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#1 · (Edited)
Bishopsgate Tower - "The Pinnacle"
The City

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

Links: Bishopsgate Tower promotional video (23mb) | Skyscrapernews listing

Notes:
  • At 288 metres, the Bishopsgate Tower will form the centrepiece of London’s financial district. It will be over 100 metres taller than
    the City's current tallest building, Tower 42.
  • Plans for a tower on this site have been around since 2002. A previous design by Helmut Jahn was scrapped following concerns over
    the base and crown, and its effect on views from Fleet Street. The revised design - by architects Kohn Pederson Fox - is more
    sleek and elegantly proportioned, and is intended to complement the neighbouring proposals such as the Leadenhall Building.
  • A planning application was submitted in June 2005. A revised planning application with a 19m height reduction was submitted
    and given final approval in April 2006. In November 2006, the developers secured funding for the project from Arab Investments.
  • The full planning report for the tower can be accessed by clicking here.
Current Status:
Piling is complete. Keltbray are back on site, to complete demo of the previous building (by 10th January 2010), and to complete the
enabling works. A new excavation, 5.5 metres below the present basement floor, is to take place in January in preparation for the core in late 2010.

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

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







































 
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#131 ·
Thanks newcastle guy,

This is my first attempt at posting an image and i might well have got it wrong. If nothing appears below then apologies and i'll try it again.



This is an attempt to place the millenium tower into the same skyline as the the bishopsgate tower. I'm a novice at photoshop so its a bit shit.
I've put it in between the natwest tower and the proposed heron tower, which i think is the best place for it in this future skyline. Even then, it still seem to unbalence the view, at least from waterloo bridge. More buildings of similar height to swiss re and the natwest might help, although i think the congestion of towers at this site will be an inevitable consequence of the st pauls site lines.
On a bit of a side issue, I'd like to see more buildings by Foster and, in particular, Rogers built in prominent areas of London before they both retire (if architects ever retire?). There are plenty of examples of both architects work in London, but neither has had a chance to really stamp their identity of London. In Rogers' case i think this is a real shame, i would love to see a london peppered with his industrial modernist buildings, especially when they are tall enough to be visable from other parts of town.
 
#132 ·
It isnt much wider than tower 42, which isnt xactly of modern floorplates. Architecture and ideas have progressed alot so understand and respect that the City is finally getting a gigantic, modern skyscraper.

It's also significantly thinner than the other modern planned Millenium Tower... but I dont hear any complaints about the width on that baby! Take a look (for fun :D)



 
#133 ·
Henry, your render looks interesting but its kind of small.

All you have to do is copy its url and place it in between these brackets:



The firms will be around forever, more than what i can say about the architects themselves.

We dont need to worry about a skyscraper of that scale going anywhere in the city since height restrictions are well in practice in that area.
 
#136 ·
And no-one's going to see it from that angle anyway apart from when they are at the top of St Paul's. From ground level it will look wide, from say Ludgate and Fleet Street, but no-one will notice, because they'll be so breathless at its height they won't particularly care that she's put on a bit of weight.
 
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