http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=10600533&postcount=387


Heron Tower
The City

Height: 246m (202m roof + 44m spire) | Floors: 47 | Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates | Developer: Heron International PLC

Links: Skanska project page with news updates (http://www.skanska.co.uk/herontower) | Mayor Ken Livingstone's comments (http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=1324) | Architects' website (http://www.kpf.com)

Notes:

Following concerns from English Heritage about its impact on St Paul's and other historic views, Heron Tower was put through
a public inquiry. The inquiry ruled in favour of the developers, and the tower was approved on 22nd July 2002 by the Deputy
Prime Minister, John Prescott. He agreed with the planning inspector that no significant harm would come to the setting of
St Paul's cathedral and that some marginal impact on heritage interests was "inevitable with any major development".
He acknowledged that the tower would be "an elegant, graceful and well proportioned structure" and would contribute to the
overall supply of office accommodation in the City, as well as boosting the economy.
The scheme includes an additional smaller tower of around 149m, immediately adjacent to the main building's north side.
This is Heron Plaza (http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=682) and will include 250,000 sq ft of retail space.

Current Status:
Under construction! The tower is nearly topped out. For more information see the construction schedule (http://www.planning.cityoflondon.gov.uk:90/WAM/doc/Page-7?extension=.pdf&page=7&wmTransparency=0&id=104915&wmLocation=0&location=livevolume1&contentType=application%2Fpdf&wmName=&pageCount=129).



http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/59HeronTower_pic1.jpg



http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/59HeronTower_pic2.jpg



http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/59HeronTower_pic3.jpg



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Very good news. see http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9064-1877464,00.html

Heron Tower seeks investors
By Jenny Davey

GERALD RONSON is seeking to raise £125 million to help to finance development of his Heron Tower, which he hopes will become the first “six-star” office scheme in London.

CB Richard Ellis, property adviser to Mr Ronson’s Heron Corporation, has circulated a confidential document to a limited number of potential investors with a view to raising 90 per cent of the equity required to fund the near-800ft skyscraper, to be built in the City at Bishopsgate.

According to a report due to appear in Property Week magazine today, Heron hopes to raise £125 million from up to four new partners and will invest about £20 million itself. The balance is likely to be financed through bank loans.

Mr Ronson has already put the Heron Tower project into a Jersey property unit trust, an offshore limited partnership that will own the building. Heron will manage the project and will lead the development.

Stephen Hubbard, deputy chairman of CB Richard Ellis for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said that the move underlined Mr Ronson’s commitment to develop the tower without tenants lined up. Mr Hubbard said that the completed scheme would be worth about £500 million and Heron was keen to spread the risk by bringing in new partners.

Heron Tower will have a concierge, rather than a reception, and travel facilities and top-class catering facilities. The scheme is also intended to be the most environmentally friendly in London.

Construction will begin in summer of 2007 and be completed in 2010. By that time CB Richard Ellis hopes to secure rents for the best office space of £75 per sq ft. The last time rents of more than £70 per sq ft were achieved in the City was 1999.

http://www.property-week.co.uk/Pictures/cover/g/n/p/pw4605cover.jpg

Seven years from proposal to beginning construction?

Bit of an embarrassment really.

Still don't like the fact the height increase has unbalanced the cluster from the west, but hey, another decent skyscraper for London actually being built is always welcome. Still don't understand why Baby Heron hasn't been started considering it's more likely to attract a tenant and the current site doesn't have big rich annoying arrogant tenants who won't leave.

When will the londoners be proud and optimistic about their own City? London has fantastic proposals, fantastic new developments ... and you all sound so pessimistic because the developer does not spend hundreds of millions of pounds straight away. It takes times, yes, but do you really believe the process is quicker in other european cities? No! Even worse: there are imo not a single proposal that could compete in term of quality with LBT, Heron, Leandehall, etc. Even in NY the city has to subsidize Goldman Sachs for them to build their new HQ after years of squabbels.

I am proud of London and its proposals.

I'm not proud of the fact there doesn't seem to be a project that hasn't had some kind of delay or general lack of organisation regarding tenancy agreements or whatever. When you consider how quick Broadgate went from being unveiled as a skyscraper to (hopefully) construction it makes me pissed off we're still waiting on the far superior proposals to even begin demolition of their existing site buildings.

I'm certainly not pessimistic about other projects, such as the Olympics or infrastructure projects, even though Britain doesn't exactly have a great track record when it comes to keeping to schedules or budgets. The CTRL I'm pretty much gushing about and can't wait to get onboard when it's complete.

But skyscrapers in London just seem to hit the cracks in the road and every opportunity. Blame it on the office recession, blame it on too many proposals, blame it on EH, blame it on lack of vision, I have no idea. It just doesn't give me confidence, that's all, and that trickles down into other projects.

The frustration is that the planning system has had a hand in the delays causing knock on effects, the perveristy is that the planning system although aiming to extract the best out of the proposals has actually ended severely delaying if not putting in danger the developments that are unique and world beating and letting through squillions of rather poor, architecturally speaking, developments!

There really needs to be a stream-lining of this process, the local authority along with some sort of regional urban design body like CABE, EH and the GLA should have over-riding planning powers and central government should not be involved. Regions such as London should come up with an urban design Masterplan that is agreed by all the relvent bodies and one that each local region fits into thus giving developers an instant boost in creating proposals, obviously each one should be looked at individually but it seems that each of these proposals seems to take everyone by suprise, especially EH who if were in on the proposals in the beginning would be more sympathetic.

it seems that each of these proposals seems to take everyone by suprise, especially EH who if were in on the proposals in the beginning would be more sympathetic.

That's my whole point of why I can't understand the whole reason why architects and developers are surprised when their project hits the bumps. If they worked with the relevant bodies, such as EH, or local councils or local people or whatever, they'd probably find a lot of them much more sympathetic to their design instead of railroading through and proposing something that makes them all recoil in horror for being too large or too 'modern'.

It also surprises me architects seem dismayed to make changes to their original proposals brought up by CABE - surely the basics of what CABE like are evident, so why does it seem so bloody hard for them to come up with a design that passes the test first time round? It's not difficult - good base, good design, high quality materials, a design that doesn't infringe sitelines (or at least has had EH involved in the process) and a sweetener for the local community. So why are some architects so incredibly shit as this?

I think it's more arrogance coming through than anything. They think they can get away with it and try to railroad through everyone to get what they want. I bet you if Irvine Sellar worked with EH during the design process of LBT, explaining to them why London needs this tower, what London stands for and working with them at every point in the process I reckon it wouldn't have gone to a PI and we'd be having a topping out ceremony next week. Instead we get a stand off-ish 'no it's far too tall/modern/imposing/spike through London malarky' without any room to budge, ending in PUBLIC INQUIRY IMMEDIATELY stamped across the proposal.

A bit of communication and a bit of better organising might be in order. Either that or we get told of proposals wayyy to early in this country.

London's supposed failures have NOTHING to do with London, its not an embarrasment or a failure on the city's part. Developers want to build in London, despite the recent surge in tall buildings, there is still a distinct fear of tall buildings, further aggraveted by 9/11. It always been the people who don't want the scrapers weilding to much power. They've gotta learn that London will stagnate in all forms unless we build upwards. We are getting some fab designs here, with a few average ones in the form of coin street.

