New Court - Rothschild HQ

by SmartGlass International.

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New Victoria offices "a game changer"

Land Securities' plans to build new London offices, residential properties and retail space in Victoria represent a major transformation for this area of the city.

This is according to a spokesman for the company, who told the Wall Street Journal that its scheme - which is unfolding over a period of ten years - is "a game changer for this part of the West End".

Last month, Westminster council decided to give planning permission to Land Securities for the redevelopment of Kingsgate House at 66-74 Victoria Street from a single block of offices to two structures containing 203,000 sq ft of high-quality commercial space, as well as 102 apartments.

The firm also finished work on the mixed-use Cardinal Place site five years ago, which offers 649,000 sq ft of space for retailers and businesses, is almost completely let and is valued at more than £200 million.

Other elements of the decade-long development plan include the transformation of Victoria offices at 62 Buckingham Gate and a commercial development at 123 Victoria Street, which is expected to be completed next year after planning consent was granted in 2010.

The investment in this part of London has been supported by an overhaul of Victoria Station to enable a more seamless experience for those travelling by tube or rail. Land Securities' projects in Victoria have been aided by a number of central government leases expiring, allowing the company to operate with the help of the local authorities.

It is hoped the relatively lower office rents in this area of the capital will attract more businesses to the commercial space available there. Some of the big names that have settled into Victoria offices over the last few years include Microsoft, the Telegraph Media Group and Google.

Other south-west London offices owned by Land Securities include the 354,000 sq ft Queen Anne's Gate, which is home to the Ministry of Justice, and Portland House, which has 26 floors providing around 10,000 sq ft of space each.

http://www.mellersh.co.uk/News/New-Victoria-offices-a-game-changer/801238510.aspx

London’s Largest Office Building To Be Built By Mace

The new London headquarters of the global financial firm UBS is going to come into existence with a record of being the largest office building in London. The building to be built by the International consultancy and construction company, Mace, will be located at 5 Broadgate. The client is British Land and Blackstone Group.

Expecting to house around 6,000 UBS employees, the building will have floor area of 1.2 million square feet and will rise to 14 storeys. Among these 14 storeys four storeys will be trading floors to accommodate 750 traders. Currently the 4 and 6 Broadgate are being demolished by Mace and then the foundation work, which is piling, will commence early next year.

Mace’s Chief Operating Officer for Construction, Gareth Lewis, said “Following our successful delivery of Ropemaker Place for British Land, we welcome the challenge of working with them to deliver another iconic building that sets new standards in green design and construction.”

The team has also been decided. The architect for the project is Mace, the building services engineer will be Watkins Payne, the structural engineer will be Buro Happold, M3 will be responsible for the project management. The cost consultancy is an important need when it comes to such buildings. The cost consultancy of the project will be managed by the subsidiary called Sense.

This building is going to be constructed as the “Greenest Building” in Square Mile. The building will be BREEAM rated and is being planned to incorporate certain green practices. They include the environmental features like energy performance while maintaining high sustainability standards. This building will hold a record for having the highest number of solar photovoltaic panels on any office building in London. It will also have other features like green roof, rain water harvesting, and heat reclamation to heat the floors.

http://www.crazyengineers.com/londons-largest-office-building-to-be-built-by-mace-1475/

_Oy3cTS0GDw

:okay:

British Land appoints Mace to build Broadgate
16 December 2011 | By Joey Gardiner

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Make-designed office scheme in the City thought to be worth £225m ($350 million) in total

Contractor Mace has secured the job to build the £225m Make-designed headquarters for bank UBS, which will replace part of the Broadgate complex at Liverpool Street Station.

Mace is thought to have secured the 1.2 million ft2 construction management job, set to be the largest office project in the capital, after negotiation with the owners of the current buildings, British Land and Blackstone.

When complete, 5 Broadgate will be 14 storeys high and will include four trading floors for 750 people, housing 6,000 UBS employees in total.

Mace declined to reveal the price of its contract, but Building understands that the construction cost of the whole project is likely to be in the region of £225m. As well as construction management, Mace’s contract will include the firm’s QS arm Sense being used as cost consultant.[...]

http://www.building.co.uk/news/contractors/british-land-appoints-mace-to-build-broadgate/5029162.article



Former London Stock Exchange site sold for £176m

Hammerson has sold the former site of the London Stock Exchange in the City for £176m ($274m) to Kuwait's sovereign wealth fund.

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The deal is a boost to the City of London property market – where about £5bn ($7.76 billion) of real estate is up for sale – because the price tag of the building is above its £165m valuation in June.

Analysts said the deal reinforces the City's appeal to overseas investors as they seek safe havens amid the eurozone debt crisis.

The LSE moved to its present base in Paternoster Square in 2004 after more than 30 years in refurbished offices at 60 Threadneedle Street, its historic home, where it oversaw the "Big Bang" and rapid growth of the City.

Hammerson bought the site in 2002 before redeveloping it into a new 214,000 sq ft office building with occupiers including Talbot Underwriting and The Toronto Dominion Bank.

David Atkins, chief executive of FTSE 100 property company Hammerson, said: "We have a clear strategy for London offices of creating high quality property through asset management and development, then recycling capital to realise value."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/constructionandproperty/8387834/Former-London-Stock-Exchange-site-sold-for-176m.html

New Generation of London Routemaster bus is unveiled

16 December 2011 Last updated at 22:18 Help
The new Routemaster bus, with an open hop-on hop-off platform at the rear, has been unveiled in London.

Eight of the new buses will run on route 38, between Victoria Station and Hackney, from 20 February.

The prototype was built in Northern Ireland in two years after London Mayor Boris Johnson committed to it in his manifesto. The Labour Party says the buses cost £1.3m each and were a "shiny vanity project".

The bus is a hybrid.

- It is 40% more fuel efficient than conventional diesel buses.

- It is 15% more fuel efficient than the current London hybrid buses already in operation.

- It reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by 40 per cent and particulate matter by 33 per cent compared with conventional diesel buses.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16224605

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Transport spending 'skewed towards London'

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Crossrail is one of the biggest infrastructure investments in London

The government spends more money on transport projects for Londoners than on those for the rest of the country combined, a think tank says.

The Institute for Public Policy Research North says £2,700 is spent per person in London compared with £5 per head in the north-east of England.

In a report out this week IPPR North says there is a "sharp disparity".

The government says its investment strategy is to maximise economic benefits for the country as a whole.

The Department for Transport said London is a global capital which supports a large number of commuters and it points out the government had recently approved additional investment of £1.4bn in transport schemes outside London.

But analysis by IPPR North shows almost half of major transport projects involving public funding benefit only London and the south-east, accounting for 84% of planned spending.[...]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-16235349

The fresh Routemaster bus is plain awesome, geil :applause:

London authority clings to Battersea Station plans

http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20111219&t=2&i=548677473&w=460&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=ALNE7BI18Q600

(Reuters) - London local government officials have told the administrator to the failed Battersea Power Station redevelopment that they want plans for the site to remain unchanged, protecting the building and tens of thousands of jobs.

The Grade II listed power station's four white chimneys have been a landmark on London's skyline for decades, but plans to redevelop the site have repeatedly run aground since power production there stopped nearly 30 years ago.

On Monday, Wandsworth Council leader Ravi Govindia and three other representatives from the local authority, who must approve plans for any new power station scheme, met with lenders to the site Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L) and Ireland's National Asset Management Agency NAMA.L, and administrator Ernst & Young.

They urged the administrator and banks to select a buyer who would not tear up redevelopment plans designed to create up to 25,000 jobs in the wider Nine Elms district.

"It was a listening exercise on both sides but we put across the fact that we don't want to see all the work done over the years scuppered," the economic development officer at Wandsworth Council, Mike Brook, told Reuters after the meeting at Ernst & Young's London offices.

The latest project foundered when Lloyds and NAMA put four companies -- all units of Battersea Powerstation Shareholder Vehicle Ltd -- linked to the site into administration on December 12 over 325 million pounds of debt.

BPSSV majority owner Real Estate Opportunities' (REO.L) 5.5 billion pounds office, housing and retail scheme for the power station aimed to create 15,000 jobs as part of a 10.1 million sq ft project that relied on extending the Northern Line tube to Battersea.

"No assurances were given but in drawing up their shortlist to sell the site they'd want to know there was a valid way forward," said Brook, who attended the meeting. "The key elements are job creation, the Northern Line extension and the retention of its iconic status."

RED-TAPE NIGHTMARE

Despite the desire to keep the building intact, developers told Reuters that demolishing the brick edifice, which would require UK government approval, would make any future development more financially viable.

"It's an ugly site that developers would ideally want to knock down as it will crumble in 10 years anyway," the chief executive of one FTSE-listed developer told Reuters. "I can't see the protection lobby allowing that to happen though."

Another source close to the scheme told Reuters on condition of anonymity that, the "biggest problem on the power station site has always been the power station."

However, changing the power station redevelopment plans would likely prove an obstacle to developers.

Minor alterations to the existing consent could take at least a year to work through, while material changes could take three-plus years before redevelopment work started on the crumbling site, planning experts told Reuters.

UK property developers British Land (BLND.L), Capital & Counties (CAPCC.L) and Development Securities (DSC.L) have been linked to the scheme, as well as sovereign wealth funds and Malaysian property company SP Setia (SETI.KL).

Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich was also eyeing the site as a possible new home, though property industry sources said the protracted planning process that a radically new scheme would entail counted against him.

Brook said administrators would move quickly to appoint an agent to sell the site as part of an "open and transparent sale process".

Previous failed plans for the site include a fairground, a base for circus act Cirque du Soleil and a scheme that included a restaurant table at the top of one of the chimneys.

In 1987, John Broome, a businessman close to then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher bought the site for 1.5 million and removed the roof before selling it on to a Hong Kong developer.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/19/uk-battersea-idUSLNE7BI03P20111219

The new routemasters do look the part, at first the headlights looked a little alien but they've grown on me. I'd like to see some interior shots, I know the latest Autocar issue showed some interior shots from the inside and to be honest, the outside looks better than the inside!

Fantastic design of the new buses! How many are there currently driving around of them? And are they going to replace all buses?

^ :)

London mayor Boris Johnson said the new Routemaster buses, which will come into service next year, were a "marvel of technology". The new buses will be 15 per cent more fuel-efficient than existing hybrid buses, and 40 per cent more efficient than conventional double-deckers, as well as much quieter. GPS technology will allow them to switch to electric power in traffic hotspots such as Oxford street, improving air quality in congested areas.Able to carry 87 people - 62 sitting and 25 standing - the new Routemaster will have a similar capacity to a conventional double-decker. Eight of the new buses will run on route 38, between Victoria Station and Hackney, from 20 February 2012, with the full fleet of 30 to 40 in service by 2013. The buses cost £1.3m each and were a "shiny vanity project".


oNpTzwjndMM

I'm reposting this from the UK forum...first cable car tower completed:
http://d4k7s9ho8qact.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/1912_cablecar.jpg

from londonist (http://londonist.com/2011/12/first-cable-car-tower-completed.php)

The Cablecar project is great. The cabins are shit though

The Place

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Irish property developers' grand vision for Battersea power station left in ruins

Tycoons Johnny Ronan and Richard Barrett bought London's derelict landmark five years ago with plans for a £5.5bn revamp

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The flamboyant Irish property tycoon Johnny Ronan and his business partner Richard Barrett have kept a low profile since their £5.5bn plan to revamp Battersea Power Station ignominiously collapsed into administration last week.

They bought the 16-hectare site with the derelict London landmark, Europe's biggest brick building, which has stood empty since it was decommissioned 28 years ago, for £400m in 2006. Five years later, their Real Estate Opportunities (REO) vehicle had run up debts of more than £500m and still not found an investor for the south-west London site.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/dec/20/irish-property-developers-battersea-power-station?newsfeed=true





Balfour wins £65m London Bath House office job

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Balfour Beatty Construction has been confirmed as the main contractor for the big Bath House office building project on Holborn Viaduct in London.

Construction information specialist Glenigan has confirmed that the contractor has secured the job after taking the basement and substructure package several months ago.

The builder beat rival bids from Bam Construct and Sir Robert McAlpine to take the 210,000 sq ft office development.

Private developer Favermead was forced to put the project on hold in 2007, but dusted off the plans which were drawn up by architect Kohn Pedersen Fox a year ago when the London office market started to stir.

Since then Axa Insurance was brought on board to jointly develop the office.

A key component of the redevelopment of 60 Holborn Viaduct is the rebuilding, in traditional materials, of the Gate House at the north east corner of the Farringdon Road – Holborn Viaduct junction.

The new Gate House will complete the existing set of three structures that were originally erected as a grand gesture during Victorian times.

http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2011/12/19/balfour-wins-65m-london-bath-house-office-job/

High Line Landscape Architect Tapped to Build an Olympic Labyrinth for the London Games

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The verdict is in: after launching a design competition in July for London’s forthcoming 50-acre Olympic Park, the Olympic Park Legacy Company has announced James Corner Field Operations and erect architecture as the winners.

James Corner, the New York-based landscape architect, put himself on the map after designing the celebrated and oft-copied High Line park. His other notable work is Freshkills Park, the former Staten Island landfill the borough will, with Corner’s help over the next 30 years, reclaim as a recreation area that will be twice the size of Central Park.

He's bringing his landscaping expertise to the Olympic Park's south end between the Olympic Stadium, the Aquatics Centre, and the park's centerpiece, the Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond-designed ArcelorMittal Orbit sculpture, a mammoth work of red, twisting tubular steel. He’ll be planting a hedge labyrinth (exciting!), event lawn, and outdoor theater along a tree-lined promenade.[.....]

http://artinfo.com/news/story/753844/high-line-landscape-architect-tapped-to-build-an-olympic-labyrinth-for-the-london-games

150 Stratford High Street

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Aerial view of the Olympic park, taken on December 16, 2011.

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London Bridge Station redevelopment gets green light from Southwark councillors
Wednesday 21 December 2011

Plans for a major redevelopment of London Bridge Station - including demolition of the South Eastern Railway offices in Tooley Street and permanent closure of Stainer Street and part of Weston Street - have been approved by Southwark's planning committee.

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The South Eastern Railway building currently stands in the space shown in the foreground of this image

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Network Rail says that 7,000 passengers an hour are expected to use the new Tooley Street entrance at peak times

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The proposed new station entrance on St Thomas Street

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The planning committee approved the proposals – designed by architects Grimshaw – by five votes to two at a packed meeting held on Tuesday night at the council's Tooley Street headquarters.

Preparatory work will start after the Olympic Games next summer and major work will begin in 2013. The station is due to be completed in 2018.

Introducing the four linked applications before the committee, planning officer Bridin O'Connor explained that the scheme has three main elements.

The first is the construction of a new street-level concourse to be created by removing the railway arches between Stainer Street and Weston Street, and the opening up of some of the vaults between Stainer Street and Joiner Street to create a new shopping area.

The second component of the scheme is the realignment of all the railway tracks running through the station. There are currently six through platforms (for trains to Charing Cross, Cannon Street and Blackfriars) and nine platforms for terminating trains. When the station is redeveloped there will be nine platforms for through trains and just six for services which have London Bridge as their destination. This aspect of the proposal doesn't require permission from the council as it was approved by the Government under the Transport and Works Act.

The third aspect of the station redevelopment is the proposed series of undulating canopies above the new platforms. Each platform will be covered along its full length but there will be no overall station roof.

Recommending the scheme for approval by members, Ms O'Connor said: "London Bridge Station as it currently exists is the culmination of incremental change over almost 200 years.[......]

http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/5747 :cheers2: :bow:

1EzLerT1sdE

^^

WOW! This is fucking nice :cheers:

Chobham Academy under construction

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Boris intervenes in Elephant & Castle Ministry of Sound skyscraper battle

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The proposed development seen from the junction of Borough High Street, Newington Causeway, Borough Road and Harper Road

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson has intervened in the battle between developers Oakmayne and the Ministry of Sound over a proposed skyscraper at Elephant & Castle.

In October Southwark Council's planning committee voted to reject a planning application by Oakmayne for a 41-storey tower designed by Allies and Morrison to be built on the site of Eileen House on Newington Causeway.

