade II listed government building
Tate Modern - the most popular new museum in London
Unilever House - renovation of this grade II listed building; one of the most attractive on London's riverfront.

Posted by Jimbo in the UK forum......


woah, something that appears to be a scoop...... construction news send me daily e mail bulletins with snippets of the big news stories. Today's 2 liner reports that 3 major contractors are locked in a bidding contest for the Helter Skelter. Don't subscribe, so that's all I've got, but will be in either this week or next weeks CN. WH Smiths stock it, so will try and get a nosy in the Liverpool Street branch tmrw. I reckon it'll be the usual suspects - Bovis Lend Lease, Skanska and Carillion. Could be wrong though - if anyone else has access to CN, go and put us out of our misery.

Anyway, similar to the report a couple of months back that Bovis Lend Lease had snaffled the 122 Leadenhall construction contract, it seems that DIFA are already on the way to comparing major contractors and launching the formal tender process.

More good news and links in with the appointment of Dickie Rodger's bro as the project manager.

As I've said before, the public exhibition bloke (known to many of us) in Crosby Court last June said they (DIFA) get vacant possession of the site by the end of 2006. I see nothing to dispute this, and if they are progressing with this level of project planning, whose not to say that this might be one of the first 'biggies' in the city cluster ahead of Heron and 122 Leadenhall? Could be on similar timescale to 20 Fenchurch Street?

Hehe at the rate at which this tower seems to be progressing it might indeed be able to become the tallest building in Western Europe, albeit briefly.

The Shard is taller though, that surely would start construction before though? Personally id love this tower to have a prestigious title such as that, to have that in London, then to have it taken by another London tower would be phenominal!

I wasnt really been serious, at the rate anything above 50m in London gets built we'd be lucky to see this tower rising before the Olympics.

It can be infuriating when there is snag after snag on London projects. I am confident they will be done but they do take their sweet time.

Beautiful design!

This is what we know so far.

- DIFA are awarding construction contracts in the next couple of months.
- They will have vacant possession of the site by the end of the year.
- The will begin work on site by the end of the year.
- It has been strongly hinted that the tower will be built speculatively, i.e. without the need for tenants lined up.
- The current site is lowrise, so demolition won't take long.



This is the building that's due to be demolished, by the way - it's the pinky-coloured lowrise with the footbridge:


http://www.willfox.com/images/london/5/29.jpg

The Google Earth model can be downloaded from here:

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=88bd0eadbc3668a4f5b7128d0de93240

It's rather impressive. :) Thanks to Jef for this.

A very nice tower indeed :okay:

Posted bu Tubeman:

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/3391/london4jg.jpg

Wow :drool:

That picture looks so real, I already think that is London.

Look...

http://dij8.com/clients/alex/cityscape/images/bishopsgate_big_01.jpg
http://dij8.com/clients/alex/cityscape/images/bishopsgate_big_02.jpg http://dij8.com/clients/alex/cityscape/images/bishopsgate_big_03.jpg
http://dij8.com/clients/alex/cityscape/images/bishopsgate_big_04.jpg
http://dij8.com/clients/alex/cityscape/images/bishopsgate_big_05.jpg
http://dij8.com/clients/alex/cityscape/images/bishopsgate_big_06.jpg
http://dij8.com/clients/alex/cityscape/images/bishopsgate_big_07.jpg

Stunning...but enough with the renders...just get the damn thing built...

amazing renders

Stunning...but enough with the renders...just get the damn thing built... You and many others im sure are with you on that. All these renders and no action, too sad.

Looks original

Wow, are these all new official renders? They're fantastic!

This tower is so beautiful im gonna F@ck my hat x!

lol, when the thing gets built the photos of it will look exactly like the renders, theres gonna be so much confusion as to whether this thing is actually built or not lol, cos the renders are just so good

Very brilliant one...it blends very well with London's skyline..

:okay:

http://dij8.com/clients/alex/cityscape/images/bishopsgate_big_04.jpg

Possibly the most realistic render i've ever seen. :crazy2:

British renders are just unbeatable - infact this tower is just unbeatable. I love the cladding how it overlaps and the base is just phenominal, Its like a turtle's shell but sexier.

I messed myself :runaway:

Yes its very reptilian, interesting!

I really love this tower.Thanks a lot for posting this pictures of this lovely tower. I'm :drool:ing

I know I've already commented on this, but I have to repeat myself, this tower has the most amazing base possible, and among the best uses of a glass facade ever! It's mesmerizing, it looks like it has scales, but the curves are so smooth!
I'm loving it!

wow!! having seen the renderings of the base i have to agree that it is the best base i have seen for a tower in London! The streets are going to be amazing to walk around in a few years time with such beauty at street level! :)

why are British renders consistently better than many I see ??