When they are built, its even more of an acheivment and something to be proud of.

I've always been optimistic Heron would go through, and I think they will get the investors.

This should be posted in the world forums :)

Once the developer starts raising money through equities or loans for financing the scheme it has no other option but to build that scheme, not least because of the collaterals these investors will ask for. In addition, Heron has to generate extra cash inflows through development because Norton Rose will vacate the existing buildings.

Believe me: I don't know of any other firmer commitment. The Heron Tower will be built. This is now taken for granted (unless of course unexpected and extremely adverse economic scenarios)

That's my whole point of why I can't understand the whole reason why architects and developers are surprised when their project hits the bumps. If they worked with the relevant bodies, such as EH, or local councils or local people or whatever, they'd probably find a lot of them much more sympathetic to their design instead of railroading through and proposing something that makes them all recoil in horror for being too large or too 'modern'.



You could turn it on its head and call for a more helpful urban design master plan with local sections from the planning bodies - proactive rather than a reactive stance.

I dont mean something that states, this street must be max this height and 80% residential, consisting of georgian style buildings...

but rather something a bit more fluid in-keeping with Londons behaviour for example it would state:

- a landmark building could go here because it is at the axis of the areas main streets or it adds a focal point to a distinct area, not just because it is next to a bus stop and we can then cram in offices!
- a tapering point of not more than this width should go in this area to add harmony to this vista or to add interest to the skyline.. you could go further and specify where domes etc could appear!
- this street must be coherent visually with the following pattern... blah blah and it can cut through the street at these points to create a square
- any landmark building or height increase along the street must respond to the street as a whole
- A highlight feature on a building must go at the following corners for legibility

It seems the development plans are good at highlighting the problems of an area but even if they do recommend improvements they are usually aimed at a small area or completely ignored by developers because they are too specific. Perhaps my suggestions are too prescriptive and perhaps developers do take time to adhere to general considerations but there seems to be something not working somewhere along the line as we still end up with lots of dross even with planning controls

I am proud of London and its proposals.

I'm not proud of the fact there doesn't seem to be a project that hasn't had some kind of delay or general lack of organisation regarding tenancy agreements or whatever. When you consider how quick Broadgate went from being unveiled as a skyscraper to (hopefully) construction it makes me pissed off we're still waiting on the far superior proposals to even begin demolition of their existing site buildings.


Broadgate has been in planning since 2001 and has gone through 2-3 designs.
I wouldn't call it a quick project.

actually since the early 90s jonny. that said that is seen by the developer as a phase of an existing project so its a completely different thing. this tower missed the last office cycle for one reason - the delays caused by the planning system. LBT missed it for the same reason. if they end up not building the tower at st georges wharf it will be because it missed the housing boom because of the planning system. namely public inquiries.

a lot can happen till summer 2007. if one or two other major city projects go ahead before 2007, this could be delayed again.

20 million from heron international isnt much at all, particularly given the amount they make. they flogged off windsor house for 110 million last year.

As I said when you raise money either through equities or/and bank loans investors typically ask for some collaterals (e.g. assets of Heron) to cover against unexpected losses. In short, because of these collaterals, either Heron indeed build the tower or it does not, in which case Heron goes bankrupt. Since I don't believe Heron will go bankrupt, the tower will be built.

why raise money jef when you already have it? you know about this financial thing better than me, whats the logic behind it?

This cash is either used for other purposes (e.g. as a collateral against other loans, for dividends, provisionning, interest outflows, etc.) and/or for arbitrage reasons: real estates typically prefer to keep their liquidities to protect themselves against short-term (un)expected adverse events while taking on long-term loans for which the interest outflows are distributed over say 20 years. Finally, risk is diversified when equities are raised, that means lower probability to go bankrupt, hence lower pricing required for the bank loans, and therefore lower interest outflows. Raising equity is also typically used when the scheme is to be built speculatively because the pricing for bank loans is relatively high when no tenants have been signed. Hope this is not too confusing...

thanks... :) as someone who is averse to debt and who's business owes no-one anything and has 100% control i cant help but wonder why so many cash rich businesses like debt but then i dont build skyscrapers. all is more clear now.

As long as the big mofo is going up, all 800ft of it I don't really care who embarassed who. Right, down to some serious chitter chatter. Come on guys, give me the gory details right down the Heron's underwear. What's the current site like? I take it its going to be demolished 2006 to make way for Heron 2007?

Well as long as it's going up. Summer 2007 seems like a llifetime away tho. :(

As long as the big mofo is going up, all 800ft of it I don't really care who embarassed who. Right, down to some serious chitter chatter. Come on guys, give me the gory details right down the Heron's underwear. What's the current site like? I take it its going to be demolished 2006 to make way for Heron 2007?

at the current site they are rerouting sewar sites in prep. Although this should be done by now

I seem to be reading a different article to all you lot.

This dodgy wideboy Ronson, who I wouldn't touch with a bargepole, has this grand idea about building a tower. He gets a couple of diggers to do some dubious 'preparatory' work and pretend something is happening. Then he goes around begging for investors. The money's going into some dodgy offshore trust fund. It doesn't smell good to me. I wouldn't get your hopes up.

I take it its going to be demolished 2006 to make way for Heron 2007?

Demolition will start once Norton Rose are out of the current building. Norton Rose are moving to 3 & 4 More London. Which is currently under construction, due for completion about this time next year I guess.

It'll take a good few months for them to move over, so I reckon demolition will begin summer 2007. What about the asbestos rumour? Well it took a year more or less to demolish 51 Lime Street so I reckon it'll take 2 or more to do this site. So that's 2009, core will go up 2009/2010, cladding 2011, tenants move in late 2011.

Here's a story from way back in June 2000 - as you can see, the tower was originally planned for completion in 2005...

http://www.emporis.com/en/bu/nc/ne/?id=100170

That link to the emporis story- what happend to the land secs tower planned for 55 broad st

No idea, but hopefully we'll see something going up there in the next property cycle. :)

Old Broad Street is of course where Tower 42 stands, so there's potential for something very tall.

Another pic of mine:



http://www.willfox.com/images/london/3/12.jpg

Great pic Wjfox :D

The good thing about the Heron Tower is its construction schedule. The core starts rising in 2007 *51 Lime street has just been complete*, and the core will have reached full height in the later half of 2008 *it's concrete core is visible on the skyline from anywhere* :colgate: And when thats happened, 122 leadenhall street will be preparing for the erection of its core (if not 1/5 erect already by then) *LBT has topped out* and 1 year later (few months after Heron's completetion) LBT is complete. Not to mention the possibility with Bishopsgate Tower, which, if approved, will be u/c late 2008. And then you got ya Minerva.....:?

Studying the information above, it becomes evident that the construction boom is likely to happen in the years of 2007-08!

broadgate under construction, this news, things looking good for LBT, things are comoing good for London, long may it continue :cheers:

Studying the information above, it becomes evident that the construction boom is likely to happen in the years of 2007-08!


that's what everybody said about 2004/2005 a few years earlier..

oh dear, shut up

I was one of the first contributors to this website, and its previous incarnation, Euroscrapers and another forum before that.

