The Leaf | West London | 143m | 40 fl | Cancelled

[Sitback]

I couldn't find a thread for this so apologies if there is one. This was in todays Evening Standard with a beautiful rendering. Looks great.

[potto]

might part with my cash to take a peak! Ealing though... would imagine it being a Nimby haven

[jorgen]

Ealing, cool. That's unlikely to ever go through, but please someone post the rendering

[jorgen]

Is it this one?



*searching for a bigger one*


Arcadia plans released

PLANS for an Iconic Gateway' that would change the face of Ealing have been released by the developers.

Irish firm Glenkerrin has now submitted a planning application for the Arcadia centre which includes The Leaf, a twin aspect high-rise building that scales 40-floors on the Uxbridge Road facing side.

Architects Foster+Partners, who are responsible for landmark buildings such as the Gherkin and the new Wembley stadium, came up with the design for the building, which would be the tallest in Ealing if approved.

The rest of the development will include an outdoor shopping arcade with 220,000 square feet of shop space in various sizes as well as a substantial amount of office space and 700 flats.

Plans will be available from tomorrow (Tuesday, September 25) online at www.ealing.gov.uk and in libraries.

The final decision on the project is not expected to be made until the new year.

http://www.ealingtimes.co.uk

[Chogmook]

Message to Foster from Manchester:- 'Where's our 1 Hardman Square in your home city?!!!'

[wjfox]

40 storeys...?? This would be the tallest building in West London, not just Ealing (I think).

[gothicform]

right sod that embargo... gimme 20 mins and ill have the information typed up. its 143m tall.

[Biosonic]

That looks rather dull (but admittedly only from squinting).

I don't really get what the attraction of Foster is.

[Gherkin]

The design looks like it would suit a 200m+ skyscraper rather than a 143m one. There's a similar building in Shanghai that I saw on the world forums.

[wjfox]

Originally Posted by gothicform

its 143m tall.

And they expect this to get planning permission??

[potto]

although it is along the lines of the much talked about vision of the regeneration for the London suburbs where you build dense around the transport nodes. Just need to tell the locals about it though!

[Officer Dibble]

skyscrapernews.com story (http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=1119):

Londons Leafy Foster Tower
Published on 2007-09-25

Foster and Partners have designed this new 40 floor 143m tall building as part of a redevelopment in Ealing, West London.

Developed by Glenkerrin UK, the scheme features a comprehensive redevelopment of the current Arcadia shopping centre overspilling into a site between Ealing Broadway and Haven Green that includes building over the nearby railway line.

It's been master-planned by HKR architects to include 20,450 square metres of commercial space, most retail that will be able accommodate a whole range of different outlets from anchor department stores to small cafes.

There is also 1,168 square metres of office space, 1,728 square metres for leisure use, plus plans for 704 new apartments ranging from 1 to 3 bedrooms.
The highlight of the residential section of the scheme is the 40 floor residential tower facing on to Uxbridge Road designed by Foster and Partners which will reach a height of 143m to its tip.

Harking back to the organic inspiration of 30 St Mary Axe (aka the Gherkin), the distinctive design has been nicknamed "the Leaf" thanks to the central spine of the building with two wings off it, the rough form of the massing like a leaf blade, the diagonal contouring it displays which mimics a leaf vein.

Naturalists and trivia fans will be pleased to know it most mimics the appearance of an upside down Obcordate leaf that is "heart shaped and stems at the point."

The proposal is likely to be hard fought over as it will be by far the tallest building in a borough where local residents have successfully resisted tall buildings in the past. Final judgement on the planning application will be done by the council in the first quarter of 2008.

[potto]

Im liking the form so far. Something like that would look good at Waterloo or Victoria. Just hope it doesnt get unceremoniously lopped off by the local 'democracy' in action.

[gothicform]

no highrise images yet so i just cribbed them from what steppenwolf posted a month ago.

[henry]

From the Standard's new website:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...rbs/article.do

[BenL]

A really nice proposal although I'm a little unsure about the lower quarter. It looks a lot better than many proposals for considerably more prestigious sites. However, I doubt the level of support it willl receive from the Conservative council which opposed the West London tram. That said, the well known starchitect and neutral story on their website could tip it the other way.

[jimbo]

wow, initial impression is wildly positive! Looks like a bookend, and the diagonal bars really distort the eye. And right in the centre of Ealing too - lived there from 2002-2003 and the station is appalling at the moment. The shopping centre seemed okay then, but this is in another league entirely. Good luck!

[randolph]

First impression is that I don't much like it. It seems a bit gimmicky and lightwieght. Maybe it will grow on me?

[jorgen]

The locals seem to like it:
http://www.ealingtimes.co.uk/display...d.php#comments

Only 4 comments I know, but anyway, it's unusual to see only 50% of the locals being negative about a proposed tower

[fitz44]

Terrific, Foster near his best! But will it get permission or will we see the Obcordate leaf whittled down by the planners to a twig?