Because Britain is best! :happy:


http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/littlebritain/images/640/hug_640.jpg

^lol

yes lovely and very original and interesting tower

Couple of new renderings, taken from this PDF (http://www.planninginlondon.com/assets/pil%2058/polisano%20pil%2058.pdf) by Kohn Pederson Fox -



http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b387/wjfox2005/London_general/bishopsgate/Footprint-and-elevation.jpg




http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b387/wjfox2005/London_general/bishopsgate/Elevation_large.jpg

i like the swung glasfacade at the base of the tower

For those who don't have Acrobat Reader, or those with dialup who can't be bothered to download the huge file, I've ripped everything out of it here. Aren't I helpful. :)


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Tall buildings and London

High quality, tall buildings can be not only sustainable, they can surprise, delight and inspire their users, argues Lee Polisano.

Love or hate them, towers are part of the fabric of our global urban landscape and they are here to stay. Over the last 100 years they have become icons of heroism, modernity, revolution, freedom. They symbolized a new way of living and came to express the corporate identity of successful enterprises and the egos of those who controlled them. They represented capitalism, wealth, dominance and power.

But what will the tower of the 21st century symbolize? In an evolving global landscape that is increasingly under pressure from a burgeoning urban population, tall buildings have the potential to play a significant role in re-invigorating and sustaining our cities of the future, including the future of London.

If we are to have an appreciation for why London needs to build taller and what might lie ahead for our city, we need to understand the “context” that has brought us to this point in time.

Global context

Within the next 25 years, 80 per cent of the world’s population will live in our cities and our urban centres. Most of this increase will happen in cities that we have never heard of. The manner in which we occupy this earth will also need to change. Currently in the UK, we are occupying three times our earthshare and our proportional share of the earth’s resources. As the world’s population continues to rise and our available resources continue to shrink, we will soon be unable to sustain our escalating population growth and our current way of living, unless we adjust many things, including our built form. Taller buildings, are giving cities the capacity to increase density and maintain a high quality of life for large numbers of people. This is not unique to London.


http://i5.tinypic.com/20r4ifb.jpg


Many of our cities are becoming more powerful than entire countries (Fig. 1). The GDP of London almost equals that of Saudi Arabia; and If New York were a nation, it would rank as the 16th largest economy in the world, behind South Korea. Megalopolises are the way of the future – today there are 22 cities that have a population over 8 million inhabitants. It is cities not countries that are now competing with each other, each striving to symbolize their success through their skyline. But what does this mean for London?

London context

London is one of a handful of truly global cities. In order for it to retain this position, it is important to recognize that its policies and the way its future growth and development are planned and administered must be different from that of the rest of this country.

London has evolved as a polycentric city with varying densities – originating as a commercial trading city along the river it now has a variety of building topologies reflecting the different aspects of its growth into a modern city; Covent Garden (lowrise dense theatre district), Oxford Street (hi-density shopping) to Canary Wharf (Americanized skyscrapers). Although, there are several areas which have emerged with proposals for tall buildings in London, it must be recognized that for most of its history, London has lacked a comprehensive set of planning guidelines administered across its boroughs. In many ways London’s development has been unplanned and free wheeling capturing the true underlying principle (economic) which has governed its growth.

In many ways London is also perfectly placed for tall buildings; with increased investment in its existing infrastructure, it has the capacity to handle massive amounts of people and - this is a critical factor in the success of a taller built form.

The City of London

The ‘City’ is the engine for the London economy, a global financial center. It is pro growth and is the only part of London that has a cohesive tall buildings policy (Fig. 2). They have defined a ‘cluster’ which in many ways is setting a precedent for tall building development for a 21st century London. Our buildings, The Bishopsgate Tower (DIFA) and the Heron Tower, are both located within this cluster (Fig.3).


http://i5.tinypic.com/20r4j2g.jpg


http://i5.tinypic.com/20r4jh0.jpg


When we first started working on tall buildings here in London, we developed a three dimensional model of the city to assist us with understanding this unique urban landscape and the policies that governed it (Fig. 4). What has come out of this has been a CAD technologies research lab which has informed our approach to high-rise design. Advances in computer programmes give rise to an exploration of form which was previously impossible.


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The context of the City and the policy constraints are the overriding factors in the design approach to both Heron and The Bishopsgate Towers. Both are designed around the principle of creating multi-faceted sculptural objects, seen “in the round”, that change and vary in profile when viewed from different points in London – similar to viewing the human figure. They each have a unique individual role within the cluster; one form an edge condition to the cluster and the other is the apex of the group (Fig 5).


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Heron Tower sits on the perimeter of the cluster. The site used to be the gateway point into the marketplace of the old town. Our design remarks the importance of this place through the location and positioning of the cores and building mass. It is a response against the typical monolithic appearance of a centre core building. Heron’s offset core creates a building whose elevations are differentiated, allowing the building to respond to its orientation and its context. The building’s articulation modulates its mass and allows its form to be legible (Fig. 6).