When will people realise that skyscrapers aren't built overnight. The Natwest Tower took around a decade from proposal to completion. And it was the same with One Canada Square.

Also, The City of London has traditionally built groundscrapers. British Land's Broadgate Estate alone holds more than 4 million square feet of space. This tradition continues to this day. Plantation Place is an immense building, and, in my opinion adds as much to the City as a tower could as its so interesting at street level.

Broadgate alone corresponds to 8 Gherkins or 4 Canary Wharf towers. And that is just in the small area around Liverpool Street station.

In London since 2000, in only the space of 5 years we have seen these towers built:

Citigroup Tower (650ft)
HSBC Tower (650ft)
Swiss Re (590ft)
Barclays Bank (500ft)
Lehman Brothers Tower (500ft)
Clifford Chance Tower (500ft)
Bank Street Tower (500ft)

This is absolutely unprecendented high rise development in London. The City has never seen anything like it. The fact of the matter is, when the next property cycle kicks off, the City of London will see something similar.

The only reason Heron Tower hasn't been built yet is because of Norton Rose. If Norton Rose had left in 2002 then we'd be seeing the tower finished right now. Gerald Ronson used to run Heron International from his prison cell, he will take a risk with this one because he knows he will be able to let the tower.

By the way I'm glad Norton Rose didn't break their lease as now the tower is taller. Before it was a well designed tower. Now it will really soar. That's worth waiting for!

It is likely that most of these proposals for the City will be 'locked in.' The money spent securing planning consent for a massive tower is considerable, and the prize of building a tower immense. The Minerva Tower alone would be worth around a billion dollars, if not more when it is completed. In this tower, Minerva have a building which would propel them into the big league.

I don't see why lots of people are so pessimistic. So far the noughties has been an unprecendented decade for tall buildings in London. I don't see that stopping anytime soon.

Here's a story from way back in June 2000 - as you can see, the tower was originally planned for completion in 2005...

http://www.emporis.com/en/bu/nc/ne/?id=100170


"110 Bishopsgate has been carefully planned over 18 months and in cooperation with English Heritage"

Thats a bit worrying, so who forced it to a PI then? I thought it was EH?

Gerald Ronson used to run Heron International from his prison cell

fills me with confidence :uh:

I was one of the first contributors to this website, and its previous incarnation, Euroscrapers and another forum before that.

When will people realise that skyscrapers aren't built overnight. The Natwest Tower took around a decade from proposal to completion. And it was the same with One Canada Square.

Also, The City of London has traditionally built groundscrapers. British Land's Broadgate Estate alone holds more than 4 million square feet of space. This tradition continues to this day. Plantation Place is an immense building, and, in my opinion adds as much to the City as a tower could as its so interesting at street level.

Broadgate alone corresponds to 8 Gherkins or 4 Canary Wharf towers. And that is just in the small area around Liverpool Street station.

In London since 2000, in only the space of 5 years we have seen these towers built:

Citigroup Tower (650ft)
HSBC Tower (650ft)
Swiss Re (590ft)
Barclays Bank (500ft)
Lehman Brothers Tower (500ft)
Clifford Chance Tower (500ft)
Bank Street Tower (500ft)

This is absolutely unprecendented high rise development in London. The City has never seen anything like it. The fact of the matter is, when the next property cycle kicks off, the City of London will see something similar.

The only reason Heron Tower hasn't been built yet is because of Norton Rose. If Norton Rose had left in 2002 then we'd be seeing the tower finished right now. Gerald Ronson used to run Heron International from his prison cell, he will take a risk with this one because he knows he will be able to let the tower.

By the way I'm glad Norton Rose didn't break their lease as now the tower is taller. Before it was a well designed tower. Now it will really soar. That's worth waiting for!

It is likely that most of these proposals for the City will be 'locked in.' The money spent securing planning consent for a massive tower is considerable, and the prize of building a tower immense. The Minerva Tower alone would be worth around a billion dollars, if not more when it is completed. In this tower, Minerva have a building which would propel them into the big league.

I don't see why lots of people are so pessimistic. So far the noughties has been an unprecendented decade for tall buildings in London. I don't see that stopping anytime soon.
Candidate for most sensible post of 2005...?

In London since 2000, in only the space of 5 years we have seen these towers built:

Citigroup Tower (650ft)
HSBC Tower (650ft)
Swiss Re (590ft)
Barclays Bank (500ft)
Lehman Brothers Tower (500ft)
Clifford Chance Tower (500ft)
Bank Street Tower (500ft)


Hang on, hang on.

Citigroup Tower and HSBC Tower were both under construction from 1998 and were finished in 2002.

The Bank Street/Upper Bank Street towers were built around the 2001-2003 era.

Swiss Re began construction in 2000 and was finished in 2003.

Barclays Bank is the most recent, having started in 2002 and finishing in 2004.

So nothing has happened in London since 2003 really, except for Lime Street (which is some 25m short of a true skyscraper). Let's hope the Broadgate Tower gets going before things get really embarassing!

Let's hope the Broadgate Tower gets going before things get really embarassing!

A silly pessimistic post like that: I hope that it brings you lots of embarassment on the forums, one word for you, how many people know it, lets see...

Yes it is a slightly silly post- The point Dom was making was prior to 1999 London had 2 skyscapers & that was it - in the 5 years from 99 we have added another 7 & as has been mentioned many many times after around 2002/3 the property cycle went downhill ( as it has many times before) & practically all construction large & small basicall,y stopped. Now as has been mentioned many many times the property industry is recovering & big developers are plannig on hitting a peak around mid 2007/2008 & are gearing up for this.

We will have by the end of 2005 51 lime st (althogh not that tall - will still be the 4th tallest in the city & at present something like the 3rd tallest inconstruction in the UK), NPW, Pan P & Broadgate. I daresay a few more will be rising this time next year , epeccially if the towers inSouthwark dont get called in for PI's due ot sightlines.

Theres definately a group of forumers who always see the glass as half empty & then thers another group who see it as half full all the time- Which is good as otherwise the forum would get dull ;)

and you london lad, as a pundit of london skyscrapers, do you see the glass as half empty or half full?

the glass is clearly half full, the question is.. how quickly is it being filled. Developers have a habit of spilling the precious liquid at the last moment.

Me?!? ever the optimist half full ;)

Now as has been mentioned many many times the property industry is recovering & big developers are plannig on hitting a peak around mid 2007/2008 & are gearing up for this.

I'm pretty sure I heard a few years back on this forum that we were meant to have a property cycle peak around 2004/2005 in London... never happened.

London should be proud to have a whole ruck of approved towers waiting to be built. However, developers will not start construction on these towers until there is a need for them.

For instance, I can't see Canary Wharf building either Riverside South or North Quay this side of 2010 because there's still plenty of empty office space around. And the Wood Wharf development isn't going to go anywhere at this rate either.

Maybe we'll just have to put up with London having a slower skyscraper building rate than what was hoped may happen a few years ago? I guess that so long as we have either LBT and/or Bishopsgate Tower up by the Games in 2012 things will be fine. :)

For me the glass is half full, though it's not filling up very fast!