Opposition to the tower had been led by the Ministry of Sound which claims its nightclub would be forced out of business if new homes were built in close proximity to the busy venue which has a 24-hour licence.

Weeks later the planning committee approved a smaller residential tower just across the road which was also opposed by the Ministry of Sound.

It seemed likely that Oakmayne would lodge an appeal against the council's decision, but now the Mayor of London has decided to use his power to 'take over' the application from Southwark and make a decision himself.

"This development, with potential for more than 300 flats, office and retail space, is a significant proposal that impacts on the implementation of the Mayor's London Plan," said a spokesman for Mr Johnson.

"The Mayor therefore believes there are sound planning reasons for him to take over the application and scrutinise it in more detail."

A report to the Mayor by Greater London Authority officers casts doubt on whether Oakmayne's scheme contains the maximum possible level of affordable housing.

Oakmayne proposes that 85 flats in the 329-home scheme should be made available on a shared-ownership basis.

......

http://www.flickr.com/photos/insightful-light/6462690517/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Holy cow, that London Bridge Station redevelopment is absolutely amazing :cheers:.

^^ Definitely, but it's a shame that the slim & imposing southeastern railways building has to bite the dust to allow this redevelopment. It is one of the best buildings on tooley street imo, especially when walking from lb station or from more london.

London Wall Place Approved :banana:

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Waterloo development to allow 8,000 more passengers per day

Up to 8,000 extra passengers a day will flood through Waterloo after a major announcement today of new rolling stock and the redevelopment of the old Eurostar terminal for commuter services.

Transport Secretary Justine Greening promised fewer "sardine-can conditions" from May 2013 onwards with the investment for South West services from Windsor, Weybridge, Portsmouth, Southampton, Eastleigh, Reading, Hounslow and Alton.

Sixty extra carriages will be added with Government funding to enable longer trains and, from Reading, extra services. Platform 20 at the former Waterloo International Terminal will reopen for commuters from 2014.

Ms Greening said: "Passengers travelling into Waterloo have to suffer some of the busiest trains in the country, with sardine-can like conditions on many peak-time services.

"These extra carriages will help ease those conditions, while opening an extra platform will provide space for additional trains to run. But our plans do not stop here. We are now embarked on one of the largest programmes of rail investment since the Victorian era and we expect to introduce further carriages on Waterloo route and bring more platforms into use in the future."

Network Rail is continuing to progress plans to make further use of Waterloo and Waterloo International to cope with future demand.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-24024119-waterloo-development-to-allow-8000-more-passengers-per-day.do

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/news/fosters-submits-bloomberg-place-plans-for-city/5029341.article#

This is a massive disappointment. Nouvel's proposal was much better.

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/pictures/636x441fitpad[237]/0/4/9/1711049_Bloomberg-Place.JPG

^ I really like the London Wall Place development. I'm sure that this has been said before, but to me it looks like a load of PS2s stuck together. In a good way.

jDrfVYdhpGQ

Croydon Council HQ

by neuphin.

http://i40.tinypic.com/4ml5f.jpg

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London's boom is incredible :master:

Nice projects

These short, boring boxes are bloody awful and are a real disappointment. Rubbish... absolute rubbish. What is this country coming to?

http://i.imgur.com/F4KzK.jpg

They're good - look how much space they free up for public landscaping! The planners put a height limit on the site so they've done well not to design a single giant ground-scraper that offers nothing to the pedestrian. Architecturally its interesting from every angle, how can you call it boring!?

NEO Bankside | Southwark | U/C

by potto

http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/8975/20110820img7327.jpg

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/1764/neo1of13.jpg

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/7680/neo1of14.jpg

really amazing , greets from Buenos Aires Argentina , and good new year ! :cheers:

^^ a very happy new year to you too mate, all the best :cheers:

Aerial view of the Olympic park, taken on December 16, 2011.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6522281393_c121c30590_b.jpg

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what a LOT of trees they erased around the orbit site... apparently that area was quite beautiful and wild before the Olympics moved in

This is a massive disappointment. Nouvel's proposal was much better.

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/pictures/636x441fitpad[237]/0/4/9/1711049_Bloomberg-Place.JPG

I'm relieved - the previous development was too tall, the Nouvel proposal was too and missed the opportunity for a route through the site, It also would have had sheets of scale-less glass with last years Nouvel-brand spray colour all over it. This one is the right height, has human scale detail and has the route. Much better, sorry.

Happy New Year! :)


J--WBdwnyvI

^^oh!! great!!!

London location is very nice , london is very beautiful city
and great project..................:)
&&&&&&&&&&&&&Happy new year london.............:banana:
Picnic Spots Near Delhi (http://www.arounddelhi.net/?page_id=203)

London location is very nice , london is very beautiful city
and great project..................:)
&&&&Happy new year london.............:banana:
Picnic Spots Near Delhi (http://www.arounddelhi.net/?page_id=203)

2012.....The year of the Banana Boogie! :)

Hey guys. I'm making a website about the major London projects and was wondering if you could give this page a look over, do you like the layout, colour, information provided etc?

The home page is in my link but ill post the right page: http://www.shardldn.com/other-london-projects.html

Cheers and happy new year :cheers:

These short, boring boxes are bloody awful and are a real disappointment. Rubbish... absolute rubbish. What is this country coming to?I couldn't agree less. The site is not zoned for skyscrapers, and this design is an excellent solution imo. It's interesting and different from every angle. It has coherence, yet also succeeds in breaking up its bulk. When you look at all the images here (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=86910174&postcount=3028), you can see how interesting this will be to walk around.

New London Bridge Station


http://www.networkrail.co.uk/uploadedImages/networkrail.co.uk/Contents/Improvements/Stafford_%E2%80%93_Norton_Bridge(1)/Images/viewfromplatform.jpg

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/uploadedImages/networkrail.co.uk/Contents/Improvements/Stafford_%E2%80%93_Norton_Bridge(1)/Images/NewConcourse.jpg

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Brent Civic Centre, Wembley

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Planned designer outlet:

http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/440/64061470.jpg

http://www.london-designer-outlet.com/

Alberta House | Tower Hamlets | 82m | 24 fl | T/O

by chest
http://web.me.com/benveasey/_MG_5580.JPG

http://web.me.com/benveasey/_MG_5606.JPG

http://web.me.com/benveasey/_MG_5523.JPG

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http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/7680/neo1of14.jpg

The Tate Modern. <3

What's going on with the new develpment by Jacques Herzog? I loved the design.

'Europe's biggest' free wi-fi zone set for London

Mobile operator O2 is to provide free internet to "millions" of residents and visitors in central London by launching Europe's largest free wi-fi zone.

The service will be rolled out across the boroughs of Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea in 2012.

It will be powered by a system installed on street furniture.

O2 said the deal, which will have no cost to the taxpayer, will enable visitors to "make the most of what London has to offer".

Read more - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16440911


http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/57733000/jpg/_57733663_bigben_edit.jpg

:cheers:

awesome, just cant wait to start Olimpic Games! GJ London !

Baby Shard

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6678093053_c029aeeaf3_b.jpg
by cliffpatte (http://www.flickr.com/people/cliffpatte/)

New London Bridge Station

This station is sooo amazing. :drool:

Great news!

The worlds largest insurance broker AON will move its global headquarters from Chicago to London instead, so that it can access global markets better and be in closer proximity to Lloyd's of London (the worlds oldest and largest insurance market).

Bloomberg explain why they made the move...
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-13/aon-to-move-headquarters-to-london-from-chicago-to-be-near-lloyd-s-market.html

Aon Will Move Headquarters to London From Chicago to Access Global Economy

Aon Corp. (AON), the world’s largest insurance broker, will move its corporate headquarters to London from Chicago to give the firm better access to emerging economies and the Lloyd’s of London insurance market. More... (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-13/aon-to-move-headquarters-to-london-from-chicago-to-be-near-lloyd-s-market.html)

:banana:

renders of "baby shard" ? :)

Londoners are proud of the Shard, which will be Western Europe's tallest building when it is completed later this year - but a new report may force the capital to swallow its pride.

http://i.thisislondon.co.uk/i/pix/2012/01/skyscraper-415.jpg

It finds an "unhealthy correlation" between the building of skyscrapers and subsequent financial crashes, identifying nearly 20 cases in the past 150 years where architectural exuberance has preceded an economic fall. The report by Barclays Capital cites nearly 20 famous examples around the world, ranging from the Empire State Building in New York to Dubai's Burj Khalifa.

Report author Andrew Lawrence said the pattern appears to hold in London. He cites the completion of Tower 42 in 1979, ahead of the early 1980s recession, of One Canada Square in Canary Wharf in 1991 amid another downturn and the Millennium Tower in 2009, in the midst of the current crisis as examples.

Lawrence concludes that with China and India currently building dozens of towers, it may be time to think twice about investing in emerging markets.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-business/article-24027001-shard-words-before-a-fall.do

http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/pictures/384xAny/1/8/1/1275181_bloomberg_foster.jpg
This project is much better than Nouvel's horrible project.

Boris Johnson engulfed in a conflict of interests row after approving controversial development (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/2012/01/13/boris-johnson-engulfed-in-a-conflict-of-interests-row-after-approving-controversial-development-115875-23696923/)

13/01/2012

http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/jan2012/7/1/the-planned-re-development-of-80-charlotte-street-385576110.jpg

Top Tory Boris Johnson has been engulfed in a conflict of interest row after approving a controversial £125million building project linked to scandal-hit lobbyists Bell Pottinger.

The Mayor of London overruled town hall chiefs who had blocked the luxury flats, offices and shops development in the heart of the capital’s West End.

Mr Johnson acted just weeks after hiring fellow Tory Sir Edward Lister as his Deputy Mayor, with responsibility for planning.

Sir Edward’s son Matthew works for Bell Pottinger, which acts for the real estate firm behind the Charlotte Street redevelopment – Derwent London.

A Titanic response: Tens of thousands snap up tickets for new £90million visitor centre

Nearly 35,000 people have pre-ordered tickets to tour a new £90million Titanic visitor attraction in Belfast, proving that the tragic story can still move enthusiasts almost a century on.

The interest in Titanic Belfast, the centre dedicated to the doomed liner, emerged as its operators marked 100 days until Northern Ireland's largest ever tourism project opens its doors.

A total of 400,000 are expected to pay a visit in its first year. The eye-catching building, which is made up of 3,000 aluminium panels shaped like the vessel's hull, has been built on the spot where the liner was first rolled into the water in 1911.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/12/23/article-0-0F404FD100000578-217_634x326.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/12/23/article-2077946-0F404C1200000578-655_634x354.jpg

...........

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2077946/Titanic-Belfast-visitor-centre-Tens-thousands-snap-tickets-new-90m-attraction.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2077946/Titanic-Belfast-visitor-centre-Tens-thousands-snap-tickets-new-90m-attraction.html

London? ? ?

sorry wrong thread lolz

Axa Real Estate constructs London offices

Axa Real Estate Investment Managers appoints Balfour Beatty as the principal contractor to deliver the final construction phase of Sixty London, a prime London office development.

The next phase of Axa Real Estate’s work on the Grade A, 215,000 sq ft scheme, designed by Kohn Pederson Fox Associates, has kicked off with completion due in summer 2013.

Development Venture III, advised by Axa Real Estate (“DVIII”) in partnership with Favermead, is speculatively developing the project - previously the site of Bath House - to ensure delivery into a supply-constrained London office market in 2013.

Since the partnership began in March 2011, Axa Real Estate’s UK development team has worked with the design team to evolve the building’s design and architecture, among other things increasing the floor area by 20,000 sq ft, as well as improving the size and presence of the office reception area.

Sixty London is within 20 minutes from London’s busiest mainline railway stations, including King’s Cross St .Pancras, Victoria, London Bridge, Euston, Liverpool Street, Waterloo and Paddington.

All five of London’s airports are also within an hour’s reach.

It is opposite the City Thameslink station and two minutes walk from Farringdon, which, upon the introduction of Crossrail, is expected to become one of London’s busiest transport nodes. It is also just five minutes’ walk from the new shopping centre, One New Change.

In addition to the 215,000 sq ft of office space, Sixty London will offer 20,000 sq ft of retail and restaurant accommodation on the ground floor and discussions are underway with a number of potential occupiers who would further enhance the building and the local area.

Elsewhere within the City of London, Axa Real Estate is developing 60,000 sq ft of new offices with 20,000 sq ft of retail / restaurant space and 10,000 sq ft of prime residential apartments at 1 St Paul’s, as well as 160,000 sq ft of new office space at 6 Bevis Marks in conjunction with MGPA and Eurohypo.

Sixty London was the first UK transaction for DVIII which was launched in July 2010 and has raised €588.5m (£491.6m) to date.

DVIII seeks to invest across Europe, making use of the specialist local development expertise in AXA Real Estate’s teams in the UK, France, Italy, Spain and Germany.

Harry Badham, UK director of development of Axa Real Estate, said: “Our team has worked incredibly hard over the past year to finalise and enhance the design and specification of Sixty London and to procure a construction programme - which began last summer - that meets our 2013 delivery timetable.

“We are now very excited to hand over the final construction phase to Balfour Beatty, which has an excellent team and track record, to deliver this fantastic new prime office building.”

http://www.ftadviser.com/2012/01/13/investments/property/axa-real-estate-constructs-london-offices-65UT8M5ZbgbcjG1C3eQ1zM/article.html

Kuwait eyes $1.5 billion London property deal

German fund KanAm is in talks with the real estate arm of Kuwait about the sale of a 1 billion pound portfolio of four London properties that includes Deutsche Bank's (DBKGn.DE) UK base, a source close to the matter told Reuters.

The sale by the German open-ended fund includes buildings occupied by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Thomson Reuters (TRI.TO), underlining the strength of London's safe-haven appeal for real estate investors.

Kuwait's St Martins property investment company has carried out detailed due diligence on the portfolio, in addition to Malaysian investment fund Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), the source told Reuters.

On Wednesday, Reuters reported PNB was in talks with KanAm for some or all of the portfolio, alongside at least one other bidder.

"About 10 companies did due diligence but these two spent more time and money than the rest," the source said, adding a completed deal may be several weeks away.

One possibility under discussion was the sale of three of the buildings to PNB, though nothing had been finalised, the source said.

A KanAm spokesman declined to comment on the identity of the bidders.

German open-ended property funds, which allow investors to withdraw money any time, will sell more assets after legislative changes last year made it difficult for large investors to exit at short notice, property broker CBRE (CBG.N) said in June.

The KanAm fund, which has some 4 billion euros ($5.1 billion) of assets under management, is closed for a second time.

...

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/01/13/uk-kanam-kuwait-idUKTRE80C0PB20120113

by Light Parade.

Needleman Street/Surrey Quays Road

http://i701.photobucket.com/albums/ww14/lightparade1960/P1000081.jpg

http://i701.photobucket.com/albums/ww14/lightparade1960/P1000082.jpg

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62 Buckingham Gate

by *Nurse*.

http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/h382/nurse_B/62buckGate.jpg

London to get new road tunnel under River Thames within decade, promises Boris Johnson

The proposed tunnel, between the Greenwich peninsula and Silvertown in the Royal Docks, will have a capacity of 2,400 vehicles an hour in each direction, and will relieve pressure on existing tunnels at Blackwall and Rotherhithe to the west.

Speaking to London government leaders this evening, Mr Johnson will describe the tunnel as part of a package of transport investment to support the capital's growth. He will also promise that a new ferry crossing between Beckton and Thamesmead at Gallions Reach will be open for traffic by 2017, creating a further transport link in east London.

"When I look at London, I see a city of incredible potential and tonight I will make the case for a huge new phase of investment in the capital, including a major new river crossing east of Tower Bridge,'' said Mr Johnson.

''We are in the right time zone, speak the right language and have the young, skilled population to continue to attract investment from the world's greatest businesses. This is not a time for London to falter it is a time for London to flourish.''

Transport for London will begin preliminary consultation work on the Silvertown Tunnel in February, said the mayor. In his speech in the City of London tonight, Mr Johnson will say that TfL is also pushing ahead with preparations for an extension to the Northern Line of the London Underground to Battersea, which has not previously been served by the Tube.

Darren Johnson, a Green Party member of the London Assembly, said: "The London mayor can't claim that air pollution or climate change are a priority whilst proposing to build a traffic-generating road like this Silvertown Tunnel.