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The Bishopsgate Tower in contrast, is the building that will become the centrepoint of the cluster. As such it has to figurally provide a climax and stand out from the crowd. The creation of the wrapping façade is intended to emphasize the dynamism of its site position and the growth of the towers surrounding it (Fig. 7).


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What is interesting about both the Bishopstage Tower and Heron Tower is that they are not really very tall at all when placed on the global stage; and when you look at their height in comparison with their width, they are remarkably slender. These are products of their unique site conditions and the fact that both are to be built on small pieces of land.

As an architect, one needs to decide what the core values of your product are and adhere to them through the design process. These buildings will become the legacy of our generation. Striving for beauty and elegance in our designs goes without saying; however, creating sustainable buildings (economically, socially and environmentally) is of the utmost importance.

With Heron Tower, we challenged the conventional typology of the high rise and developed a response to both the technical and social demands of the modern workplace. The building is organized around a series of office ‘villages’. At the heart of each is a triple-height atrium (Fig 8). We were eager to set a benchmark for environmental performance. The building seeks to minimize energy consumption, reduce harmful emissions and create an excellent working environment for its occupants. These aims have informed the development of the building from its philosophy to its internal organization.


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Public realm

The city cluster that Heron and The Bishopsgate Towers sit within has created a morphological shift. With the mass of the buildings being placed into the sky, a network of new public spaces is emerging, as the ground is being freed up. With Heron, we link the series of surrounding public spaces together with the new space that we are creating. By extending the Houndsditch churchyard (St. Botolph’s Church) across Bishopsgate, a green link has been created from Finsbury Circus to Devonshire Square (Fig. 9). We also created an arcade to widen the narrow frontage that currently exists.


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The Bishopsgate Tower had to have a streetscape that accommodated a variety of site conditions, formed by the unique urban grain of the site – there were many unused public spaces surrounding the tower that required unification and activation. What we created in response was a fluid base to the tower – reminiscent of the skirts of a southern belle’s dress in movement. The underlying structure – an elegant lattice structure – defines the form, while glass flows like a silk gown over the top, delicately undulating at points to respond to the connectivity that is required to link it to its surrounding urban grain. At the entrance, the façade raises up to allow for a prominent entrance (Fig. 10). It undulates down again at the south wall where the canopy becomes a screen, protecting Bishopsgate from the wind. Both of these buildings also approach public space three-dimensionally by bringing public activity up into their bodies.


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A successful tall building depends on the architect coordinating a series of independent and often opposing factors. It is also essential that architects communicate their ideas; getting through the intricacies of the planning process in the UK in many ways is a project in itself. The Heron inquiry, in particular, taught us a great deal about the need to effectively communicate our design and to take on board the needs of the wider community. Too often, stakeholders and policymakers are unwilling to work together; this hinders good design. Tall buildings are the product of a collaborative team effort and require the participation and dedication of all parties involved, if these buildings are to be successful.

Without London having a clear unified policy statement on tall building development, we are breaking new ground all the time. But is this any different than it was in the past centuries?

High quality, tall buildings can be not only sustainable, they can surprise, delight and inspire their users. As architects, we have to be prepared to rise to the challenge, assume responsibility and become the leading innovators in enabling this typology to move forward into the next century by pushing boundaries in design, technology and policy.

Who's Kohn Pederson Fox, does he work for British Land or something?

Who's Kohn Pederson Fox, does he work for British Land or something?

They're a firm of architects

Good find Will, I love the way the tower is an amorphous blob in plan view but rises with neat, straight lines on the skyline.

^^ the architectural firm i believe

EDIT: you got in there before me Tubeman :)

Ha, I need to get up to date with my architectural lingo I see. ;)

Couple of new renderings, taken from this PDF (http://www.planninginlondon.com/assets/pil%2058/polisano%20pil%2058.pdf) by Kohn Pederson Fox -http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b387/wjfox2005/London_general/bishopsgate/Footprint-and-elevation.jpg

The spiral shape of this building is a nice feature,but I might be wrong but it seems it will look bulky when you look at it from some angles.Maybe that wouldn't happen if it had a less irregular shape-something close to a circular shaped building.

Isn't this inaccurate?

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Isn't this inaccurate?

Not at all. This shows the relative sizes of the economies, and London is behind New York and Paris in this respect. Perhaps you're thinking about financial services and financial power, which is something different (and which London leads in).

Piling work has started on site.

^^wow, great news.

Apparently the current building should be coming down very soon, and work has started on Leadenhall (225m) and Heron (242m) aswell!

Here's a quick rendering I did earlier. This is viewed from London Bridge, the main crossing point into London's financial district:-


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