I can't see Canary Wharf building either Riverside South or North Quay this side of 2010 because there's still plenty of empty office space around. And the Wood Wharf development isn't going to go anywhere at this rate either.

afaik, Only the 10-20 Churchill Place and Riverside South can be built right now. The other schemes are tied to the crossrail issue. I agree with your point that only handful of all the proposals will eventually be buit.

It's is anyone's guess how many of the current proposals will eventually get built as by the nature of this business there are always casualties. I for one think that most of the sites in the city and wharf with pp or proposals will eventually see tall towers. I am not however confident of what towers we will eventually see. There will constantly be ebbs and flows in the market and changes to the fortunes of the players. (look at columbus) I expect an ever increasing amount of residential towers to be proposed/built as prime riverside sites dry up. I believe we are already seeing this.
London's skyline has altered for the better over the past five years this will make it easier for towers to appear in the centre of town. I know London will get more towers. What ones don't know unless they are already under construction. For me the glass is half full of that I am optimistically pessimistic.

yes the problem with the predicted 2004/2005 cycle was as follows - iraq war. yes, billions lost thanks to increased oil prices, main cause is this as its slapped between 20 and 30 dollars on the price of oil thanks to the increased security costs.

^ Bullshit! What would have done far more damage would have been the meltdown that you predicted for the dollar and US economy that thankfully never happened.

ok then, the economist is wrong, the FT is wrong, the world bank is wrong, the IMF is wrong, the us department of energy is wrong, dozens of american senators and their report is wrong, the bbc is wrong, reuters is wrong, american economics text books for school are wrong, wikipedia is wrong and so is the IPAA which consists of the largest petroleum producers in america. they all say - iraq. dont believe me, google - youll find dozens and dozens of reports by economic bodies citing iraq as the main cause. the security costs associated with the war in iraq and slightly more widely speaking the war on terror have added between 20 and 30 dollars a barrel, oil prices fluctuate precisely to what happens in iraq. the cost to the uk economy since 2003 has worked out at over 20 billion pounds a year, a couple of percent off economic growth.

well at the end of the day few really care about whatever did or didnt happen this and last year, many many people all over the place are saying with some confidence that basically whatever didnt happen now will be happening in 07/08, and this is certainly true for the likes of Heron and LBT, so im quietly confident, even on the slivers of info were getting, that things are turning the corner, for the better.

ok then, the economist is wrong, the FT is wrong, the world bank is wrong, the IMF is wrong, the us department of energy is wrong, dozens of american senators and their report is wrong, the bbc is wrong, reuters is wrong, american economics text books for school are wrong, wikipedia is wrong and so is the IPAA which consists of the largest petroleum producers in america. they all say - iraq. dont believe me, google - youll find dozens and dozens of reports by economic bodies citing iraq as the main cause. the security costs associated with the war in iraq and slightly more widely speaking the war on terror have added between 20 and 30 dollars a barrel, oil prices fluctuate precisely to what happens in iraq. the cost to the uk economy since 2003 has worked out at over 20 billion pounds a year, a couple of percent off economic growth.No Gothic it's just you that's wrong. These other bodies do not support your theory that Heron Tower was delayed because of the Iraq War. I doubt any of them even commented on the Heron Tower.

But Gothic is never wrong about Heron Tower...

but it does match the elevation :) i just measured...151m jonny. dont believe me, cut up what you posted yourself and see. dunno what youre dissing it for, its one of the oldest not 2d diagrams on ssp.... and i just measured it... i see the ssp one is different to the one on my h/d and site (which is correct)
What are you talking about?
The 153/173m top floor height is to the top of the north east corner not to the top of the north west corner.
ill post the elevation.

Still waiting for the magic elevation Gothic.....

noooo i said the economic cycle has been delayed because of the gulf war. property is one example... oil prices affect the price of steel for example. oil prices also force down economic growth and reduce the demand on office space. one of the main causes of oil price increase has been iraq and the knock on effects in saudi and kuwait that are associated with security...

yes the problem with the predicted 2004/2005 cycle was as follows - iraq war. yes, billions lost thanks to increased oil prices, main cause is this as its slapped between 20 and 30 dollars on the price of oil thanks to the increased security costs.

i didnt mention the heron tower either did i. now of course if you want to labour under the belief that iraq has had no effect on oil prices please, do so. you will find almost every economic body around disagrees.

He ??? I would suggest to go back to the topic of this thread: "Heron Tower"...

The KPF website has been updated. see http://www.kpf.com/main.asp
select Heron Tower. Thec ase study include some renders (inside the tower, from street level, etc.) I had never seen before. Nothing new but definitely worth looking at.

The site has been updated for months now.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a331/tijjan/outsideheron.jpg

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a331/tijjan/InsideHeron.jpg

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a331/tijjan/Heronoffice.jpg

... and baby heron
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a331/tijjan/HeronIncrease.jpg

Great renderings. I really do love this tower. Not just the design, but everything about it. The location is especially good - virtually opposite Liverpool Street station, one of the busiest stations in Europe. Just imagine, the first thing everyone will see when they exit the station is this massive 200m shiny glass skyscraper looming over them. :) Of all the proposed towers I would say that Heron has the best (and most prominent) location.

yeah, and the other thing is that it is such a high quality design, I cant wait for this one :yes:

Its good but LBT has raised the bar... :drool:

That is what is so fantastic, we are looking at brilliance but yet it is not the best :D

I can't see the pics posted by Bob (internal policy) re. the recently approved taller Heron tower: here we go again (sorry if they were already posted by bob, Gothic or anybody else ... I mean as big! Enjoy):

http://www.britishdesign.co.uk/new/dd/images/portfolio/full/0b31bfd6c6eac569c871c92aa2a02577.jpg

http://www.britishdesign.co.uk/new/dd/images/portfolio/full/be7a4120004cd88646cfac5e4b213dec.jpg

http://www.britishdesign.co.uk/new/dd/images/portfolio/full/7e07f78939761c4919d9594faead508d.jpg

http://www.britishdesign.co.uk/new/dd/images/portfolio/full/d87a3f007016373ebe3628fc59c8dd75.jpg

*Cums*

Imagine the first pic with DIFA tower in!

Would replace the ugly pink granite thing with the bridge on the right hand side of pic

Oh my! :cheers:

They've still left the bottom of 110 Bishopsgate on the skyline rendering....doh!

Those are the renderings of the old 183m design.

Eh?

Still the same height as Tower 42 in the skyline rendering.......

The secoing shot would be amazing with all the stuff in it

Fabulous...thank you

Nice tower

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/1538/ht31dt.jpg

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/4836/ht26cr.jpg

Wow weeee!!

Still the same height as Tower 42 in the skyline rendering.......

The old version was smaller than Tower 42 (excluding the spire)

http://www.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2003/12/232788.jpg

Still the same height as Tower 42 in the skyline rendering.......
I was thinking that too.

That second rendering is stunning! Heron looks so substaintial.

Do hope they keep the spire - we need some skyscrapers with spires.

The cladding and design does remind me a bit of the World Tower in Sydney.

Jonny, it's definitely the correct rendering. Heron is shown here at 202m + 40m spire :cheers:

yeah youre just a victim of perspective

So is this a definate a 2007-er? What stands on the current site? I heard Asbestos?

i love London i love london i love london :) London is gonna look so cool come 2012 olympics... perfect time to host the best event in the world, all these skyscrapers (fingers cross) will be completed. :horse:

What stands on the current site?