"The last mayor lost the public inquiry on the ground that a bridge at Gallions Reach would increase traffic in east London and add to pollution. This tunnel is a straightforward attempt to double capacity around the Blackwall Tunnel and will generate extra traffic all over east London.

"I don't understand how Boris Johnson can support this bridge when air pollution in London is already failing both national and European standards."

AA president Edmund King said: "The Thames is a barrier to mobility, employment and enterprise in east London. The Seine in Paris has almost twice as many river crossings as we have over or under the Thames. This proposed new tunnel is most welcome and could do much to alleviate congestion and emissions around the Blackwall Tunnel.

"It is not good for the environment having traffic waiting 20 minutes to use the Blackwall Tunnel. We support these proposals although it remains to be seen how the tunnel will be paid for."

Friends of the Earth's London campaigner, Jenny Bates, said: "A new road tunnel and car ferry will bring misery to Londoners by creating more noise, more traffic and more pollution.

"If Boris Johnson wants to keep his pledge to make London the world's greenest capital, his transport policy needs to go in a different direction."

Labour member of the London Assembly John Biggs said: "One of Boris Johnson's first moves when he came to power was to scrap plans for a new bridge in east London and throw away its funding to the tune of hundreds of millions.

"We've now been waiting almost four years. If he hadn't been so short-sighted back in 2008, we could have been opening a river crossing now. Instead, all we have is a tunnel that is years away and doesn't appear to have any funding behind it."

Mr Biggs noted that Chancellor George Osborne did not make any commitment to fund the Silvertown crossing in his Autumn Statement.

In the November 29 statement, Mr Osborne said: "The Government will work with the Mayor of London and Transport for London to explore options for proposed additional river crossings, for example at Silvertown, and we will support the extension of the Northern Line to Battersea in partnership with the private sector."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/9009627/London-to-get-new-road-tunnel-under-River-Thames-within-decade-promises-Boris-Johnson.html

Early plans for Elephant & Castle’s new leisure centre go on show

Initial plans for the redevelopment of Elephant & Castle Leisure Centre have been put on display. The new centre - with swimming pool - will be part-funded by an adjacent high-rise block of private flats.

Last year Southwark Council sold the eastern half of the site occupied by the existing Elephant & Castle Leisure Centre to Lend Lease, its development partner for the Heygate Estate redevelopment.

The council plans to use the proceeds of the sale to fund a new leisure centre – with swimming pool – on the western half of the site. Controversially, Lend Lease's development on the front half of the site will not include any affordable housing.

Last summer Lend Lease appointed Squire & Partners to design the residential tower while the council has picked S&P architects to design the new leisure centre.

Dozens of local residents turned out on Saturday for the first day of the public exhibition of the initial proposals for both halves of the site.

"The new leisure centre promises to be a very high quality facility, in the heart of Elephant & Castle's regeneration area, and with a brand new 25-metre pool, one which local people have asked for," says Cllr Fiona Colley, Southwark's cabinet member for regeneration.

“The consultation process throughout the development of Elephant & Castle is extremely important – we want to hear people's views to shape the future of the area. It's this kind of thorough, two-way conversation with those who are interested which results in the best outcomes, the most exciting projects and the most sustainable communities.

“I urge people to come along and voice their opinions, positive and negative, so we can see what the leisure centre could look like."

The new leisure centre will include a new six lane 25-metre swimming pool, learner pool, sports hall, gym, exercise studios, spinning room, creche and cafe. However – despite cross-party calls for a rethink – the council has concluded that squash courts won't be included.

The amount of sports hall space will also be halved compared to the existing centre: the current building houses eight badminton courts' worth of space but the proposals include a single four-court sports hall.

The residential development at the front of the site is likely to include around 280 new homes in a tower between 35 and 37 storeys high, with shops and restaurants at ground level. The plans are expected to include a unit suitable for a small supermarket.

A further public exhibition will be held this spring before planning applications are submitted. If everything runs to schedule, the existing leisure centre will close in the summer, demolition will start in the autumn and the new facility will be open in 2014.

http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/5778

by Wild@Heart.

Saffron Square

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/blommerz/MEMO0008.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/blommerz/MEMO0009.jpg

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd394/blommerz/MEMO0012.jpg

Canary Wharf has secured a £190m loan facility to build the 23-storey tower at 25 Churchill Place, which is half pre-let to the European Medecines Agency (EMA).

Construction is due to start in early 2012.

http://www.constructionenquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/Picture-661.png

:cheers2:

:banana: Canary Wharf Group set to double the size of the skyscraper district by 2021

UPDATE 2-Canary Wharf diversifies with 90 mln stg buy

Wed Jan 18, 2012 6:32am EST

How Wood Wharf will look by 2021.
http://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/public/assets/news/2012/01/1326875326_wood-wharf.jpg



* Buys full control of Wood Wharf site next to Canary Wharf

* Pays 52.4 mln stg for British Waterways' 50 pct stake

* Pays 38 mln stg for Ballymore's 25 pct stake

By Brenda Goh

LONDON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Canary Wharf Group underscored its faith in the development potential of its financial hub in east London with the 90.4 million pounds ($138.8 million) purchase of full control of a semi-derelict site adjacent to its existing estate.

Purchase of the Wood Wharf site to the east of Canary Wharf -- for which ambitious development plans envisage more offices, apartments and a hotel -- marks the next phase in the company's long-term plans for its Canary Wharf estate.

The site has over the past 24 years come to rival London's City financial district, attracting tenants including HSBC and Citigroup, and the purchase shows Canary Wharf's belief in strong future demand despite the financial sector's current woes.

It also allows CWG, majority owned by Songbird Estates and which owned 25 percent of Wood Wharf, to diversify its office-led property portfolio.

"For us it is interesting because Wood Wharf is a genuine mixed-use development at Canary Wharf, which has just been a pure commercial development. It does mark us in a slightly different direction," a CWG spokesman said on Wednesday.

About 3.3 million square feet of offices and shops, 1,600 homes and a hotel are planned for the 16.8 acre Wood Wharf site, representing almost a third of the Canary Wharf estate. It already has detailed consent for 1.5 million sq ft of offices.

"We are becoming more involved with residential development and we see that continuing with the Wood Wharf development," the spokesman said.

Canary Wharf is a 97-acre estate with about 15 million sq ft of offices and retail. Of that CWG owns about 6.9 million sq ft and has consent for a further 5.3 mln sq ft.

The acquisition comes as investment banks severely prune back staff numbers and as companies shelve planned moves amid global financial turmoil, leaving some London developers struggling to attract tenants.

Law firm CMS Cameron McKenna and wealth manager Schroders are among companies that have recently pulled out of pre-let deals in major London schemes.

MIXED USE

CWG paid 52.4 million pounds for a 50 percent interest in Wood Wharf owned by British Waterways and 38 million for Irish developer Ballymore's 25 percent.

The deal with British Waterways included an annual ground rental payment to the government body, which will increase to 6 million pounds by 2016.

CWG may start construction of Wood Wharf's residential portion before the commercial aspect and would seek pre-lets for at least a third of the office space before commencing development, the spokesman said.

In September, CWG Chairman George Iacobescu said the group aimed to double the size of Canary Wharf by 2021, soaking up capacity for an extra 100,000 passengers a day from the Crossrail transport project and undertaking demand-led developments.

"We see this as a positive transaction, as Canary Wharf has now control over the timing and design of the Wood Wharf scheme," J.P.Morgan Cazenove analyst Harm Meijer said in a note, adding the site's price of 25 pounds per sq ft was attractive.

"In addition, Canary Wharf diversifies its portfolio and Wood Wharf will benefit from Canary Wharf's existing infrastructure," he said.

At 1112 GMT, Songbird shares were up 1.4 percent at 112.5 pence, outperforming a 0.7 rise in the broader index of UK property stocks.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/18/canarywharf-idUSL6E8CI0P620120118

Wood Wharf construction to begin.

http://www.rsh-p.com/Asp/uploadedFiles/image/4660_Wood_Wharf/4660_N11_main.jpg

http://www.rsh-p.com/work/all_projects/wood_wharf

9 years of construction (assuming it starts this year) - go for it, I say!

go london and good bye frankfurt :wave:

canary is my prefered CBD and it will continue to be. :)

Just fantastic!

Ballymore's site shows an impression of how the tallest building in the plans a 62 floor residential tower) could look. Quite Rotterdam-esque IMO.

http://ballymoregroup.com/SiteResources/Corporate/Developments/wood-wharf-new.jpg

Good to see there's a possibilty of Wood Wharf slowly happening. Canary Wharf really needs to get it going again.

Canary Wharf needs some new designs, something that might just push the envelope of the blocky glass box. Otherwise it's starting to look dated, which is the kiss of death especially in competition with The City, and all its history, dynamism, plurality, edgy designs and transport links.

Very impressive! Canary Wharf will certainly become one of the finest areas in the world when talking about modern architecture. The mixture of canals and skyscrapers gives it in my opinion a very futuristic feeling. I just hope they will keep it elegant and not like many of the new skyscrapers projected in London in the last years, which look rather weird and somehow childish.

Canary Wharf needs some new designs, something that might just push the envelope of the blocky glass box. Otherwise it's starting to look dated, which is the kiss of death especially in competition with The City, and all its history, dynamism, plurality, edgy designs and transport links.

I have to agree, the Comubus Tower was quite a rare yet different proposal which has now disappeared off the face of the earth.

Good to see there's a possibilty of Wood Wharf slowly happening. Canary Wharf really needs to get it going again.


I was in canary wharf On the weekend... There is loads of construction going on.

Ballymore's site shows an impression of how the tallest building in the plans a 62 floor residential tower) could look. Quite Rotterdam-esque IMO.

i suppose it looks alright although i don't expect it to become an icon. cw needs more 200m+ buildings in order to expand the skyline to the left side (opposite to o2). the cluster is not very defense at present and it's a lot smaller compared to la defense. but i am sure the weaknesses of cw will be fixed in a few years, the city is doing well with it's u/c quality projects and more towers are also being built in southwark at the same time. the good thing about london is that it can offer various kinds of skylines. :)


http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6082/6113419220_8fb8b8b1eb_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kreason/6113419220/)
[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/kreason/]Kevin Reason (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kreason/6113419220/)

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6172/6208622477_ea2d46a51b_b.jpg
by LiamCH

I was in canary wharf On the weekend... There is loads of construction going on.

Sure, I suppose not so striking residential towers and projects like Crossrail. I meant something above 200 metres.

The Royal Artillery Barracks Woolwich Common

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6710600003_2049b118f6_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16479383@N04/6710600003/)
[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/16479383@N04/]cocabeenslinky (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16479383@N04/6710600003/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6710600291_e90c41b496_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16479383@N04/6710600291/)

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/16479383@N04/6710600291/) by cocabeenslinky (http://www.flickr.com/people/16479383@N04/), on Flickr

^^ Horrible :puke: , looks like a cow :S

Yes... like an UFO cow :shifty:

^ :D

New development around Greenwich Peninsula

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6716072469_685d111067_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16479383@N04/6716072469/)
Greenwich Peninsula Spire &amp; 14 Pier Walk (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16479383@N04/6716072469/) by cocabeenslinky (http://www.flickr.com/people/16479383@N04/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6716073901_6cd482ed5c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16479383@N04/6716073901/)
Ravensbouren College - Greenwich Peninsula (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16479383@N04/6716073901/) by cocabeenslinky (http://www.flickr.com/people/16479383@N04/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6707411627_ec8f959374_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianvisits/6707411627/)
Southern Terminus Building (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianvisits/6707411627/) by IanVisits (http://www.flickr.com/people/ianvisits/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6707411007_d68cc558e0_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianvisits/6707411007/)
Southern Terminus Building (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianvisits/6707411007/) by IanVisits (http://www.flickr.com/people/ianvisits/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6707409125_19263e6dc6_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianvisits/6707409125/)
Northern Pylon from Dock Road (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianvisits/6707409125/) by IanVisits (http://www.flickr.com/people/ianvisits/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6707410269_f82a4a31b6_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianvisits/6707410269/)
Northern Pylon from a DLR station (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianvisits/6707410269/) by IanVisits (http://www.flickr.com/people/ianvisits/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6707407595_9a81bdb91f_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianvisits/6707407595/)
Two forms of transport (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianvisits/6707407595/) by IanVisits (http://www.flickr.com/people/ianvisits/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6707408361_0ae27c1a50_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianvisits/6707408361/)
Cable Car and Dinky Little Railway (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianvisits/6707408361/) by IanVisits (http://www.flickr.com/people/ianvisits/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6704536695_d7ac8c2aba_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/i_noriyuki/6704536695/)
The Point (http://www.flickr.com/photos/i_noriyuki/6704536695/) by i_noriyuki (http://www.flickr.com/people/i_noriyuki/), on Flickr

Never thought the cable car pillars would have such a big impact. :eek:

That pillar is quite impressive. Can't wait to ride over the Thames in that thing :D

by SE9

This is the new under-construction terminal at Heathrow, for Star Alliance airliners:

http://www.imgplace.com/img268/1825/642gx.jpg

http://www.imgplace.com/img268/9121/60222.jpg

http://www.imgplace.com/img190/6899/3222p.jpg

Looks similar to heathrow 5, is this an extension to T2?

Looks similar to heathrow 5, is this an extension to T2?

Yes, it looks very similar to Terminal 5 and it's almost as big as it. Now, this is not an extension, it's replacing the old terminal who closed in 2009.

New airport for London: Boris Island lift-off: New move to back airport in Thames Estuary

An airport in the Thames Estuary has moved a step closer with the Government set to include the plans in a consultation.The airport has been nicknamed Boris Island because it has been championed by London Mayor Boris Johnson, and would be built on an artificial island made of landfill.It would become Britain’s main international hub, handling 300,000 passengers a day. Having ruled out a third runway at Heathrow after opposition from locals and environmental groups, the Government is ‘increasingly interested’ in the idea. It will be included in a consultation on the future of UK aviation which will begin in March.However, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is said to be opposed to the scheme, which he believes has not been thought through.And critics yesterday said the proposal was too expensive and would be bad for the environment.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/01/19/article-2088376-0F85807000000578-229_964x610.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/01/18/article-0-0F836D4800000578-420_964x562.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/01/18/article-0-0F836E5800000578-574_964x425.jpg

The scheme is expected to cost between £40billion and £70billion. Mr Johnson has also praised separate designs by architect Lord Foster for a £50billion airport on a sparse strip of land on the Isle of Grain in Kent, which juts out into the estuary.But it is the plan for an airport built on an artificial island that is to be part of the consultation.The airport would have four runways, with space to build two more. Ferries, a road and a railway bridge would link the site to Kent and Essex. Planes would descend over the North Sea rather than densely populated parts of London, as many do when coming in to Heathrow. Mr Johnson said yesterday: ‘The Government is increasingly interested in this idea.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/01/18/article-0-0F836CE900000578-398_964x754.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/01/18/article-0-0F836D6E00000578-915_964x482.jpg

You can’t go on expecting Britain to compete economically with France and Germany and other European countries when we simply can’t supply the flights to growth destinations such as China and Latin America. We are now being left badly behind.’But British Airways and its parent company IAG said the Boris Island airport would sound the death knell for Heathrow. ‘A Thames Estuary hub airport would be an extremely complex project with many technical, operational, environmental and financial hurdles to overcome,’ they said.Colin Matthews, chief executive of airport operator BAA, which runs Heathrow, said: ‘An island airport is very expensive. Even if it is agreed, it will be decades away. We need jobs and we need growth in this economy today.’ Downing Street said no decisions had been made but ministers wanted to explore all options.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2088376/New-London-airport-Thames-Estuary-favoured-Government-says-Boris-Johnson.html

1 Lansdown Road Wins Approval

1 Landsdowne Road in Croydon has been approved by the local council's planning committee.

http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/2550/30141lansdownroadwinsap.jpg

Having previously been called the Odalisk until it was rebranded, the CZWG skyscraper will be the tallest building in the borough of Croydon on the outskirts of south London if built with a height 198.6 metres and 51 floors above ground.

Incidentally, this height will also make the main tower of the scheme the tallest residential building in the United Kingdom beating the currently under construction St George Wharf in Vauxhall.