A nondescript concrete slab from the 1970s... ripe for a major redevelopment!


http://tinypic.com/mafno4.jpg

If you stand on the corner of that site and look up, this is what you see:-


http://tinypic.com/mafpfr.jpg

How long will demolition take again?

About the asbestos thing - I can't believe it would take 3 years to get rid of it.

Somebody has reported the wrong information here, surely?

Just what i thought, they are saying demolition will start this year, and construction next year... Demolition cant take 3 years if they are planning to start construction next year.

My prediction:-

Norton Rose will move out in September/October 2007, as stated on their website (http://www.nortonrose.com/offices/more_london.asp). Demolition will start almost immediately and a reasonable guess would be that it's going to take about 9-12 months. The tower has a construction schedule of 40 months apparently, so I reckon it will be externally complete by about 2010-11, just in time for the Olympics.

Heron Plaza is the 2nd phase of the development and will be finished a couple of years after that.

It will be an agonizing wait... but this is a stunning high quality skyscraper (by any city's standards), and will be worth it.

I dont see why it would take them until then to move out, their new building cant take that long to finish. I would think it would be done by christmas.

A shame. Heron Tower is hardly the best new skyscraper to show off during during the Olympics.

Heron is my favourite one at the mo'. It steers cleer of looking too unique, which is wat makes it unique. It's aboute time we get a glass and steel tower of the future in the City, to balance out the equation (the skyline).

It's aboute time we get a glass and steel tower of the future in the City, to balance out the equation (the skyline).

"Cough"
http://rodcorp.typepad.com/photos/variousthings/gherkin_w.jpg

Heron is my favourite one at the mo'. It steers cleer of looking too unique, which is wat makes it unique.

I agree, it's one of my favourite projects for the city at the moment and has good prospects.

Yes very nice.....thats a beautiful one...You are an exhibitionist Jonny!!!! :)

"Cough"


:doh: what i meant to say was square. We havnt reali got one yet!

I agree, it's one of my favourite projects for the city at the moment and has good prospects.

It does have good prospects :). dont mind me when i push it even further and say, It'll be the best o' tha bunch. pushing it?

It does have good prospects :). dont mind me when i push it even further and say, It'll be the best o' tha bunch. pushing it?

Na, Minerva's the best of the bunch. Shame it's chances are alot slimmer.

so I reckon it will be externally complete by about 2010-11, just in time for the Olympics.


Bloody hell, that's shocking when you consider we first heard about this in 2000. Even more shocking when you consider Beetham Manc was submitted 2.5 years ago and is already up. Fucking English Heritage.

Na, Minerva's the best of the bunch. Shame it's chances are alot slimmer.

omg i totally forgot about that project. Its very low key at the moment. But yeah, i do agree with you on that one. Minerva is my no.1.

I trust the investors. It really is just a case of time, which the case for almost all projects... unfortunately!

It seems soooo far away from the cluster in the renderings, but when your there, its only a road away from 30 st mary axe. (where i done my work experience:colgate:).

Bloody hell, that's shocking when you consider we first heard about this in 2000. Even more shocking when you consider Beetham Manc was submitted 2.5 years ago and is already up. Fucking English Heritage.

completely different context CAW. Different usage, different city, different companies with different growth strategies and differing amounts of ready cashflow to invest. You really can't compare the development of a London office skyscraper to a Manchester residential tower.

Beetham caught the upwards sweep of people wanting to live in iconic, tall, city centre apartments. The Heron Tower (aside from its current site tenants not moving till 2007) is a completely different kettle of fish. It's not all English Heritage's fault! They provide the system of legitimate challenge that is needed when trying to place modern buildings in a city like London.

Heron Tower, 122 Leadenhall and Shard London Bridge are all planned to start rising around the same time so we'll all be giddy with excitement in 2 years.

If EH had intervined and Norton Rose had moved out earlier we wouldnt have had the height increase!

^ on what building?

Heron tower

It got the increase!

It got the increase!

We've known that for time now! :)

If EH hadn't of called the tower in it would be complete by now. Norton Rose would have moved far earlier to possibly Moorhouse, the tower would have caught the tail end of the office take up around 2000-2001 and I expect a few tennants would have been interested back then.

Fair enough, we get 4 extra floors, but personally I think the height increase has meant the cluster is now unbalanced, and I'd have preferred it stepping up to Tower 42 from St Paul's, seeing as we won't see another tower between them.

If EH had intervined and Norton Rose had moved out earlier we wouldnt have had the height increase!

But look what you wrote :? lol

If EH hadn't of called the tower in it would be complete by now. Norton Rose would have moved far earlier to possibly Moorhouse, the tower would have caught the tail end of the office take up around 2000-2001 and I expect a few tennants would have been interested back then.

Fair enough, we get 4 extra floors, but personally I think the height increase has meant the cluster is now unbalanced, and I'd have preferred it stepping up to Tower 42 from St Paul's, seeing as we won't see another tower between them.

Oooh. Gotcha :yes:

:doh:

I prefer the increase, i think its good because, if we wanted a fair cluster, we're gonna have to do much betta in the mid-rise section first. But thats not gonna happen too soon, so its best to head straight for the sky, and set the height of the cluster.

Well... have a proper look and see what you think?

without increase...
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a331/tijjan/heronsh.jpg

...with
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a331/tijjan/heroninc.jpg

But look what you wrote :? lol

oh right, sorry

Or this:

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/2839TheBishopsgateTower_pic3.jpg

to this:

http://static.flickr.com/34/66585451_bf2f17820a_b.jpg

The removal of Draper's Gardens and height increase of heron has a massive impact on cluster.

that second bishopsgate is not accurate...
ooooh how i love our skyscraper designs!

^^ its not only that......The First picture shows the taller version of Difa, the second picture shows the reduced height version

so the effect of herons height increase appears even more drastic

I can't believe I'm saying this but the cluster looked better with the smaller heron.

I disagree...

In pure aesthetic analysis.... sure shorter would be better. But in reality of the skyline in the flesh... i really really dont think the concerns are valid.

In the flesh, when you see it, the depth of the view will come into perspective and the buildings will stand out for what they are.... the distance between heron and the rest means that different views will bring in different perspectives... but also, i dont look at heron as the only addition and so with the other towers i dont think there are any negatives associated with herons height increase. It's reality now, i dont think its worth complaining about (except for academic reason).

of course, the difference is not that big, but the skyline doesn't look as balanced as it looked before. in reality no one will see the difference, or care about it...

I can't believe I'm saying this but the cluster looked better with the smaller heron.

It certainly looked better with the taller Bishopsgate Tower. The crown looks squashed and has lost much of its elegance.

The shorter version of Difa would look SOOOO much better if they just lowered that 'shoulder' (the bit on the right, close to the ledenhall building), that way the crown would retain its elegance

I prefer the taller version of Heron :cool:

The larger Heron really does look great, just that bit extra makes it look so much bigger because the building (minus spire) does now look to be taller or thereabouts than T42 and Swiss Re.

ADDRESSING THE COMMENTS ABOVE ABOUT THE DIFA RENDER....

That is not a genuine render, and in reality the shortened difa looks identical, proportion wise, to the original... so the shoulder is lower. Just to allay the fears.

Yes, that render bothers me a weee bit!

This is one i done with the height decrease, it wouldnt lose its character:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a331/tijjan/Daygo.jpg

I came across this picture of a model showing both Heron and its baby which looks damn fine IMO.

http://www.kandor.co.uk/images//project_large/page_6pos_10.jpg

I WANT that model! Thats fab..cheers!

Is that a can of oil under the table?

The more I see of Heron the more I like it. I remember when I first saw it I thought it looked quite bland, possibly in light of the very original other projects proposed for the city. But I really like the criss-cross sides and shape now and it's possibly my 2nd or 3rd favourite city of london proposal now.

Yeah, I certainly agree, when coming across this project it certainly did nothing for me, now i really do like it, and now with loads more renderings and models we can see the true look if the tower, and now im really excited about its construction and really will value its presence on the London skyline.

Theres a bit of news on this website- but I dotn subcribe so cant give you any more details other than 'Skanska favourite for Heron tower contract'

http://www.building.co.uk/section.asp?navcode=518

They're also doing Palestra :)

They did a certain other skyscraper (http://www.willfox.com/images/upc/14.jpg) too. :)

Indeed Wj. They also are/did do a good job too :)

It looks very likely

Ps exbass cant do mon will get back to you

It looks very likely

Ps exbass cant do mon will get back to you

No problems :)

Indeed Wj. They also are/did do a good job too :)
Well, apart from putting the crown on skew-wiff and apart form the odd windows that never got replaced and apart from the fact it was shown to be a bit wonky! Apart from that they did a good job ;0)

Come on mate. Its a 300 tonne building! Its huge! Things can't be that perfect!

They did Moorhouse too, one of the City's best midrises in my opinion. It's a shame the official thread got deleted last year.


http://i1.tinypic.com/n4vaed.jpg


http://www.willfox.com/images/london/3/13.jpg


http://www.willfox.com/images/london/3/14.jpg

Amazing pics! What´s the name of the street in the second pic?

Amazing pics! What´s the name of the street in the second pic?

that's going down london wall i think, with moorgate just down and on the right.

Moorhouse is a great shape, if you stretched it upwards so it became a skyscraper, placed in Canary Wharf they'd still gain a maximum plot rate and have a good tower with curves.

Moorhouse is one of London's best recent buildings but so far it hasn't been a commercial success. It still seems to be empty.

Norton Rose were originally going to move there.

Monkey, explain why you like moorhouse so much....

It does nothing for me, it confuses me, and i dont see anything clever or great about it. It just seems like a stranger and potentially awkward shape that doesnt really do much... why do you like it so much?

How tall is it?...something like 80m i guess.

^^ 84m :)

Sorry if this is in the wrong thread, but a construction journal is reporting that Heron is likely to award the contract for £500m Heron Tower within the next few weeks, with Skanksa favourite as contractor. Work expected to start shortly afterwards...

Brilliant news! :cheers:

Excellent! :cheers:

good news! £500 million is quite a lot of money :eek:

47 storey tower on Bishopsgate it says. Bovis Lend Lease & Multiplex are out. :cheers:

We already know Skanska do high quality jobs anyway! Brilliant news :cheers:

Sorry if this is in the wrong thread, but a construction journal is reporting that Heron is likely to award the contract for £500m Heron Tower within the next few weeks, with Skanksa favourite as contractor. Work expected to start shortly afterwards...

*multiple orgasms*

**Dodges orgasms Matrix style**

*multiple orgasms*

LOL

------

If true, it would be one the best news of 2006!

Work expected to start shortly afterwards...

If you completly ignore that Norton Rose aren't moving out until at least the end of this year.

This is my poor attempt at a Heron render without the footbridge :)

http://i1.tinypic.com/nehzrm.jpg

By "shortly afterwards", they must mean 12-18 months then.

They could be starting by closing the road off and paving over that little bit that is in the final scheme - could create some space for storage, afterall, where else is there to dump everything?

That footbridge will be going when Bishopsgate Tower is built, will it not?

Oh and anyway, we have plenty to keep us occupied until the end of the year- Lime Street, Ontario, Broadgate, More London, Bankside 123. Certainly better than last year. The latter half of 2007 will be overflowing with official threads.

remember they have lots of ground and site preparation to do. we wont see much above ground but that doesnt mean they wont be working on the tower :)

Hilarious piece on Gerald Ronson in the Evening Standard magazine last Friday, quote 'His controversial Heron Tower, the 46 storey office block that will dominate Bishopsgate in the City has been granted permission for another four floors, bending all the rules on the skyline'.

Pray what rules? I think they were made more mallable (and for the better) by a progressive looking planning decision in 2001 led by Peter Wynne Rees who deserves massive kudos for bring us to where we are today...... at the start of what could be the most fantastic series of skyscrapers taking off in the centre of London

The article also states that the Heron Tower is due to start 'later this year', but nothing more specific. Locking down a contractor all goes towards completing the jigsaw. I'll drink to that chaps.

DEL

The website has been updated (not the pics): http://www.heroninternational.co.uk/findex.html
READ the TEXT on the right:

http://i1.tinypic.com/oifzhy.jpg
http://i1.tinypic.com/oig1zd.jpg

:banana: :banana: Wahey! :banana: :banana:

Doesn't really tell us anything we don't already know though. And the renderings still show the older design.

Doesn't really tell us anything we don't already know though. And the renderings still show the older design.

It makes me yet more confident that construction will start next year because it is the first time I see it mentioned on their official web site. I like the rendering of Exbass .

Thanks Jef. I've got the PSD Photoshop file laying around somewhere, i'll have another crack at it to get rid of the footbridge all together :)

I managed to dig this stuff out from the Corporation of London website.... There is loads of information on the Heron Tower. The first thing you notice is how much hard work goes into getting planning consent. It's like a massive dissertation and then some.

This tower will be absolutely incredible at night. There are going to be blue LEDs all down one of the sides and it has external glass lifts ala Lloyds. It also will have lots of solar panels on the exterior. This really will be a stunning tower... and also looks as though, bar catastrophe, it will be built.

A dark horse this one for sure... only problem is that the Gannt chart below states that it won't be finished until 2010... and thats with a start this summer with preparation works and demolition of Bishops House.

This is what we are losing... not much!

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

Here's some closeups of the structure:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/dominiccherry1/HeronandHeronPlazatransparent.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/dominiccherry1/StructuralBracingandVillages.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/dominiccherry1/UpperpartofthetowerfromLiverpoolStr.jpg

An of the foyer, the restaurant bar:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/dominiccherry1/HeronFoyer.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/dominiccherry1/HeronTowerRestaurantBar.jpg

Here's some fascinating information about the lighting scheme and the solar panels:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/dominiccherry1/HeronfromGracechurchStreetatnight.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/dominiccherry1/HeronTowerlightingdetails.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/dominiccherry1/MoreLightingInfo.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/dominiccherry1/HeronTowerSolarinfo.jpg

And wireframes of how all the approved projects will look. This will be of benefit to Will as it has more accurate impressions of how tall the Willis Building will look from Waterloo Bridge.