As well as the 397 apartments, each of which comes with its very own internal wintergarden (of a varying size depending on the budget the occupier has), there will be a 217 room hotel overlooking Wellesley Road that could well have a top floor restaurant, space for offices, and ground floor retail.

1 Lansdowne Road is being developed by Guildhouse-Rosepride LLP, who are something of an unknown quantity when it comes to constructing tall buildings. Nonetheless, with Piers Gough's firm CZWG on board and a distinctive design boasting decorative curves on its façade, they do have a product to mark them out from the bland.

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=3014

a height 198.6 metres and 51 floors above ground.

that's a shame really. they should increase 1.4 meters so this building will be classified as a skyscraper rather than a highrise. :ohno:

that's a shame really. they should increase 1.4 meters so this building will be classified as a skyscraper rather than a highrise. :ohno:

So they should spend more money to alter the design of the tower just so that it can attain an arbitrary label on an internet forum?

Christ...what world are you living in?

So they should spend more money to alter the design of the tower just so that it can attain an arbitrary label on an internet forum?

Christ...what world are you living in?

are you on crack blad? the increase of just 1.4 meters won't cost them a fortune and "to alter the design" is just irrelevant and unnecessary thing to say. even 200m building built in croydon won't make a big impact on the london skyline, considering that this building would be too isolated from the current clusters. london has got about 50 towers at present (about 25 more than frankfurt) which stand above 100m+ but majority of them are just invisible in almost all the pictures except a handful amount of skyscrapers in the city and about 3 or 4 in cw. buildings are too far apart and insanely spread out and no wonder why most people say london skyline sucks. imo london needs more towers which height is at least equivalent to 1cs or above in order to make an impact on the skyline and to form a good looking cluster.

and please stop stalking me, you're freaking me out.

Cable car in London? :wtf: Why?!?!

by wawd

City Peninsula

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5304/5595597277_461a76843b_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5108/5595600279_f73530362e_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5171/5509265081_d5902e3e9d_b.jpg

Cable car in London? :wtf: Why?!?!

Why not? :D

Cable car in London? :wtf: Why?!?!
Because it's something different, a new tourist attraction, a source of income for London, and it's a useful river crossing for the area, to save having to drive. Plus, I bet the views will be great. :D

cable cars is the most wanted things i want to see my next time in london.

Each time i go iam at docklands which is truly remarkable landscape.
Even my wife is sold on this part of London.
We have the impression to breathe a fresh ocean air there. i love this part of london , it is my prefered. Everytime i choose to take a room or apart there.

This cable car for a photograph will be a fantastic point of view for pics... :cheers:

Water quality sewage upgrade project at half-way point

19 January 2012

http://www.edie.net/news/images/21712.jpg

A major sewage upgrade project which aims to increase the capacity of London's treatment works by 50% is half-way towards completion, according to Thames Water.

The £140m works at Modgen sewage works in Isleworth, London started in August 2010 as part of a London-wide scheme to invest £675m in all five sewage works in the capital.

According to Thames Water, these upgrades will increase the amount of sewage the sites can treat. This is expected to reduce the need for storm tanks and limit storm discharges into the river.

It is anticipated the work will also improve the standard of sewage treatment at each of the works, helping Thames Water improve water quality in the Thames.

The work is expected to complete by March 2013.

Thames Water head of programme delivery, Nick Fawcett, said: "We still have a 200-strong team working on the site but the focus of the activity is now shifting from civil engineering - such as building foundations and tanks, to mechanical engineering and electrical installation, which will help to get the tanks up and running."

http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=21712&channel=0&title=Water+quality+sewage+upgrade+project+at+half-way+point+

are you on crack blad? the increase of just 1.4 meters won't cost them a fortune and "to alter the design" is just irrelevant and unnecessary thing to say. even 200m building built in croydon won't make a big impact on the london skyline, considering that this building would be too isolated from the current clusters. london has got about 50 towers at present (about 25 more than frankfurt) which stand above 100m+ but majority of them are just invisible in almost all the pictures except a handful amount of skyscrapers in the city and about 3 or 4 in cw. buildings are too far apart and insanely spread out and no wonder why most people say london skyline sucks. imo london needs more towers which height is at least equivalent to 1cs or above in order to make an impact on the skyline and to form a good looking cluster.

and please stop stalking me, you're freaking me out.

This might seem strange to many skyscraper fans, but "normal people" in their day to day lives couldn't care less if a building is officially considered a skyscraper or not.

"Thames Water head of programme delivery, Nick Fawcett, said.....:hahaha:

Cable car in London? :wtf: Why?!?!

PLAz1lM0zgs

and please stop stalking me, you're freaking me out.

How am I stalking you? You post in EVERY fucking thread on this forum. It's impossible to avoid you.

How am I stalking you? You post in EVERY fucking thread on this forum. It's impossible to avoid you.

http://www.bvimusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/calm-down.jpg

perhaps you also visit every fcuking single thread on this entire ssc?

what about if you just calm the fcuk down and stop criticising my posts? you're genuinely getting on my nerves, now move on.

PLAz1lM0zgs

Isn't it a temporary structure?

Isn't it a temporary structure?

No.

Centre Point Set For Residential-led Overhaul

Listed modernist London icon, Centre Point, which stands atop the key junction between New Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road has had plans mooted for an overhaul that would turn it into a largely residential building.

Controversial when built, the tower itself has gradually become more and more loved as the years have gone past, although compliments are usually framed with the counterpoint that the base is a mess.

Developed Almacantar is the latest to propose its redevelopment after the previous ideas by Targetfollow fell by the wayside following their collapse during the world financial crisis.

Almacantar, which picked up Centre Point for £120 million in 2010, has hired Conran & Partners to convert the main tower into a selection of new flats from its current office space that was only renovated five years ago by Rolfe Judd Architects.

In addition to them, Rick Mather has been signed up to give the interior of Centre Point House an overhaul. Less famous than its taller brother, this is the low-rise Seifert apartment block that stands next to the tower.

Mather has already established a reputation as a tasteful renovator of listed buildings as any visitor to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, a project which he led, will testify.

Here, the key for both firms will be rejuvenate the interior of the tower, and exploit to the full the lucrative location in London's West End and stunning views, whilst respecting the listed fabric of the building and retaining its exterior look. If done well it could prove as popular as Trellick Tower, another sixties building that has been given a new lease of life.

As such the only major external change is expected to be finally dealing with the messy base of the tower. The main problem with this is the road that runs through the site that has managed to take on the appearance of a dreary bus-choked underpass. The plans could see this road finally removed and a public space replace it which will prove something of a relief for the pedestrians which have to cross it.

Although Almacantar is a new name in the London property business the company brings much experience to the table - Mike Hussey, the former head of Land Securities now runs it, so any proposals should be taken seriously.

The developer is due to show off their proposals for the site for the first time next month.

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=3015

I love the cablecar project.

kool

IMb1a-eFHWg

Santander sells Thames Water stake to China

Two Iberian investors were behind the surprise sale of an 8.68pc stake in Thames Water to a Chinese sovereign wealth fund, in a deal that follows British government attempts to court infrastructure investment from China.

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02114/thames_2114635b.jpg

.................

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/utilities/9026906/Santander-sells-Thames-Water-stake-to-China.html

London, like Hong Kong, could build a new airport within a decade

21 Jan 2012 Thames Estuary airport proposals

SIR – Planning studies carried out for the 2001 airports White Paper looked at the whole of the South East. It would be plain common sense to build as close as possible to the heart of England but, while there are several sites with potential, the fury which would result from even thinking about a massive new inland airport would make HS2 look like a picnic.

Both the Lord Foster plan and the Boris Island plan for the Thames Estuary ignore a preferable site. In the 1999 study that included the estuary, the transport department preferred the Isle of Grain site. In the last decade the Isle of Grain has become less suitable, with the further development of the gas terminal.

The other estuary option then favoured by many of the study team was to build on the edge of the Isle of Sheppey.

The advantages of Sheppey remain as they were then: greatly reduced noise impact on south-east London; distance from Heathrow sufficient for both airports to operate to the full; adequate clearances from both the gas terminal and the USS Richard Montgomery.

The M2 and Channel tunnel rail link would be no farther than for the Foster site and the costs of construction would be no greater.

Boris Island, by comparison, would be far more costly and take longer to build. Without unduly prolonging consultation, Sheppey should be given consideration as a more sensible compromise site.

.................

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/9028817/London-like-Hong-Kong-could-build-a-new-airport-within-a-decade.html

London 2012: 675 social rented homes for new village

20 January 2012

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/57157000/jpg/_57157828_eastvillage.jpg

The number of apartments in the Olympic Village that will become rented social housing once athletes have used them this summer has been outlined.

The village in Stratford, east London, will accommodate competitors during the Olympics and Paralympics but once the Games end it will become East Village.

Triathlon Homes, the owner of the development's 1,379 affordable homes, has announced that 675 units will be rented as social housing.

Newham Council will receive 350.

The development will also have 1,439 private homes which will mainly be available to rent and set at the market rate.

The village, within the Olympic Park, is designed to be a lasting legacy of the Games.

Of the homes allocated for rented social use, 100 will be shared among other east London boroughs including Barking and Dagenham and Hackney.

...................

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16655455

Hilton Wembley U/C

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6707361291_d615d7c9eb_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36593372@N04/6707361291/)
More blocks to fit (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36593372@N04/6707361291/) by (Mick Baker)rooster (http://www.flickr.com/people/36593372@N04/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6707636799_3101463590_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36593372@N04/6707636799/)
Hilton Wembley (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36593372@N04/6707636799/) by (Mick Baker)rooster (http://www.flickr.com/people/36593372@N04/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6707068877_9bf095a7b4_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36593372@N04/6707068877/)
Wembley Hilton Hotel (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36593372@N04/6707068877/) by (Mick Baker)rooster (http://www.flickr.com/people/36593372@N04/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6441443855_b2f471a8fe_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/edwenn/6441443855/)
Shrouded (http://www.flickr.com/photos/edwenn/6441443855/) by Ed Wenn (http://www.flickr.com/people/edwenn/), on Flickr

:cripes:

London River Park Postponed

Plans for a floating river park on the north bank of the Thames have been scuppered for the time being. In a letter seen by Property Week, and cited in Building Design, the company behind the project confirmed to stakeholders that construction of the park will not go ahead before the Olympics.

The London River Park, a 1km walkway stretching between Blackfriars Bridge and Tower Bridge, was strongly backed by Boris Johnson and had been pencilled in for deployment ahead of the Olympics. However, objections from local residents and a less-than stellar reception from key bodies including the Port of London Authority has led to the proposal being withdrawn and placed under review.

The letter states that the plans have not been totally abandoned, and that further details will be released in early 2012

http://londonist.com/2012/01/london-river-park-postponed.php

http://www.lablog.nl/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/River-park1.jpg

Nice progress since the last time I saw this one.

Hilton Wembley U/C
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6707636799_3101463590_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36593372@N04/6707636799/)
Hilton Wembley (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36593372@N04/6707636799/) by (Mick Baker)rooster (http://www.flickr.com/people/36593372@N04/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6707068877_9bf095a7b4_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36593372@N04/6707068877/)
Wembley Hilton Hotel (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36593372@N04/6707068877/) by (Mick Baker)rooster (http://www.flickr.com/people/36593372@N04/), on Flickr[/I][/SIZE]

Pinnacle delayed???

london seems to grow faster than economic reality :)

^^ Indeed, it's on hold again... :(

Pinnacle delayed???

london seems to grow faster than economic reality :)

:ohno:

London skyscraper stalls as builders down tools (http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/01/20/uk-pinnacle-idUKTRE80J1L020120120)

(Reuters) - Construction of what will become the tallest skyscraper in London's financial district has stalled after builders downed tools over funding concerns, a source close to the matter told Reuters.

Canadian firm Brookfield Construction restarted building work on the Pinnacle tower late last year after it slowed to a virtual standstill as developer Arab Investments tried to secure the next stage of funding for the 945-feet tower.

A deal was struck that included a 500 million pounds debt facility from a group of lenders including HSBC and HSH Nordbank, plus the injection of new equity from Saudi Arabia-based investor consortium Sedco.

It was reliant on the developer pre-letting a chunk of the tower to lower the scheme's risk, which it has not yet done. The tower is currently at an early stage of construction, appearing as a stump in the ground.

"About a week ago building work stopped," the source said. "The bottom line is that the Pinnacle will need looking at from a funding point of view or a sizeable pre-let which is difficult in this market."

A Brookfield spokesman declined to comment and Arab Investments was not immediately available for comment.

The 64-storey skyscraper is one of several under construction in central London. HSH has already provided 140 million pounds of debt to help buy and prepare the site for the main construction work while Sedco has put in several hundred million pounds to date.

Although developers had hoped to exploit a shortage of high quality office space over the next several years, the financial crisis has meant many companies are reluctant to sign pre-let deals that make such speculative schemes viable.

London skyscrapers the Shard, the Pinnacle, the Walkie Talkie, the Cheesegrater and the tower at 100 Bishopsgate are at varying stages of build and have only signed one office deal between them.

http://londonist.com/2012/01/pinnacle-skyscraper-delayed-again.php


Pinnacle Skyscraper Delayed Again
By Dean · January 23, 2012 at 12:38 pm · 0 Comments · Latest News ·

For the second time, work on the Bishopsgate Tower, aka the Pinnacle or the Helter-Skelter, has been halted because of financial concerns. The developer, Arab Investments, has for the time being failed to pre-let enough of the tower to guarantee a half-billion pound package from HSBC.

The core of the on-again off-again skyscraper is currently nudging past the ninth floor, with work having only re-started last year after it was put on hold in late 2010. Should it ever reach its full height of 288m, it would be the tallest building in the Square Mile.

London’s clutch of new skyscrapers has been the subject of much criticism and discussion recently, with one report from Barclays suggesting that tall buildings could be harbingers of recession. While the argument is a flawed one, the appearance of all this new office space may not be what the capital needs in the years ahead: Reuters notes that the four most conspicuous under-construction towers, the Shard, 100 Fenchurch Street (Walkie-Talkie) and 122 Leadenhall Street (Cheesegrater) and the Bishopsgate Tower, have signed only a single office deal between them. Not a sign of a healthy market, then.

:banana::bash:

London company is the best company. its service is the best of world.
every work is too good and many construction working in this time ...may i thanks for the company so give me a chance to create the post and link thanku very much


:cheers:
Travel and tourism places in haryana (http://www.thefortramgarh.com)

BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16686471)

London 2012: Olympics to create 'record' wireless spectrum demand

23 January

The London Olympic and Paralympic Games are likely to require up to 20,000 separate wireless frequency assignments, according to the communications regulator Ofcom. The organisation says that is nearly double the amount of licences that it granted for the city over the course of last year.

The body says that new broadcast technologies are helping drive demand.

Ofcom plans to finalise its Spectrum Olympics Plan by early February.

The regulator says it approved 12,505 applications in 2011.

It has already received 10,000 requests covering the seven-week period of the Games, but expects that number to rise thanks to the event being "the biggest media event in history".

Ofcom says demand will come from a variety of sources:

-Wireless television cameras used to provide close-up shots of the competitors
-Wireless microphones offering broadcasters a range of sound sources
-Location, timing and scoring technologies
-Sports commentaries offered to spectators
-Communications systems for broadcasters, security personnel and the emergency services

[....]

£80 million project will see renovation of Commonwealth Institute

http://i39.tinypic.com/2ef58na.jpg

The Design Museum has unveiled plans for the transformation of the Commonwealth Institute in west London to become a new museum for design and architecture.

The £80 million project will see John Pawson redesign the interior of the grade II* listed building, while OMA will draw up plans for a surrounding residential development.

Pawson said: “The most exciting thing about the project is that, at the end of it all, London will have a world-class museum of design, with galleries for permanent and temporary exhibitions, education spaces and a library.

http://i42.tinypic.com/2lvmdy.jpg

“There is particularly nice symbolism in the fact that in making this legacy for future generations, we are saving a work of iconic architecture. I hope the result will demonstrate that you don’t need to demolish old buildings to make wonderful new public space.”