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

And from Somerset House and the Embankment:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/dominiccherry1/FromSomersetHouse.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/dominiccherry1/FromEmbankment.jpg

Here's the Gantt Chart:

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

Great pics!

Wow, thats detailed. So it means it won't be until November 2008 that the core starts to rise?

A long way off ....pfff...

Its the asbestos. Can't do anything about it. It'll be worth the wait though... this tower will really soar and will top 1 Canada Square as Britains tallest.

The night lighting looks awesome as well. Its also wonderful how it will have a bar and viewing gallery open to the public. And they've kept the 3 storey aquarium too :)

Is this the plan for the smaller version of Heron or the newer version?

Thanks for posting all the pics and info Dom....... much appreciated.

What a shame this tower is still such a long way off... nearly 3 years until the core starts rising. Damn, that's almost as long as I've been a member of SSC... Oh well, at least we know for sure it will be built now. This tower has the funding behind it, Norton Rose are definitely moving out next year, a construction schedule is in place, and enabling works have already started.

Incredible attention to detail by the architects. It's gonna be one amazing building when completed. Imagine looking up at the exterior by day with all the solar panels glinting in the sun and at night with that LED lighting display! It is indeed a "dark horse".

Fascinating stuff Dom. Couldn't they make that aquarium a bit bigger?

A long way off ....pfff...

Some of us have been waiting six years for this to start. I can wait two more.

And this will be going up whilst 122 Leadenhall is. The good times are upon us.

According to Egi, Gerald Ronson announces construction start at Bishopsgate. Anyone got the full story?

^!!!

:)

I will check site out tomorrow. Surely Goth would of heard about this by now.

I thought they were already doing enabling works there

http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/1494/heron1fr.jpg

I think this certainly is within my 3 favourite London proposals right now. Tall, stylish and interesting, plus a great spire. Shame about the wait though.

According to Egi, Gerald Ronson announces construction start at Bishopsgate. Anyone got the full story?

But they havent got plannign permission yeet?!

they got it in January!

(17th to be precise)

but he might announce it, they arent doing anything new or different at all from the past ground work. its simply a p.r statement with them declaring they are building the tower. given the actual structure or foundations of the tower arent u/c its a very loose way of saying they are now building it. ill have it down as under construction when they actually start working on the tower.
demolishing the current building or even rebuilding a few pieces of pavement next to a development are NOT construction, if so i guess ropemaker place has been u.c for months.
right now ronson is being a little economical with the truth in saying the building is under construction, its a bit hard to build a skyscraper with two other buildings sitting on the plot awaiting demolition. what he means is enabling works have begun officially on site, the tower itself doesnt start until 2007 according to heron, look at the gant chart dom posted a few posts up.
if egi want to report a p.r annoucement that has no real substance and no reality right now (dont believe me go and visit kempson house, it's still got norton rose in it!) thats up to them :) foundation work begins in november 2007.

He's just trying to get the name out there again so any possible tenants remember this building exists.

Got a bit excited there, but yeh, we won't see a core until late 2008, so this will be a while coming.

yes, probably, but I would like to know what is reported. By the way, are there any tenants in Bishops House?This one should also be demolished to make way for the tower. Heron could first demolish Bishops House and after Norton Rose vacates in 2007 Heron would be demolishing Kempson House. No?

This is all good news! There was talk of years of demolition work because of the Asbetos issue, but according to the chart above, demolition will only take 6 months!

And wireframes of how all the approved projects will look. This will be of benefit to Will as it has more accurate impressions of how tall the Willis Building will look from Waterloo Bridge.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/dominiccherry1/ConsentedDevelopment.jpg


Very nice.But I dont like that "gap" between T42 and Swiss Re,will anything be built there?

bishopsgate! lol

^ Oh yes..shite forgot bout that lil beauty :doh: sorry :)

they arent doing anything new or different at all from the past ground work. its simply a p.r statement with them declaring they are building the tower. given the actual structure or foundations of the tower arent u/c its a very loose way of saying they are now building it. right now ronson is being a little economical with the truth in saying the building is under construction, its a bit hard to build a skyscraper with two other buildings sitting on the plot awaiting demolition. what he means is enabling works have begun officially on site, the tower itself doesnt start until 2007 according to heron, look at the gant chart dom posted a few posts up

You're definitely right Gothic and thanks for the info. We won't see the core rising before ... fall 2008 according to the gant chart. Meanwhile, it was reported again this morning in the business section of the London Times that "Heron has just started work on a new skyscraper in Bishopsgate in the City." (with an interview of Ronson). That's not true!!

http://i1.tinypic.com/s5vkud.jpg

Basically 'enabling works' means do sod all for a year ;)

Are the buildings even occupied on the current site - i suppose asbestos is going to slow down demolishion.

Overhead view of the current site, above and to the left of that red dot.

And remember, the Allies & Morrison tower announced this week will stand literally opposite, immediately to the south:


http://i2.tinypic.com/sl1edv.jpg

Apparently they're going to pedestrianise the little road that runs north-east around the site.

So the tower on the left bottom corner is the/was the Bank of Hong Kong?

yeah hsbc used to be at 99 bishopsgate

thanks..I thought so by the shape!

Don't forget, we'll also have Heron Plaza (http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=682) which will add yet more density to this area.

The latest aerial shots by Jason Hawke posted in Projects & Const. show the doomed building which Heron will replace.

http://news.jasonhawkes.com/l002.jpg

Directly to the right of Swiss Re's circular "rails" on this photo.

wow!

Very nice.But I dont like that "gap" between T42 and Swiss Re,will anything be built there?

I believe that this rumoured 80-88 bishopsgate will be there, potentially a nice height too

The latest aerial shots by Jason Hawke posted in Projects & Const. show the doomed building which Heron will replace.

http://news.jasonhawkes.com/l002.jpg

Directly to the right of Swiss Re's circular "rails" on this photo.

God almighty, that's one of the best pics of SwissRe I've ever seen.

The red things, window cleaners?

The red things, window cleaners?

Err No They are Aircraft Warning Lights (City Airport Traffic approx 1000ft above)

I found this pic of both Heron & baby Heron aka heron plaza

I think its the new taller one but not sure


http://i2.tinypic.com/sv13ww.jpg

Cool model. Yeah it does look like the 200+m version.

Damn thats awesome :D

Can't wait to see this rise!

Holy fuck that's tall! Bring it on!!!

I found this pic of both Heron & baby Heron aka heron plaza

I think its the new taller one but not sure


http://i2.tinypic.com/sv13ww.jpg

:drool:

I really like this tower now :cheers:

Special edition of Building magazine to skyscrapers in London.

with an interview of Gerald Ronson about its Heron Tower:

http://i1.tinypic.com/zkki1h.jpg

‘If you are offering a six-star product, you can't deliver three-star service… so says property tycoon Gerald Ronson on his plans for London's first luxury office tower. He talks exclusively to Claer Barrett about his ambition to create a Savoy among offices. "

Some extracts:

He is also close to securing funding for the project, with details due to be announced any day. In recent weeks he has appointed Philip Lewis, the former UK head of American developer Hines, as his new head of investment to work alongside his development guru Peter Ferrari at Heron.