In its new home the museum will have three times the space it has at its current premises in Tower Hill, and is expecting some 500,000 visitors a year.

http://i43.tinypic.com/311v385.jpg

The ground floor will have three temporary exhibition spaces and a cafe and 200-seat auditiorium will also be created.

The new museum, which is being backed by Chelsfield Partners and the Ilchester Estate, will open in 2014. Some £18 million in funds is still needed to ensure completion.

http://i40.tinypic.com/112d85w.jpg

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/

gP_VuHVNvX4

This hotel is truly fantastic!! i was near excel last time.

This hotel is truly fantastic!! i was near excel last time.

i am still looking forward to seeing more fantastic pics from you, merci :)

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/

it will be a great change in terms of architecture and renovation :cheers:

Kidbrooke Regeneration

originally posted by SE9.

Phase 3
Village Centre SE3
Greenwich

Winter 11/12: Submission of the detailed design for Phase 3.


http://www.imgplace.com/img403/8859/322vc.jpg

http://www.imgplace.com/img840/4721/37done.jpg

http://www.imgplace.com/img528/4426/133vc.jpg

London Estuary Airport Expansions (http://www.ukprogressive.co.uk/london-airports-the-maplin-story/article17033.html)

25/01/2012

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02113/est_2113233b.jpg

Airports in the Thames estuary are nothing new. They were headline news 40 years ago. David Hurst, these days an aviation consultant, was a young press officer with the British Airports Authority at the time. He now delves into the memory (and archives).

Much of the detail comes from government papers in the National Archives plus the annual reports of British Airports Authority and Port of London Authority (PLA). The name did not change to BAA Plc until privatisation in 1988. The 2011 statistics are those of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Current fuel price is from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) website. There are no surviving archives from the British Airports Authority predecessor to BAA Ltd. PLA archives are in the Docklands Museum though their Maplin boxes have not been consulted and are unsorted.

[....]

Horniman and Museum of London to receive £20 million a year in funding (http://www.spoonfed.co.uk/spooners/spoonfed-arts-team-8139/horniman-and-museum-of-london-to-receive-arts-council-renaissance-funding-6382/)

24 January, 2012

http://www.travelsnitch.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/TS_Museum_of_London_2.jpg

Staff at the Horniman Museum and Museum of London will be celebrating tonight after the two London institutions were included in Arts Council England's sixteen-strong list of Renaissance Major partner museums. The selected museums will receive a total of around £20 million a year in funding over the next three years.

The announcement comes after the Arts Council was given responsibility for museum development following the abolition of the Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) in the coalition government's 'bonfire of the quangos'. In line with the Arts Council's focus on transparency, this is the first time that major Renaissance grants have been decided through an open application process with published criteria.

[...]

Outer London offices part of £177m financial boost

Mayor of the capital Boris Johnson has revealed financial plans to boost some of the boroughs in which businesses have outer London offices. In total, £177 million is being pumped into the city to help regenerate it, with a second round of financing from the £50 million Outer London Fund hoped to revitalise boroughs such as Harrow and Bromley.

Nearly £3 million is to go towards Harrow town centre, with the creation of a Business Improvement District and work to better transport access on the agenda. Bromley is to receive more than £5 million, with Mr Johnson claiming almost 500 local firms with outer London offices here will benefit from several projects.

The £70 million Regeneration Fund will also be put towards developments such as a £5.3 million fashion outlet hub in Hackney town centre, new London offices and retail space in Southwark and the development of a Crossrail station in Ealing.

Mr Johnson commented: "London is the motor of the UK economy and prosperous local high streets are the collective beating heart." He added investment in its town centres is required to bolster local economic growth.

Residents and businesses with London offices were also reminded by the mayor to take part in the public consultation on the transformation of 3,000 hectares of riverside land in east London.

The London Riverside Opportunity Area extends across Havering, Newham and Barking and Dagenham, and Mr Johnson said he believes thousands of jobs and new homes can be created as a result of the redevelopment of this area.

Part of the plans includes creating a Green Enterprise District to be at the forefront of green technologies.

"London riverside has the potential for tremendous economic growth," Mr Johnson said, adding the area offers a number of advantages, such as "available land for reuse, position, transport links and open spaces".

http://www.mellersh.co.uk/News/Outer-London-offices-part-of-177m-financial-boost/801267652.aspx

gP_VuHVNvX4

great building indeed :bow:

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6226/6215282327_c5dff4fcb8_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dyntr/6215282327/)
05.10.11 | Double Curve. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dyntr/6215282327/) by Dyntr (http://www.flickr.com/people/dyntr/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6448474539_feb2838a88_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/costermk/6448474539/)
A Loft - Excel Centre London (http://www.flickr.com/photos/costermk/6448474539/) by costermk (http://www.flickr.com/people/costermk/), on Flickr

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6101/6210113943_aee38ba11f_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogersg/6210113943/)
Aloft London ExCeL #7.1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogersg/6210113943/) by George Rex (http://www.flickr.com/people/rogersg/), on Flickr

King's Cross Station U/C

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/17244_1_JMP%20Kings%20X%20005%20Credit%20Hufton%20+%20Crow.jpg

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/17244_3_JMP%20Kings%20X%20005%20Credit%20Hufton%20+%20Crow%20(2).jpg

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/17244_4_JMP%20Kings%20X%20005%20Credit%20Hufton%20+%20Crow%20(3).jpg

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/17244_2_JMP%20Kings%20X%20005%20Credit%20Hufton%20+%20Crow%20(1).jpg


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7175/6730126783_28fe42b827_b.jpg

A true architectural jewel :applause:

Fantastic! :cheers2:

New Canning Town centre plans are approved

The “rebirth” of Canning Town centre has moved a step closer - with residents told to expect more jobs and opportunities. Plans for the first phase of the area’s development, including affordable housing and a supermarket, were approved by the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC).

The new site will reconnect the areas north and south of the A13 flyover, Canning Town corner with Barking Road and Rathbone Market. It will include space for 179 private and affordable homes, 424 square metres of retail space, a Morrisons supermarket, an ‘energy centre’ and space for car parking.

Work on the scheme, developed by Bouygues Development and One Housing Group, will start towards the end of the year.

Clive Dutton, Newham Council’s executive director for regeneration and inward investment, said: “To be delivering a new, £600m town centre scheme in the current market is huge acheivement.

“The Bouygues Development scheme will spur on not only the wider Canning Town and Custom House regeneration scheme, it will also give momentum to the wealth of opportunities running from The Royals through to Stratford,

“It is further evidence that east London and Newham in particular are at the heart of London’s future economic growth.”

The entire £3.7bn Canning Town and Custom House regeneration scheme will include more than 1,000 housing units, 30,000 square metres of leisure and retail space, and community facilities.

Work is planned to be completed by 2023.

Peter Andrews, chief executive of the LTGDC, said: “The impact of this decision will be truly transformational.
“Canning Town’s regeneration did not happen when the DLR and Jubilee lines were put in place but this sustained effort by LGTDC and Newham Council will provide a truer platform for the area’s rebirth.

“Canning Town may well be the last example of substantial regeneration outside of the Olympic Park.”

http://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/news/new_canning_town_centre_plans_are_approved_1_1182734

they used British museum design for king cross :)

Thought the same, it has a British Museum look.

Thought the same, it has a British Museum look.

+1

do you think they are both built by the same architect? :shifty:

http://www.study.uk.com/upload/gallery/large/British%20Museum.jpg

No idea but don't think so.

Saffron Square - Croydon - 134 metres

by #Alex.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6766727669_8da6bd246d_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/26431629@N05/6766727669/)
Saffron Square (http://www.flickr.com/photos/26431629@N05/6766727669/) by #Alex. (http://www.flickr.com/people/26431629@N05/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6766728125_1b8acab8f7_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/26431629@N05/6766728125/)
Saffron Square (http://www.flickr.com/photos/26431629@N05/6766728125/) by #Alex. (http://www.flickr.com/people/26431629@N05/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6766728427_5fde31216e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/26431629@N05/6766728427/)
Saffron Square (http://www.flickr.com/photos/26431629@N05/6766728427/) by #Alex. (http://www.flickr.com/people/26431629@N05/), on Flickr

+1

do you think they are both built by the same architect? :shifty:



perhaps no but the king cross architect renovation has passed some times of his life in British museum :lol:

The Place does not stop rising! :cool:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6766900589_2915cf23bc_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogersg/6766900589/)
The Place / London Bridge Quarter (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogersg/6766900589/) by George Rex (http://www.flickr.com/people/rogersg/), on Flickr

More floors since the last time I saw a pic. :cheers2:

Kidbrooke Regeneration

originally posted by SE9.

Phase 4
Kidbrooke Park Road SE3
Greenwich

Winter 11/12: Submission of the detailed design for Phase 4.



Overview: Phase 4 buildings in white

http://www.imgplace.com/img46/38/711kidov.jpg

CGIs

http://www.imgplace.com/img845/3054/162kidov.jpg

http://www.imgplace.com/img545/8026/113kidov.jpg

http://www.imgplace.com/img844/9264/534kidov.jpg

http://www.imgplace.com/img713/8656/565kidov.jpg

The Tate Modern. <3

What's going on with the new develpment by Jacques Herzog? I loved the design.

It is progressing,

the ground works have been nearly completed and the basement "oil tank" galleries will open this summer while the main superstructure, which is the bit you are probably most interested in, will require additional funding to get started, slow but steady progress.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=377117&page=29

Nine Elms scheme approved

http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/images/_Exterior__Marco_Polo_House__36_Queenstown_Road__London__SW8_-_The_Marcus_Cooper_Group_web.jpg

A planning application to create 456 new homes in the Nine Elms regeneration zone has been approved by Wandsworth Council. The new Marco Polo House development would also provide more than 1,200 square metres of commercial space for new shops, cafes, restaurants and offices.

The site is located on Queenstown Road to the east of Battersea Park and is currently occupied by an office building. A new pedestrian walkway would run through the development alongside a public garden, public courtyard and outdoor children's play areas.

Sixty-eight apartments will be made available to local first-time-buyer through a shared ownership scheme. A total of 607 cycle parking spaces will be provided on the site and 141 car parking bays. Three spaces will be set aside for car club vehicles.

As part of a Section 106 legal agreement the developer will pay more than £12million towards local infrastructure upgrades including two new Northern Line stations and an expansion of the Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme.

Other contributions secured by the council include £252,000 towards the Nine Elms Local Employment initiative, £2.5million for affordable housing programmes in other parts of the regeneration area and £92,500 towards improvements to Battersea Park.

Wandsworth Council's planning chairman Cllr Nick Cuff said: "This scheme would create hundreds of new homes and provide almost £12million towards improving local services and infrastructure. Nine Elms has begun to transform on an enormous scale. Building work is already underway on several major schemes and more planning applications will soon be coming forward.

"The Government's commitment to extending the Northern Line has reinforced investor confidence and it won't be too long before a new residential and business district has taken shape."

The redevelopment proposal was approved on Thursday 19 January by the council's planning applications committee. The Nine Elms and Vauxhall opportunity area includes 450 acres of land between Battersea Park and Lambeth Bridge on the south bank of the Thames.

The London Plan anticipates up to 16,000 new homes and 25,000 new jobs will be created here as the area is redeveloped. Work is now underway on major development schemes including St George's Vauxhall Tower scheme and St James Group's Riverlight development.

Enabling works are also underway on the site of the new US Embassy which is expected to open in Nine Elms in 2017. The area also includes Battersea Power Station which has planning permission for more than 4,000 new homes and a new town centre development.

Other major schemes include:

Parkside
Embassy Gardens
The Garden at New Covent Garden Market
One Nine Elms
Sainsbury's Nine Elms
Vauxhall Island
Vauxhall Square
Sky Gardens
Hampton House
30-60 South Lambeth Road
Black Prince Road

More redevelopment proposals have been unveiled recently including National Grid's plans for a mixed use scheme on the Battersea Gas Holders site.

http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/article/10975/nine_elms_scheme_approved?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Wandsworth+Borough+Council&utm_campaign=1139949_january+26&dm_i=XWH,OFL9,4SGYHN,1Z06O,1

^^ great innovation

does anyone know the name of this tower?

http://www.estatesgazette.com/blogs/london-residential-research/vauxhall%20cross%201.jpg

Vauxhall Towers?

^ i just found some info and it's called Vauxhall Cross Island Tower2 :happy:

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/4510VauxhallCrossIslandTower2_pic1.jpg

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/4510VauxhallCrossIslandTower2_pic2.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6745203235_55a15a7075_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36593372@N04/6745203235/)
Wembley Hilton Hotel (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36593372@N04/6745203235/) by (Mick Baker)rooster (http://www.flickr.com/people/36593372@N04/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6745210515_e44ee4e521_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36593372@N04/6745210515/)
Wembley Hilton Hotel (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36593372@N04/6745210515/) by (Mick Baker)rooster (http://www.flickr.com/people/36593372@N04/), on Flickr

I don't know what's the current state of those towers.

I don't know what's the current state of those towers.

Cancelled (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=291996) but there might be a possible revival.

Cancelled (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=291996) but there might be a possible revival.

i thought it was a new proposed residential tower in southwark. it's not really nice to know it was already cancelled :( but thx for the info :)

Cancelled (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=291996) but there might be a possible revival.

That's what I thought but at least there's St. George Wharf nearby.

Read some of the comments in the last couple of pages in the thread I posted and it seems that the views are different. The thread clearly says cancelled but some members say that in fact it is an error. Maybe you should ask in the thread, they will have more info.

Thanks. :okay: And hopefully they're right.

£80M plans unveiled to create world's leading Design Museum in London (http://www.creativeboom.co.uk/news/80m-plans-unveiled-to-create-worlds-leading-design-museum-in-london/)

The Design Museum has unveiled plans to create the world’s leading museum of design and architecture at the former Commonwealth Institute building in Kensington, London. Designs for the site have been produced by two of the world’s most innovative architectural practices: John Pawson has redesigned the interior of the Grade 2* listed building and OMA has planned the surrounding residential development.

The move will allow the new Design Museum to become a word class centre for design, nurturing British talent and its international influence on design of all kinds. It will bring the museum into Kensington’s cultural quarter, where it will join the V&A, Science Museum, Natural History Museum, Royal College of Art and Serpentine Gallery, creating a platform for the promotion and support of the next generation of creative talent.

[.....]

Woolwich Central

UTdkPQ2OcU0

Upon completion:

http://www.woolwichcentral.com/ImageGen.ashx?image=/media/2597/woolwich-external-02.jpg&width=795&compression=100

http://www.woolwichcentral.com/ImageGen.ashx?image=/media/2573/dev03.jpg&width=795&compression=100

http://www.woolwichcentral.com/ImageGen.ashx?image=/media/2586/dev02.jpg&width=795&compression=100

http://www.woolwichcentral.com/ImageGen.ashx?image=/media/2578/dev01.jpg&width=795&compression=100

http://www.woolwichcentral.com/ImageGen.ashx?image=/media/2592/woolwich-external-01.jpg&width=795&compression=100

beautiful design!

this is big news!!!

UBS confirms deal to move into new UK headquarters (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/constructionandproperty/9048852/UBS-confirms-deal-to-move-into-new-UK-headquarters.html)

The Swiss bank will move into a 700,000 sq ft office development at the Broadgate estate after completing the biggest ever pre-let agreement in the City.

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01524/british-land_1524270c.jpg

The project has attracted criticism from English Heritage, although a move to scupper the project by listing Broadgate was blocked by the Government last year.The deal with British Land and Blackstone, which own Broadgate, was initially unveiled in May 2010. However, it has taken months to iron out the details. This had prompted jitters in the property industry that the deal could fall apart, particularly with the uncertain economic environment and law firm CMS Cameron McKenna pulling out of a similar deal.The lengthy negotiations are likely to mean a significant pay-day for the advisers and lawyers.British Land said the parties had needed to agree "remaining minor conditions". These are thought to relate to the future of UBS's existing offices at Broadgate.

[....]