Despite the competition within the City - particularly from other tower schemes - Ronson's confidence is not dented. "Some will be built, some won't. The fact is, we paved the way," he says of the planning battle. "Some of our competitors have rightly said thank you, although I haven't yet seen any financial contribution from them."

I think from hereonin we can look forward to the continuous building of 150m+ buildings in The City for years to come... Bring it on! :banana:

dancing bannana smiley indeed :)

Special edition of Building magazine to skyscrapers in London.

with an interview of Gerald Ronson about its Heron Tower:

http://i1.tinypic.com/zkki1h.jpg

This guy has an interesting biography -


"...Ronson became known in the UK as one of the 'Guinness Four' for his part in the Guinness share-trading fraud of the 1980s, along with Ernest Saunders and occasional business associates Jack Lyons and Anthony Parnes. Ronson and Lyons were both very close to the grandest apple of them all, the prime minister Margaret Thatcher and both were in their own right entrepeneurs of the kind she admires, Lyons was a personal friend, and Thatcher’s two closest advisers, Tim Bell and Gordon Reece, were paid advisers to Guinness at the time. Ronson was convicted in August 1990 of one charge of conspiracy, two of false accounting, and one of theft, and was fined £5 million and given a one-year jail sentence, of which he served six months. When, within a short time of leaving jail, his Heron Corporation was caught up in the savings and loans financial disaster that hit America, his demise seemed complete. Heron had a subsidiary in the Mid-West called Pima, which made loans against properties. When property values in the region collapsed, Pima was left high and dry. Heron lost around £350 million in Pima and, when debts of £1.5 billion were taken into account, Ronson's company, to all intents and purposes, was bust."

me thinks that should be made into a movie ^^

That sounds prettty good and he certainly doesnt seem phased by the vast increase in office space in the next few years

I have made a simple 3D model of the Heron Tower for GE (202m + 39 spire). You can download it from here (http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=ca72547886a4b48c7b4b28b87de38db6) Some pics:

http://i4.tinypic.com/10naywn.jpg

http://i4.tinypic.com/10nb7yp.jpg

http://i4.tinypic.com/10nbbbn.jpg

It's behind 2 scrapers, we'll probably just make out the spire from certain angles

View from the public restaurant on the 46th floor, looking south -

http://i4.tinypic.com/10ws0gz.jpg

Wow, that will be amazing!

i think itll be too dense.

Bishopsgate will be a canyon. Extremly dense indeed.

View from the public restaurant on the 46th floor, looking south

There will be one (or two?) terraces at the north elevation. It must be impressive to take lunch on a terrace at 520ft (and 550ft?) high

I walked past the sit of Heron on Friday, Looks like some has let the old BarClays bank branch, there was alot of work going on inside and it looked like construction as opposed to demolition.
I hope this is not a bad omen :bash:

Its not, they're currently advertising short-term space in the building that will be demolished in 2007. Don't worry.

mini scare over, now I an go back to dreaming of Lunch at 500ft :)

Just cus I was bored at the time, I decided to search for the Heron tower on Wikipedia, and at the end of the short article (the most updated bit), it gave this info:

'As of May 2006, prepatory works involving the relaying of pipes and wires underneath the current building have begun. This process will take over 1 year to complete. Demolition of the current building on the site of the Heron Tower will begin in late 2007 and end in 2008. The 242m Heron Tower will begin construction in November 2008.'

......

Don't know whether everyone knew all this or not, I didn't, so I just thought I'd post it....sorry if it's 'behind the times'. :)

:cheers:

yeah it's quite a major sewer apparently and his been worked on for ages now (6 months at least) and now another year... blimey

well, beginning 2007, the damn thing wont have a brick layed until virtually 2009 :(

Its not, they're currently advertising short-term space in the building that will be demolished in 2007. Don't worry.

Phew!!

Construction work in old Barclays is fitting out of Skanska's project office. Now complete and occupied.

The 242m Heron Tower will begin construction in November 2008.'


gawd, that's still almost 2 and a half years from now! :sleepy:

To clarify - November 2008 is when the concrete core is due to start rising.

Some other general construction will have happened before then, eg. site preparation, foundations, etc.

I agree it's still a long way off, though... don't worry though, we'll have plenty of other stuff to look forward to (including the Official 122 Leadenhall thread starting on 1st Jan 2007) :)

gawd, that's still almost 2 and a half years from now! :sleepy:

you have to remember that that is when we will start to see it go up, it will be under construction way before then, just not of any major consequence to our skyline

We'll have enough to keep us occupied.

The likely construction methodology will be top down, giving the earliest release of the steel frame from plunge columns in the main bearing piles and allowing the basement works to be undertaken whilst the steel frame proceeds. The core is steel and will likely follow the main steel 'tube' structure. Expect to see steel frame commence circa September 2008. Frame will top out Jan 2010.

Greetings threeo, are you in the construction buisness???

The core is steel and will likely follow the main steel 'tube' structure.
I didn't know that. :)

So Heron, Leadenhall and Broadgate will all have fast construction schedules.

That is some interesting news threeo!

I wonder if this is the end of the concrete core upon the skyline of London for some time? It looks like most of the proposed 150m+ skyscrapers will be steel frames.

20 Fenchurch Street has a concrete core I believe.

20 Fenchurch Street has a concrete core I believe.

That maybe but it Wont get planning permission.

Why ever not?

That maybe but it Wont get planning permission.
Is this just wishful thinking, or do you know something the rest of us don't??? :)

Because its in a prominent position and its pig ugly! I mean who in there right mind would allow it to be built, especally in that location!

Because its in a prominent position and its pig ugly! I mean who in there right mind would allow it to be built, especally in that location!

Er...all the relevant bodies support it.

edit :D

The likely construction methodology will be top down, giving the earliest release of the steel frame from plunge columns in the main bearing piles and allowing the basement works to be undertaken whilst the steel frame proceeds. The core is steel and will likely follow the main steel 'tube' structure. Expect to see steel frame commence circa September 2008. Frame will top out Jan 2010.

2010, wow that is a long way away!

Threeo welcome to SSC, im looking forward to more knowledgable posts ;)

^^ trust me, the time will fly........

by that time i'll me taking My A-Levels, should have plenty of free-time for piccy taking

Loads of enabling works going on around the site right now.

Kempson House is empty now by the looks of it, and there are blue Skanska signs in the windows of the ground floor.

Looks like something might be happening on the DIFA site as well...

Glad to see it happen.

It was announced last week on cityoffices.net

Heron Tower Preparation

"Heron Tower Property Unit Trust has begun demolition work in preparation for construction of its 220m high office tower at 110 Bishopgate and Camomile Street in London, EC3. Site clearance works by contractor Skanska will be followed by construction in early 2007 for 2010 completion. The Heron Tower will be over 60,000 sq m (650,000 sq ft). Kohn Pederson Fox is the architect."

:eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2:

*faints*

I feel like I should be in 2002.

Why is nobody replying?! This is probably the biggest news in the forum's history. Bizarre.....

Why is nobody replying?! This is probably the biggest news in the forum's history. Bizarre.....

One picture of site clearance and preparation work would help I guess.