Jan 30th 2012

ISG Hits The Right Note With Octave (http://www.industrytoday.co.uk/Construction/isg-hits-the-right-note-with-octave/9516)


BlueCrest to list UK feeder fund for $13.6bn strategy (http://www.investmentweek.co.uk/investment-week/news/2142239/bluecrest-list-uk-feeder-fund-usd136bn-strategy)

Nine Elms office blocks to be transformed into 400 homes (http://www.24dash.com/news/housing/2012-01-30-New-plans-for-400-homes-towers-in-Nine-Elms)

Plans to redevelop two office blocks into 400 homes have been submitted to Wandsworth Council as part of the wider Nine Elms regeneration.

http://www.24dash.com/media/image/2012/01/30/41716/300_Image_Nine_elms_market_towers.JPG

The proposed mixed-use development would see the Market Towers, in South London, transformed into hundreds of homes, a hotel and a new public square with shops, restaurants and cafés.

Called ‘One Nine Elms’, the scheme is a joint venture by CIT and Green Properties, designed by architect Kohn Pederson Fox.

The site is located in the east of Nine Elms - central London’s biggest regeneration project.

The area has already begun to transform with work now underway on St George's Vauxhall Tower scheme and St James Group's Riverlight development.

Enabling works are also underway on the site of the new US Embassy which is expected to open in 2017.

Council leader Ravi Govindia said: “Nine Elms is London’s leading development hotspot. The transformation is now underway and a new residential and business district will soon take shape.

“More than 20 sites are now gearing up for redevelopment and work has begun on some of the most exciting schemes. In all, 16,000 homes will be built here alongside enough new business and cultural space to support 25,000 new jobs.

[....]

Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-31/russian-investors-target-london-s-)

Russians Target London Luxury Home Purchases
Jan 31, 2012

Russian investors increased their share of luxury-home purchases in London’s most expensive neighborhoods more than any other group in the fourth quarter, Hamptons International said, as Vladimir Putin bids to regain the presidency in March amid growing opposition. Russians accounted for 16 percent of all transactions in the Chelsea, Kensington, Knightsbridge and Belgravia neighborhoods handled by the London-based broker, according to a report today. That was up from 5 percent in the previous three months and 1 point more the combined total for European Union countries.

“It’s a precaution against things going too far in the wrong direction,” Adam Challis, head of residential research, said by phone. “The very well-connected folk realized that there was going to be some serious political uncertainty and that they’re better off putting their money into London property.” Russian Prime Minister Putin faces the biggest challenge to his rule since coming to power 12 years ago after allegations of fraud in Dec. 4 legislative polls sparked mass protests. Putin’s voter support has fallen to 37 percent, according to an opinion poll by the independent Levada Center, indicating he will need to face one of the four opposition candidates in a second-round run-off.

[.....]

Financial Times (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a9c99764-4b4e-11e1-a325-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1l2JCkMx3)

British Land signs accord to build HQ for UBS

http://i.imgur.com/aIJXW.jpg

Construction of one of largest office buildings in the City of London is set to begin after an accord was finalised between UBS and British Land, the property developer. British Land announced an unconditional agreement with the Swiss banking group to develop a 700,000 sq ft building at the Broadgate estate in London’s main financial district it co-owns with Blackstone.

The building, to be the bank’s main UK base, should be ready by the fourth quarter of 2014, British Land said on Monday.
UBS is set to lease it for about 18 years at an initial rent of £54.50 per sq ft, with increases in line with inflation. While a deal for UBS to remain on the office campus was agreed in 2010, the announcement was nevertheless “another significant milestone” in the development, said Tim Roberts, head of offices for British Land.

[.....]

Finally go-ahead for Tottenham's new stadium:


Tottenham Hotspur secure funding for new stadium next to White Hart Lane

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/11/25/article-1333006-0C3C9E0A000005DC-418_634x428.jpg

Tottenham have moved one step closer to achieving their aim of building a new stadium next to White Hart Lane after revealing they have reached a new funding agreement with London Mayor Boris Johnson and Haringey Council.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/tottenham-hotspur/9051754/Tottenham-Hotspur-secure-funding-for-new-stadium-next-to-White-Hart-Lane.html



:applause:

the new hotspur stadiums a brilliant design but for me its just too much like arsenals emirates, are they the same architect??

they are cousins

interior view

http://www.project-resourceblog.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Tottenham-Hotspur-new-stadium-internal1.jpg

seems amazing!!! great news!! ;)

Nine Elms office blocks to be transformed into 400 homes (http://www.24dash.com/news/housing/2012-01-30-New-plans-for-400-homes-towers-in-Nine-Elms)

I'm really looking forward to the projects in this area. And great news on the stadium!

Parker Building

originally posted by Officer Dibble.

http://i44.tinypic.com/2rzqjd3.jpg

http://i40.tinypic.com/t971x3.jpg

http://i41.tinypic.com/fjm1wz.jpg

http://www.bermondseyspa.co.uk/

Tottengham Court Road Station Entrance

Crossrail today unveiled striking new designs for Tottenham Court Road Crossrail station, one of the biggest stations on the Crossrail route. The updated designs not only provide Londoners with a first glimpse of the new station but also an indication of the scale of the station's eventual size. The new Crossrail station will be integrated with the Tube station to form a combined station that will stretch from Soho to Centre Point.

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/3835/tcrcrossrailtickethall1.jpg
http://www.heart.co.uk/london/news/local/crossrail-station-unveiled/

^^ beautiful!

:cheers:

Silicon London is first choice of base for Google, Facebook and other tech giants (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/feb/01/silicon-london-google-facebook-tech)

1 February 2012

The capital's young workforce and wealth of start-ups are behind last year's doubling in demand for office space for IT firms

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2012/2/1/1328122554528/Quadrant-3-development-re-007.jpg
Telefónica, the Spanish owner of O2, has announced it is leasing office space for its global headquarters in the Quadrant 3 development just off Piccadilly Circus

Tech clusters are springing up all over London as international heavyweights including Google, Groupon and Facebook expand and scores of startups try to establish themselves.

Three weeks ago Spanish telecoms group Telefónica, which owns O2, chose Regent Street, central London, as the headquarters of its new global digital business. Telefónica Digital will take the fourth and fifth floors, totalling 51,000 sq ft, in the Crown Estate's Quadrant 3 development near Piccadilly Circus, which also contains a Whole Foods store and two restored 1930s Art Deco restaurants.

Matthew Key, chief executive of Telefónica Digital, said: "London is undoubtedly at the forefront of the current digital revolution and was a natural choice for us to establish our new headquarters in.

"London is arguably the biggest hub for technology startups outside Silicon Valley and a global centre for the media and advertising industries. It attracts the best talent and, for an international business such as ours, acts as a unique bridge between Europe and the Americas."

[....]

Canada Water Tower Set To Rise (http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=3022)

01-02-2012

The more observant Londonites may have noticed that work has begun on one of Barratt Homes current projects at Canada Water Building A4, which happens to be the tallest element of the project.

With the tower crane now in place, work has started on the towers reinforced concrete frame whilst the construction of a protective scaffold gantry is to be erected around the underground station entrance.

Due to the operating hours of the station this will happen between 10pm and 5am each day when the station is closed, although the precise date of this work is still to be agreed with the London Underground.

Designed by Glenn Howells, the tower was first proposed in 2009. Once complete it will stand at around 80 metres in height to the tip of the façade overrun. As additional phases on the Canada Waters development the scheme includes four low-rise block forms part of Phase A that add up to 688 new homes.

Despite looking like a slim affair, the massing of the tower is actually based on nearby council blocks, Regina Point and Columbia Point.

Cladding it is a mixture of glazed panels and white vertical beams. The tower is topped by a fully glazed façade that overruns the roof by two storeys offering not only an interesting focal point but also protection for the towers roof garden.

Completion is set for 2014 with a core soon to grace the London skyline.

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/3022CanadaWaterTowerSetToRise_pic1.jpg

Architects: CZWG / Piers Gough, 2011. Now open, although surroundings still being finished off. London Borough of Southwark.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6797211575_34a2bbc672_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogersg/6797211575/)
Canada Water Library / Jan 2012 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogersg/6797211575/) by George Rex (http://www.flickr.com/people/rogersg/), on Flickr



Three-floor office building with ground floor occupied by its architects. London Borough of Southwark.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6781325157_e3b201a0c3_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogersg/6781325157/)
Pyramid Building / Jubilee Yard (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogersg/6781325157/) by George Rex (http://www.flickr.com/people/rogersg/), on Flickr

Marine Wharf

I've been neglecting Marine Wharf (http://www.berkeleygroup.co.uk/berkeley/marine-wharf/), Berkeley's big new development just south of Greenland Dock and the South Dock marina, not far from Surrey Quays shopping centre etc (and Deptford to the south, with Greenwich beyond). They're promising 454 flats, a Tesco metro, cafés and restaurants, a residents' gym, and a "new linear park on Grand Canal Avenue", which actually looks rather nice.

Well now Berkeley have launched the first phase, Sirius House, and have put out a first edition of a newsletter (although with no real news in, just the same marketing material as on the website and in the brochure).

I don't know if actual construction has started - would appreciate any intelligence if anyone is in the neighbourhood.

Here's the location (flag A on the google maps caps):

http://i43.tinypic.com/2rz6fys.jpg

http://i40.tinypic.com/vkfac.jpg

http://i41.tinypic.com/34hfk87.jpg

Here are PDF links to brochure (http://www.berkeleygroup.co.uk/media/pdf/o/0/12436_34_BUR_MW_FPLAN_BRO.pdf) and January 2012 newsletter (http://www.berkeleygroup.co.uk/media/pdf/n/a/Marine_Wharf_Newspaper_January_2012.pdf).

And here are some select images:

http://i44.tinypic.com/wujlly.jpg

http://i41.tinypic.com/33o5j7s.jpg

Sirius House (phase 1):
http://i44.tinypic.com/rm09kk.jpg

same in the dark:
http://i41.tinypic.com/k1dje8.jpg

nice-looking "linear park" where the Surrey Canal used to run:
http://i40.tinypic.com/dc3a04.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/219op60.jpg

There's also a promotional video here (http://www.berkeleygroup.co.uk/berkeley/marine-wharf/film) - the first two thirds is just guff about London, but then there are a couple of nice fly-through (or fly-near) sequences.

tons of big news and projects have been revealed lately :uh: :shocked: :omg:

london never stops growing :bow:

Yep, all the area surrounding CW has huge opportunities when it comes to construction.

Canary Wharf Station (Crossrail) U/C

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/7546/canarywharfstation3lg.jpg

http://www.nce.co.uk/Pictures/web/q/v/s/canary_wharf_station2_lg.jpg

Wow what a station! :)

Dalston Eco Tower

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/3017BFLSDesignDalstonEcoTower_pic1.jpg

Architects, BFLS, are working with developer Rothas Limited a controversial new tower development in the heart of Dalston in east London.

The site at 51-57 Kingsland High Street is that which was occupied by the Peacocks Stores, a long-running department store that stands near Dalston Kingsland Rail Station, and thus benefits from the excellent transport links this proximity gives it.

The part 7-floor, part-18 floor building will have 130 new apartments, plus 1,107 square metres of retail, green walls, and a planted roof garden for residents to enjoy about 50 metres above ground level. In total the collection of green roofs add up to about 1,000 square metres of outdoor space.

The eco-friendly design is actually inspired, at least in part, by the Economist Building with a clear bottom, middle, and top - a basic design principle for a tall building. Despite this sixties pedigree it also draws on Sol Levitt and his approach to stacking cubes together.

Here the external appearance displays a clearly defined grid. Within this the architect has situated a number of vertical amenity zones, green areas for residents to enjoy from the privacy of their own flats. Running up the tower these are either recessed or external depending on which face they are situated on, a push-pull approach if you will. They also add visible greenery to the exterior that contrasts and softens the strong grid.

Although controversial, the proposal is hardly out of place, and the centre of Dalston has seen numerous new developments in recent years, the most prominent of which is the under construction Dalston Square being worked on by developer, Barratt Homes. Other developments in the area include Kinetica.

Within this context, proposals for the Peacocks site only a hundred metres away can be seen as part of a continual process of development that is mirroring the gentrification of Dalston itself.


http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=3017

Construction will start soon on this one.

http://www.constructionenquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/Picture-661.png

Wow what a station! :)

it would be absolutely magnificent when it's done :bow:

i actually find Dalston Eco Tower tower quite nice because it's an eco-friendly tower and it would be like a small garden in the sky :drool:

Construction will start soon on this one.

http://www.constructionenquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/Picture-661.png

i am not a fan of this tower because it is just too short and i doubt it would make any impact on the skyline. :down:

i mean canary wharf needs the skyscrapers which are more than 250m tall!!! but not those boring 100m+ highrises :ohno:

Rathbone Market, 74m, U/C

The redevelopment of Rathbone Market is being undertaken by Newham Council's partners English Cities Fund (ECF). The first phase of building works should be completed by August 2012 with 271 new homes built and new shops units being created. Ultimately the scheme will see a total of 650 new homes built.

Location: Canning Town, London Borough of Newham
Architects: CZWG Architects LLP
Client: English Cities Fund - a joint venture between English Partnerships, Legal and General and Muse Developments
Content: 62000 sq m in total, 52000 sq m residential, 4500 sqm of retail, 2600 sq m new typology of LSC and a privately run market
Completion Date: Expected by 2015 - Awarded planning permission in March 2009


http://www.ianhumes.co.uk/pages/images/rathbone-03-lb.jpg


http://www.siskgroup.com/sites/siskgroup.com/files/project/209/1328-rathbone-market-newham-london.jpg

Canary Wharf to expand its East End estate with a brand new site (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/constructionandproperty/9023224/Canary-Wharf-pays-90m-for-adjacent-site-to-expand-by-a-third.html)

02 February 2012
Canary Wharf is poised for a new phase of growth after the developer behind the commercial estate acquired an adjacent 17-acre site.

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/canary_wharf2006.jpg

Canary Wharf Group (CWG) has paid £90m to Irish company Ballymore and British Waterways to buy out their 75pc stake in the Wood Wharf development.The semi-derelict Wood Wharf site has an outline planning consent for 1,600 new homes across six residential buildings as well as 3m sq ft of new office space, shops, a hotel, and a park.

The proposed 5m sq ft development is roughly one third of the size of Canary Wharf and will lead to a substantial increase in homes in the area.Sir George Iacobescu, chief executive and chairman of CWG, said it could turn Canary Wharf from a "mini city into a medium city". Sir George said CWG intends to initially press ahead with the residential buildings and complete them for the opening of the Crossrail station at Canary Wharf in 2018. Construction could begin in two years "subject to the economy", he added.

"With the arrival of Crossrail we want to offer a more diversified estate," said Sir George. The project has the potential to be CWG's largest ever residential development, although it has constructed housing at Canary Wharf before. CWG will pay £52.5m for British Waterways' 50pc stake in Wood Wharf and will also make an annual ground rent payment. The company has agreed to pay Ballymore £38m for its 25pc.

Sir George said it had bought out the partners because "they did not have the desire to take the project forward at the pace we wanted".
He added: "Canary Wharf would not have happened if there were three joint venture partners."The CWG boss said the deal shows the company's confidence in the future of London as a "pre-eminent global centre".

CWG is also planning another 5m sq ft of office development at Canary Wharf and is leading projects in Central London such as a redevelopment of the Shell Centre. Harm Meijer, property analyst at JP Morgan, said: "Wood Wharf will benefit from the Canary Wharf's existing infrastructure and the whole group is ideally positioned for Crossrail."

New High-Speed Rail Line Approved (http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20120110/britain-approves-controversial-rail-line-120109/)
Tuesday Jan. 10, 2012



http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20120107/800_bombardier_zefire_high_speed_train_ap_120107.jpg?2

[....]

i am not a fan of this tower because it is just too short and i doubt it would make any impact on the skyline. :down:

i mean canary wharf needs the skyscrapers which are more than 250m tall!!! but not those boring 100m+ highrises :ohno:

Let's plenty of space for other towers. This smaller ones also help to make a skyline more massive.

62 Buckingham Gate

by hella good.

http://i580.photobucket.com/albums/ss244/saturns_stingray/P1480408.jpg

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http://i580.photobucket.com/albums/ss244/saturns_stingray/P1480418.jpg

Let's plenty of space for other towers. This smaller ones also help to make a skyline more massive.

i do agree with your point! canary wharf needs density and more towers. something is better than nothing so i think i should be optimistic :cheers:

BAM Nuttall has won two contracts worth a combined total of £76m to transform the Olympic Park once the Games are over (http://www.londonlovesbusiness.com/news/155-year-old-london-company-wins-76m-olympic-park-contracts-to-engineer-develop/1620.article)

The building and engineering company won a £49m contract to work on the North Park following the Games, while it also secured a £27m deal to work on the South Park, the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) announced.

http://www.london2012.com/images/venues/queen-elizabeth-olympic-park.jpg

Money for the work to develop the 2012 venue in Stratford, east London, into the newly named Queen Elizabeth Park is coming from the £292m already built into the budget for the Games.The 18-month project, dubbed as ‘clear, connect and complete’ by the OPLC, will create approximately 500 temporary jobs.The work will clear the venue of structures put in place for the Games only, such as temporary venues, roads and walkways.New roads, cycle and pedestrian paths will be laid across the site and into surrounding areas as part of the connect phase of the work.The complete phase will involve permanent bridges, parklands and venues that will be left in place for future legacy use.Andrew Altman, the chief executive of the OPLC, said: “BAM Nuttall worked on the original Olympic Park and their hands on knowledge will be invaluable in helping us to achieve our target of reopening the Park in phases from July 2013.

[.....]

Demolition of Westel House begins ready for construction of 'Apex'. Darling Associates (Architects) report on their web site:

"27.07.11 Planning consent for Apex, Ealing

Planning permission by Ealing Council to demolish the outdated Westel House building in Ealing and replace it with Apex, a brand new hotel and residential development of iconic design by Darling Associates. The striking scheme will feature three buildings - the tallest of which will be up to 21 storeys with a viewing platform where residents can overlook the magnificent views of Ealing and beyond to central London. The development at 58 Uxbridge Road will feature 131 residential units, a nine-storey four-star hotel, a children’s play area, car park facilities and a landscaped boulevard frontage"

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6803039177_163e877a87_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6802986985_67e26f1704_b.jpg
by beareye2010 (http://www.flickr.com/people/50256734@N05/)

Do you have any renders of the new project?

sure! for the details > http://www.frogmore.co.uk/lib/pdf/Ealing%20Brochure.pdf

The Apex, Ealing

Apex Tower - a 21 storey residential tower comprising 96 apartments Garden Court - an 8 storey residential tower comprising 33 units.
The development, which will complete in Autumn 2014, fronts Uxbridge Road, close to Ealing town centre and less than 10 minutes' walk from the rail, underground and proposed Crossrail station at Ealing Broadway.

http://www.frogmore.co.uk/lib/img/apex/the-apex-ealing-right2.jpg

http://media.primelocation.com/DEEKGR/AAGE/AAGEA167851/PHOTO_01.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/g0tkS.jpg

A major improvement, that's for sure!

So excited for London's prospects. I would prefer a bit more investment in other cities / towns (too many eggs in one basket...), but still: better than no investment at all!

And some amazing architecture too. Can't recall a project recently that I've thought "Oh no, please don't build that" about, which is unexpected.

So excited for London's prospects. I would prefer a bit more investment in other cities / towns (too many eggs in one basket...), but still: better than no investment at all!

i get your points but one problem here is that london is a magnet for the foreign investors and many of these u/c projects and skyscrapers are funded by private investors, foreign companies and billionaires from oil rich countries. london is indeed a very attractive place to set up new businesses. nowadays a lot of rich people from china are buying over priced apartments in many areas in london and foreign investors and bankers consider london as a bridge between north america and europe. on the other hand the local government is also spending billions of £ in different cities across the uk in order to create more jobs for the local people. :)

omg big news

£750m former Middlesex Hospital site plan approved (http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2012/02/03/750m-former-middlesex-hospital-scheme-approved/)

Fri 3rd February
http://www.constructionenquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/middlesex-hospital-site-view-from-corner-of-nassau-and-mortimer-street-190x127.jpg

Developer Exemplar Properties last night gained conditional planning for its major building scheme in Fitzrovia, London.

Balfour Beatty, Mace and Sir Robert McAlpine are among the firm shortlisted for the building contract, estimated to be worth as much as £160m. A winner is expected to be named next month.

Enabling works have just been awarded to McGee and will run until April.

The 3-acre site was once to be developed as NoHo Square, because of its location to the north of Soho, by the Candy Brothers but stalled.

Under the new plan, the big West End brownfield site will be transformed into an mixed-use community, centered on a landscaped public square containing the listed hospital chapel.

[.....]

Affordable housing concerns for London despite Olympics development boost (http://www.24dash.com/news/housing/2012-01-30-Affordable-housing-concerns-for-London-despite-Olympics-development-boost-report)

http://www.24dash.com/media/image/2012/01/30/41698/300_Image_PA_olympic_village_2012.jpg

The Olympic Games are acting as a catalyst for new housebuilding activity across Greater London but there is concern about the number of affordable homes being built, according to a new report from Drivers Jonas Deloitte. The consultancy's latest London Residential Crane Survey (Winter 2011) says that despite continued economic uncertainty, housing development activity across Greater London has continued to increase, particularly in East London.

The report highlights that there has been a 40 percent increase in construction activity since this time last year. However, there is evidence that momentum has already begun to slow. Economic uncertainty and regulatory changes mean that there has been a fall in the number of new schemes starting since the last survey. The report concludes that the recorded level of construction activity is unlikely to be sustained during 2012.

[.....]

Demolition of the buildings that will be replaced by the new 700,000 sq ft UBS HQ.

by hella good.

http://i580.photobucket.com/albums/ss244/saturns_stingray/P1470794.jpg

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Major Paddington road to shut for two years for Crossrail work (http://www.london24.com/news/transport/major_paddington_road_to_shut_for_two_years_for_crossrail_work_1_1196146)

456 Apartment Wandsworth Scheme Approved (http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=3024)
06-02-2012

A major new residential-led development has been approved by the planning committee of the London borough of Wandsworth.

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/3024456ApartmentWandsworthSchemeApproved_pic1.jpg

The scheme features the redevelopment of Marco Polo House in London SW8, a site that sits off Queenstown Road and is bounded by Battersea Park to the west and the Senses South development to the immediate north.

Within it will have 456 new apartments, of which 68 will be made available through a recently instituted British government scheme to make housing more affordable for first time buyers. In addition there will be about 1,200 square metres of space given over to various commercial uses including retail outlets, restaurants and bars, and space aimed at small office occupiers.

A new public courtyard will be created on the southern part of the site and opened up to Battersea Park allowing public space to spill over Queenstown Road. There will also be a public garden between the buildings and a pedestrian route between the two buildings to improve the permeability of the site.

Taking into account the location of the project to the park, the buildings will have stepped western sides that allow the creation of numerous terraces overlooking it that will be framed in natural stone. Furthermore the buildings are massed in such a way as to maximise the views towards the west, even in the middle of the site. This means about 85 residents will have views in that direction.

On the back of the site to its east is one of the main railways that passes north to Victoria Station. Taking into account the noise, amenity for the residents here will be enclosed in the form of winter gardens for each apartment clad with zinc.

The Marco Polo House scheme is being developed by the Marcus Cooper Group who have been building a property portfolio in Mayfair and Belgravia, but never worked on a new build development of quite this scale before from start to finish.

BMW GROUP REVEALS WINNING DESIGN FOR OLYMPIC PAVILION (http://3d-car-shows.com/2012/bmw-group-reveals-winning-design-for-olympic-pavilion/)
February 7, 2012

Official Automotive Partner selects young British firm Serie following sustainable design competition

http://3d-car-shows.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/BMW_Group-300x187.jpg

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BMW Group, Official Automotive Partner to the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games, today revealed the winning design for its pavilion at the Olympic Park.Following a competition involving six architecture firms, BMW selected the British firm Serie based on its cutting-edge design that will represent a significant architectural addition to the Olympic Park, whilst also reflecting the company’s deep commitment to sustainability.Tim Abbott, Managing Director, BMW Group UK comments: “As a major investor, manufacturer and employer in the UK, BMW Group is deeply proud to be an official partner for Britain’s first Olympic & Paralympic Games since 1948.”

“This commitment to the UK is also reflected in our choice of a home-grown architecture practice to design our pavilion and we’re delighted that Serie’s final design reflects our commitment to sustainable thinking in such an innovative and eye-catching manner. We believe it provides a truly worthy addition to the Olympic Park”.BMW’s pavilion, which has a floor space of 800m2, will be built on an elevated site above the Waterworks River, situated between the Olympic Stadium and the Aquatics Centre. Serie’s innovative design will use river water to provide a sustainable source of cooling for the building before returning this filtered water to the river via an eye-catching ‘water curtain’ feature.

Every element of the BMW pavilion has been designed to reflect the company’s heritage in environmental innovation. The two-storey superstructure will be built of steel with high recycled content. Use of carbon-intensive materials such as concrete has also been minimised. Serie co-founder and principal architect Christopher Lee comments: “The design takes the idea of the pavilion in the park – the Victorian bandstand – but instead of one pavilion we envision nine pavilions clustered together to form a family.”The top floor will house a number of individual standalone pavilions, which will be used to highlight BMW’s latest vehicle innovations.

The lower floor will house a range of interactive visitor exhibits, articulating BMW’s vision for sustainable mobility and support for Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes including Rebecca Adlington, Tom Daley, Louis Smith and David Weir through the BMW London 2012 Performance Team programme. Over 8,000 visitors are expected to visit the BMW pavilion each day during the Olympic & Paralympic Games.

[....]

How significant is Silicon Roundabout?

How significant is Silicon Roundabout? Just ask Charles Armstrong, who has been busy mapping out east London's tech cluster on a series of interactive online maps. So far, Armstrong's team has visualised the links between 298 companies in what he calls London's "technology ecosystem" -- but, as CEO Trampoline Systems, right at the heart of the neighbourhood, he knows that's just the start. There are, he suggests, up to 5,000 technology-focused companies located in east London --with perhaps 10,000 people constituting Europe's biggest challenge to Silicon Valley.

The huge and fast-growing scale of London's tech startup boom has been a surprise even to our team at Wired -- and we write about these businesses every month. When we launched in spring 2009, we knew of a famous Google map created by software designer Matt Biddulph, which gathered together 15 firms in a neighbourhood Biddulph wrily named "Silicon Roundabout" -- defined as "the ever-growing community of fun startups in London's Old Street area" (home of London's ugliest traffic roundabout). We embarked on a research project of our own, and came up with a further 40 or so tech-related firms in the area. Then almost every day we heard from other businesses that had eluded our attention. Evidently something big and unreported was happening to the British entrepreneurial spirit.

Some of these startups, it turned out, were attracting real money. One of Biddulph's original list, Last.fm, was bought by CBS for $280 million; his own company, Dopplr, was acquired by Nokia for what was reported at more than $20 million (£12.65 million); and earlier this year, near-neighbour TweetDeck was sold to Twitter for around $40 million (£25.3 million). How had such a thriving cluster emerged with no coordinated planning, no local Stanford University, no well-established giant Googles and HPs to train a generation of talent?

It turns out that entrepreneurial booms do not need anyone orchestrating them. What has happened in London -- indeed, in dozens of other European cities, from Berlin to Barcelona -- is that a bunch of nimble startups have taken advantage of relatively cheap rents, a critical mass of available programming talent, and just enough outside investment to create a mutually reinforcing spirit of risk-taking. The buzzword is "ecosystem": once an area is known for a few hot startups, it attracts more company founders, plus the financiers, lawyers and marketers who sense an opportunity. And it helps that there are places they can meet each other to power-network, or simply to drink tea -- in London's case, local hangouts such as The Shepherdess Café and The Reliance, as well as online member-only communities such as the ICE list, on which founders swap war stories and job openings for mutual benefit.

Still -- Shoreditch is no Palo Alto. For all David Cameron's declared intention to boost London's role as a world-class "Tech City", we don't yet have the scale of available investment of Valley firms such as Kleiner Perkins, nor the entrepreneurial confidence that created multi-billion businesses such as Yahoo and Zynga. There are, for sure, a bunch of London tech firms that may one day be sold or go public at a billion-pound valuation -- fast-growth businesses such as Wonga, Mind Candy and Badoo. And we certainly attract the international talent that favours London as a startup base -- which is why Skype and Spotify are based here rather than in Scandinavia. But the Valley is still way ahead in terms of value creation. What's it got apart from sunshine that east London lacks?

For one, it's still not very British to declare a brash intention to dominate the world with our entrepreneurial drive. The very name "Silicon Roundabout " is self-mocking. "A roundabout doesn't exactly evoke global clout," says Jawbone creator Alexander Asseily, who last year returned to London after running his successful startup in the Valley. "Let's pick a name that is bold, induces awe and encapsulates the professional and geographical breadth of London entrepreneurs. The city has a distinct gravitational field, global reach and cultural depth that most places do not."

We need a greater appetite for risk, and more visibility for home-grown role models: the more the media celebrate the heroes of the digital economy, the more likely the next generation of talent will decide against joining Goldman Sachs in favour of a software venture that might just go global. Think of all the tech CEOs with a significant media profile here, and they're probably not Brits (Zuckerberg, Bezos, Page and Brin). Yet we do have plenty of our own Hobermans, Zennstroms and Segerstrales, even if they're not invited on to the talk shows.

Watch this space, though. Things are gradually changing. Google recently announced that it was renting a seven-storey building near Old Street as "a launchpad for new London-based startups and developers". The government has pledged £400 million in funding to the local tech economy, although entrepreneurs say it could be doing much more to help with tax breaks and visas for foreign talent. And plenty of first-generation dot-com entrepreneurs are now actively mentoring the new generation through effective projects such as Seedcamp.

California, here we come.

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-02/06/silicon-roundabout

Kidbrooke Regeneration

by SE9.

http://www.imgplace.com/img846/33/64kidbrooke.jpg

http://www.imgplace.com/img443/1319/53kidbrooke2.jpg

http://www.imgplace.com/img252/108/47kidbrooke3.jpg

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http://www.imgplace.com/img515/6959/57kidbrooke7.jpg

http://www.imgplace.com/img268/1714/83kidbrooke5.jpg

interesting article

Tower trouble (http://www.investorschronicle.co.uk/2012/01/19/comment/chronic-investor-blog/tower-trouble-YDuySMm1CsNeGurJbxw0MN/article.html)

The idea that record-busting skyscrapers are a harbinger of financial doom got a fresh airing last week, when Barclays Capital published an update of its skyscraper index.

http://i788.photobucket.com/albums/yy165/scalatrava/poop.jpg

For those not in the know, the theory goes that the construction of the world’s tallest buildings has tended to coincide with financial crises. The implication is that they can make canny contrarian sell signals.

This theory has the great virtue of transparency and simplicity – you don’t need any fancy analytical tools to spot the world’s tallest building going up. The reasoning behind it is also very intuitive: the cost of breaking records is a sure indicator of financial excess, which tends to be followed by a correction.

But perhaps the main reason the skyscraper index is so attractive is its track record. The record holders for most of the past hundred years have all been conceived in infamous periods of financial speculation.

The Empire State Building was completed in 1931, shortly after the Wall Street crash, and held the record until the completion of the first tower of the World Trade Centre in 1972, at the very end of the long post-war boom.

The Sears Tower in Chicago was also built in the early 1970s and held the world record until the Petronas Towers were built in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, just after the Asian financial crisis. The next tower to take the crown was Taipei 101 in tech-centric Taiwan in 2004, which was seeded in the dotcom bubble. Finally, the 830m-high Burj Khalifa in Dubai was opened in early 2010, a matter of months after the emirate’s investment vehicle Dubai World shocked the world by calling a moratorium on its debts.

So does the indicator actually work? It can’t have escaped readers that the above list raises more questions than it answers.

For a start, when precisely should you sell? Although most record-breaking towers can be traced back to a period of speculative fever, the completion tends to lag the crash – which makes it a useless sell signal. The construction date isn’t much better, as big skyscrapers towers usually take about 5 years to build – in which case you’ll probably be selling very early.

Then there’s the problem that the indicator looks unlikely to throw up another sell signal for decades. The Burj Khalifa was 63 per cent taller than Taipei 101 – a jump far higher than anything in history. None of the skyscrapers currently under construction in China come anywhere close to topping it - though there is a mad plan underway in Saudi Arabia to outdo its neighbour.

So perhaps we should water down our criteria and look at skyscraper construction in general. This doesn’t have the blissful transparency of looking at record-busters alone, but it follows the same logic – major skyscrapers are an end-of-cycle phenomenon. This is the approach Barclays takes, identifying two areas of the world in which a thicket of skyscrapers are under construction – China and India.

[.....]

BMW have unveiled the design of their floating showroom in the London Olympics Park. (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/london-2012-olympic-games/news/2012/02/07/bmw-unveil-floating-showroon-in-london-olympics-park-115875-23739617/#ixzz1lhrMTEmb)

http://i41.tinypic.com/w2njwn.jpg

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/7104/bmwpavallionmir1x1200.jpg
Illustration by MIR (http://mir.no/)

The elevated site will sit between the Aquatics Centre and the Olympic Park showcasing the automobile giant’s work.

It will use water from the river to create an eye-catching ‘water curtain’ feature, which cools the structure in an innovative and sustainable way.

Christopher Lee, Serie co-founder and principal architect, added: “The design takes the idea of the pavilion in the park – the Victorian bandstand – but instead of one pavilion we envision nine pavilions clustered together to form a family.”

Tim Abbott, managing director of BMW Group UK, added: “As a major investor, manufacturer and employer in the UK, BMW Group is deeply proud to be an official partner for Britain’s first Olympic & Paralympic Games since 1948.

“This commitment to the UK is also reflected in our choice of a home-grown architecture practice to design our pavilion and we’re delighted that Serie’s final design reflects our commitment to sustainable thinking in such an innovative and eye-catching manner.

“We believe it provides a truly worthy addition to the Olympic Park”.

Around 8,000 people a day are expected to visit during this summer’s Games.

As the official car supplier to London 2012, BMW will also provide a fleet of around 4,000 vehicles to help transport athletes and officials during the Games.

[.....]

Ai Weiwei and Beijing’s Bird’s Nest architects reunite to design London’s 2012 Serpentine Pavilion (http://www.periscopepost.com/2012/02/ai-weiwei-and-beijings-birds-nest-architects-reunite-to-design-londons-2012-serpentine-pavilion/)
08/02/2012

Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei is collaborating again with architects Herzog & de Meuron to design the 2012 Serpentine pavilion. The last worked together on the Beijing Bird’s Nest project.

Ai Weiwei will collaborate with Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron to create the Serpentine Gallery’s summer Pavilion for Kensington Gardens, London. The project reunites the artist and architects who combined four years ago to create the spectacular Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing. The Pavilion will go up in June as part of the London 2012 festival, a jamboree of events across the UK, which will mark the culmination of the Cultural Olympiad.

The Serpentine Gallery’s announcement on Tuesday marked the Gallery’s 12th commission in what has become a major annual event on the architecture calendar. Built each year as a temporary adjunct to the small Serpentine Gallery (a former tea house) the Pavilions are subsequently sold off to the highest bidder, largely funding their construction. Previous Pavilion designers have included architects Zaha Hadid and Oscar Niemeyer.

[....]

Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-13/aon-to-move-headquarters-to-london-from-chicago-to-be-near-lloyd-s-market.html), Wall St (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204542404577158633936346056.html)
Aon Shifts Headquarters to London

http://www.bloomberg.com/image/i4PLAw4rwfeM.jpg

Aon Corp., the world’s largest insurance broker, will move its corporate headquarters to London from Chicago to give the firm better access to emerging economies and the Lloyd’s of London insurance market.

Aon Corp. said it will move its corporate headquarters to London from Chicago, a step the insurance brokerage and consulting firm said will provide greater access to emerging markets and closer proximity to the Lloyd's of London insurance market.

"The continued investment in our international operations and emerging markets is important to the growth of our firm," Aon Chief Executive Greg Case said in a statement.

Aon said the move will free up excess capital that Stifel analyst Meyer Shields predicted would be used to buy stock or increase the company's dividend. Mr. Shields also said Aon's tax rate should decline, boosting earnings.

"Each 100 bps reduction in Aon's effective tax rate should translate to about (6 cents in per-share earnings) impact," Mr. Shields wrote in a note to clients.

An Aon spokesman declined to comment on the potential tax benefits of the move.

Aon said the move won't cause job loss in either Chicago, which will continue as the company's headquarters for the Americas, or in the U.S. Aon said it will move 750 jobs into the company's downtown Chicago office and plans to add more than 1,000 jobs across its U.S. operations this year. Aon said it sees the transaction closing in the second quarter.

[....]

I really like Chicago (or at least I think I do), so I'm not that happy about it :\ Great for London though, a city I know I love. One thing's for sure though, their new HQ won't be as good as their old HQ.

I disagree, architecturally I think 122 Leadenhall is going to be one of London's best buildings.

http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/122leadenhall.jpg

http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/122leadenhall/3.jpg

imo new london HQ will be architecturally superior to that boxy tower in chicago, but @Newcastle Guy are you sure cheese grater will be occupied by Aon?

That's their plan.

yeah i just made a bit of research and you're right and i mean it's so great to see the world's biggest insurance company is moving it's HQ to london, bloomberg also reported that income/revenue etc will be listed on london stock exchange as well :bow: great big news indeed.

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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6838070077_744f762cb5_b.jpg

Deutsche Bank shortlists Shard and Canary Wharf in London Office Relocation

On February 1, 2012
http://www.businessinteriors.co.uk/deutsche-bank-shard-canary-wharf-cannon-place-heron-tower-london-office-relocation-design/

Deutsche Bank is one of last big investment banks to consolidate its operations into one large office and it has shortlisted four office buildings in London – Heron Tower, Cannon Place, The Shard and Canary Wharf. Banks such as Barclays, HSBC, JP Morgan & Credit Suisse are just some of the companies that have relocated their operations out of the City of London to be consolidated into a large building in Canary Wharf.

The Shard would like to attract a big investment bank like Deutsche but in these times of austerity these moves are by no means certain. CMS Cameron McKenna shelved a massive 200,000 sq ft pre-let at Principal Place on the back of financial uncertainty. At the same time surely Deutsche will be able to drive a hard bargain. The German Bank is the last big investment bank left to make a move, and is currently in discussion to exit its lease at Bishopsgate.

Will Deutsche take space in one of the buildings on its shortlist or will it flex its position of power to negotiate a better deal where it is? It’s likely to get the best deal at Canary Wharf or Cannon Place – but The Shard, part owned by Qatar national Bank is impossible to ignore – in more ways than one.

Deutsche bank is in a very strong position and whatever their decision, it’s a win-win situation. If it decides to move, it will negotiate an exceptional deal and at the same time be seen to be stepping along a path of consolidation, well trodden by its competitors when they moved out to Canary Wharf. If they stay put in Bishopsgate, it can argue a conservative careful approach during times of austerity – and that shopping around was mere prudence to negotiate the best deal.

It will be interesting to see how The Shard fares, regardless of rental values, the high profile alone of The Shard may be a disadvantage to companies needing to project a tight belt. Moving into the tallest building in Europe is always going to make a headline grabbing statement, which some banks are trying to avoid. But imagine Deutsche Bank being to The Shard, what Swiss Re is to The Gherkin. With investment banks there is a background of high finance that can strongly influence a preference for a client building, and Qatar is now a big financial hitter looking for a prominent client for The Shard

by csk.

New Croydon Council HQ:

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk99/csk1000/IMG_0405.jpg

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk99/csk1000/IMG_0407.jpg

Saffron Square

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk99/csk1000/IMG_0414.jpg

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk99/csk1000/IMG_0415.jpg

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk99/csk1000/IMG_0416.jpg

Baltimore Wharf a new residence in London's docklands,which offers luxury, waterfront living.Group's critically acclaimed Pan Peninsula, another luxury residence in London's Docklands.

For more information visit: www.baltimorewharf.com

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6093/6417940071_fb4b545150_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6417939813_eaf7d32850_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6417940197_1eb6b7a800_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6417940409_5b037d4e92_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6417940313_20a91b29c5_b.jpg

The twisting building is absolutely gorgeous :cheers:

Sweet. If built it would bring some nice variation to the otherwise bulky Canary Wharf.

Is there actually any news about the tower?

Either way, I haven't seen those renders before. It's certainly a good looking design.

^^It isn't approved as far as my aware. But I think most of us would like it to be built. :cheers:

What's up with the V.T.I (Victoria Transport Interchange)? Any works in progress...? Cheers.

^ are you talking about this project or is there another one?

http://i.imgur.com/SbQp3.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/8Oodv.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/C2jpK.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Fh8Ba.jpg

That's what I meant indeed ;).

NEO Bankside SE1

NEO Bankside residential development (Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, due to be completed 2012), Southwark Street SE1, Bankside, London. State of construction as of 26 January 2012.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6766139073_484d12b8ac_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ddtmmm/6766139073/)
NEO Bankside SE1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ddtmmm/6766139073/) by Jamie Barras (http://www.flickr.com/people/ddtmmm/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6653612483_cc848e5808_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mach32/6653612483/sizes/l/in/photostream/

^ are you talking about this project or is there another one?

I hadn't seen this one yet. Really cool. :eek:

Chelsea Barracks ( Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners ) (http://www.rsh-p.com/rshp_home)

The Masterplan is based on good urban design principles. Detailed plans and elevations of buildings are not appropriate at this stage - these will follow later, and be consulted on separately. However, sufficient information has been produced to fully describe the layout, size and height of buildings, their uses and the streets and public spaces that will surround them. The Masterplanning team have also created a 'Design Code' in collaboration with our liaison group members. This code will help to guide detailed design at the next stage, once planning permission has been obtained.

The Final Masterplan has now been submitted to Westminster City Council for outline planning permission (3 December 2010). The various drawings and documents which describe the planning application can be seen here. This website contains information and planning documents relating to the Outline Planning Application for a Masterplan for the Chelsea Barracks site. Formal Outline Planning Permission was granted for the Masterplan on December 1st 2011.

Project Blue Ltd has submitted an Application under Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act to vary conditions 1, 26 and 53 to alter some of the approved drawings and documents to allow minor material amendments to be made to the Approved Masterplan (10/10496/OUT) for the redevelopment of the former Chelsea Barracks site in London SW1. These amendments relate solely to the size and form of Plots 1 and 2 and the relationship between them and there is no change to the maximum heights of the buildings as permitted by the Outline Planning Permission.

Project Blue Ltd and their design team have had an opportunity to review the Approved Masterplan and consider that the relationship between Plots 1 and 2 should mirror that between Plots 2 and 3. Whilst the treatment of Plots 1 and 2 in the Approved Masterplan is an entirely acceptable solution in masterplanning and design terms, it is considered that this amendment results in a more robust and legible Masterplan and a better relationship with Pimlico Square.

http://www.chelseabarracks.net/planning/index.php

http://www.rsh-p.com/Asp/uploadedFiles/image/5280_ChelseaBarracks/design/5280_N23_w.jpg

http://www.rsh-p.com/Asp/uploadedFiles/image/5280_ChelseaBarracks/design/5280_N24_w.jpg

http://www.rsh-p.com/Asp/uploadedFiles/image/5280_ChelseaBarracks/design/5280_0002_1_w.jpg

http://www.rsh-p.com/Asp/uploadedFiles/image/5280_ChelseaBarracks/design/5280_N22_w.jpg

http://www.rsh-p.com/Asp/uploadedFiles/image/5280_ChelseaBarracks/design/5280_N21_w.jpg

Canada Water Tower Set To Rise

The more observant Londonites may have noticed that work has begun on one of Barratt Homes current projects at Canada Water Building A4, which happens to be the tallest element of the project.

http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/4668/3022canadawatertowerset.jpg

With the tower crane now in place, work has started on the towers reinforced concrete frame whilst the construction of a protective scaffold gantry is to be erected around the underground station entrance.

Due to the operating hours of the station this will happen between 10pm and 5am each day when the station is closed, although the precise date of this work is still to be agreed with the London Underground.

Designed by Glenn Howells, the tower was first proposed in 2009. Once complete it will stand at around 80 metres in height to the tip of the façade overrun. As additional phases on the Canada Waters development the scheme includes four low-rise block forms part of Phase A that add up to 688 new homes.

Despite looking like a slim affair, the massing of the tower is actually based on nearby council blocks, Regina Point and Columbia Point.

Cladding it is a mixture of glazed panels and white vertical beams. The tower is topped by a fully glazed façade that overruns the roof by two storeys offering not only an interesting focal point but also protection for the towers roof garden.

Completion is set for 2014 with a core soon to grace the London skyline.

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=3022

SO143 Please do not post incorrect images and/or info.

That Rogers Stirk Harbour masterplan for Chelsea Barracks was thrown out amid huge controversy and has been replaced by another, more traditional one.

SO143 Please do not post incorrect images and/or info.

That Rogers Stirk Harbour masterplan for Chelsea Barracks was thrown out amid huge controversy and has been replaced by another, more traditional one.

which one is incorrect and which info is wrong? i just posted the article, current state of the site and the visual images according to the official websites, as the matter of fact i have provided 2 links, one is RSH and the other one is official chelsea barracks construction website which even shows the the details of planning applications. whether they have revised or changed their masterplan is not my case and i have not got a clue about it as i am not the owner of the this construction project. all i can do is to share the current updates of the projects which are being advertised on their websites, that's it. please don't shoot the messenger btw! ;)

following the link you gave, go to the most recent application and you get a totally different proposal than the one illustrated in the renders you posted, which have been supersede.

For the current schematic layout http://www.chelseabarracks.net/planning/downloads_revised/CB_PP_105.pdf

Can a moderator please take the images of the old superseded proposal off this thread? They give a misleading impression.

Tate Modern Extension

by mitosan.

http://obb.i.jpgur.com/atprf.jpg?size=3 (http://obb.i.jpgur.com/atprf.jpg)

following the link you gave, go to the most recent application and you get a totally different proposal than the one illustrated in the renders you posted, which have been supersede.

For the current schematic layout http://www.chelseabarracks.net/planning/downloads_revised/CB_PP_105.pdf

Can a moderator please take the images of the old superseded proposal off this thread? They give a misleading impression.

i didn't know we had an expert who knows about all the details of london projects, it's great to know and i wish you would be able to contribute and promote other projects in this thread in the future. p.s do not hesitate to share us the visuals of the new chelsea barracks. cheers

at present this is what i know! (according to the official website (http://www.rsh-p.com/render.aspx?siteID=1&navIDs=1,4,25,1743&showImages=table&thumbnails=true&pageID=1&showParent=true))

http://i.imgur.com/uNNCG.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/DMG9w.jpg

del

Brent Civic Centre

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/9895/64671339.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/171/64671339.jpg/)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36593372@N04/6707105983/

Paper Mill

by LostJohnny.

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/043/f/6/paper_mill_02_by_johnnysix-d4pjbl6.jpg
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/043/9/4/paper_mill_04_by_johnnysix-d4pjbxs.jpg
http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/043/a/9/paper_mill_07_by_johnnysix-d4pjcge.jpg
http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/043/c/f/paper_mill_01_by_johnnysix-d4pjbh5.jpg
http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/043/7/6/paper_mill_05_by_johnnysix-d4pjc9w.jpg
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/043/a/9/paper_mill_03_by_johnnysix-d4pjbvw.jpg
http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/043/5/7/paper_mill_06_by_johnnysix-d4pjcd4.jpg

^^^^

What will they build? Any renders?

No idea but I'm sure they aren't demolishing it just for the sake of it. :dunno:

Aldwych Hotel WC2 ( (Foster + Partners, under construction)

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6037/6328643581_05d1d76211_b.jpg
by Jamie Barras (http://www.flickr.com/people/ddtmmm/)


when it's completed

http://www.trendceteramag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Sol-Melia-Lord-Foster-1024x640.jpg

Do you know what was there before?

^^^^

What will they build? Any renders?

No idea but I'm sure they aren't demolishing it just for the sake of it. :dunno:

Principle Place

http://www.principalplace.co.uk/img/Aerial-view.jpg

Dont expect much work once demolition is completed though..there are 2 buildings, 1 residential (160m tower) and 1 (office block 70m).

They may, if we're lucky, decide to do a speculative build on the 160m tower, as demand for City Of London flats is still very strong, but they have already had 1 tenant for the office block pull out of an agreement to move there.