Sky Garden Tower | Vauxhall | 120m | 35 fl | App

[london lad]

A new 120m 35 floor tower in Vauxhall sneaked under the radar and went in for planning in July. Its 35 Storeys and just South of the Vauxhall roundabout. Its in the Vauxhall-Nine elms opportunity area which is going to be a new redevelopment hotspot in the next 10-15 year. Other projects planned in the area include the Vauxhall tower, a major redevelopment of Nine Elms market, a new US embassy & large developments from Ballymore & Arab investors as well as the planned Battersea Power Station redevelopment.

It might also mean some of the long dead projects such as the Bondway tower might resurface.

Architects are Cary Jones & developers are Fairbriar Projects,

Suprrise surprise the local association in Kennington is against the proposal as it doesn't contain enough 3 & 4 bed flats.... Oh yes, forgot to mention they are opposed to the height (excessive apparently).





















http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/plann...20080923.jsp#2

[golddex]

WE LIKE WE LIKE!! that could make me move south of the river...

[wjfox]

We know what to expect from this: the usual uphill battle through an overly-bureaucratic planning system, the inevitable public inquiry and/or height reduction, Evening Standard propaganda and insane NIMBY comments ("London turning into Manhattan") and a dumbed-down design which people still object to, even when the developers have satisfied all the criteria. Predictable as clockwork.

[Octoman]

Do you like it though? Honestly? Is this really a fine addition to London? Looks pretty dull to me.

[DarJoLe]

A residential HSBC, if you will.

[wjfox]

Originally Posted by london lad

Yep, this will go to a PI. No doubt about it. The impact on Westminster is clearly going to be catastrophic. Look how it overwhelms Big Ben. Absolutely shocking. These sort of monstrous skyscrapers belong in Shanghai or Hong Kong.

[Octoman]

The thing that bugs me about these renders is that it seems standard to show some form of sky garden full of flush tropical looking plants. They look great and if you look at the renders here play quite a large role in lifting the design above being what is basically a dull glass cladded tube. The reality though is that these areas inevitably turn out to be a bog standard atrium with a couple of rubber plants and a water cooler.

[london lad]

Originally Posted by wjfox

We know what to expect from this: the usual uphill battle through an overly-bureaucratic planning system, the inevitable public inquiry and/or height reduction, Evening Standard propaganda and insane NIMBY comments ("London turning into Manhattan") and a dumbed-down design which people still object to, even when the developers have satisfied all the criteria. Predictable as clockwork.

Theres been a lot of meetings with CABE, Lambeth & the relevant authorities. It's height means it blends in with the St Georges Wharf development & doesn't fall into an designated views. Lambeth, from being very anti-highrise several years ago have done a turnaround and designated this area as suitable for high rises.

Its general supported by the GLA so it depends on what Boris has to say on things as he did with the Waterloo towers he overruled.

[wjfox]

Originally Posted by Octoman

Do you like it though? Honestly? Is this really a fine addition to London? Looks pretty dull to me.

Nothing special, but it would suit the area - Vauxhall is a great place for residential developments in my opinion. I like the slender form of the tower (which of course is going to be ruined when they're forced to lop several floors off), and the garden floors are lovely. A nice "filler" tower that will bulk up the area, and hopefully encourage further residential developments nearby.

[DarJoLe]

Originally Posted by london lad

Theres been a lot of meetings with CABE, Lambeth & the relevant authorities. It's height means it blends in with the St Georges Wharf development & doesn't fall into an designated views. Lambeth, from being very anti-highrise several years ago have done a turnaround and designated this area as suitable for high rises.

Its general supported by the GLA so it depends on what Boris has to say on things as he did with the Waterloo towers he overruled.

That's all very lovely but we all know what Simon Milton and UNESCO are going to say, don't we?

I reckon six floors will be gone in the next application. Anyone for eight?

[london lad]

Originally Posted by wjfox

Nothing special, but it would suit the area - Vauxhall is a great place for residential developments in my opinion. I like the slender form of the tower (which of course is going to be ruined when they're forced to lop several floors off), and the garden floors are lovely. A nice "filler" tower that will bulk up the area, and hopefully encourage further residential developments nearby.

I agree ( apart from the height cut) its a nice filler tower, nothing exceptional but then again a step up from average & add to the area. Its to be mainly clad in Aluminium so should look quite nice.

As far as the sky gardens or lack of them, there's a greater emphasis on these types of thing in developments these days & the application goes into detail over the communal gardens & I would imagine how they turn out will be one of the stipulations of the planning permission.

[potto]

Originally Posted by Octoman

Do you like it though? Honestly? Is this really a fine addition to London? Looks pretty dull to me.

Its ok, nice living space. It ups the living standards in this country. It has elegent proportions and a skygarden.

Its certainly one of the most exciting things in that area and the others are still just plans.

You cant even see it from the view that the majority of people bother to glance at for about 5 seconds.

This area could do with turning into a Canary Wharf, clean modern, good quality public realm yet closer to the historical core of London. Each area of London should have a signature structure or two and hopefully the Battersea powerstation and St George Wharf will be the signatures here.

[london lad]

Originally Posted by DarJoLe

That's all very lovely but we all know what Simon Milton and UNESCO are going to say, don't we?

I reckon six floors will be gone in the next application. Anyone for eight?

I'm sure they would love to but they don't have any case, both the Vauxhall & Millbank towers are far more dominant so they would have a very little chance of using that as an excuse. It barely registers above the current St George wharf or Market towers.

[Octoman]

Originally Posted by wjfox

Nothing special, but it would suit the area - Vauxhall is a great place for residential developments in my opinion. I like the slender form of the tower (which of course is going to be ruined when they're forced to lop several floors off), and the garden floors are lovely. A nice "filler" tower that will bulk up the area, and hopefully encourage further residential developments nearby.

I agree and I wouldnt object to the building either because there is nothing offensive about it but I actually think this area could do with something that pinpoints it. Vauxhall is really a nothingless place of traffic interchanges, rail flyovers and residentials at the moment and would really benefit from something that marks its location. A generic glass-scraper wont do that. But if they are going to the trouble of pushing for height (the hardest battle to win in London) shouldnt they go for something a bit more distinctive?

[Officer Dibble]

I like the look of this, good find london lad. je suis d'accord avec monsieur potto.

[Jizzy]

I like it.

This pic in particular of its interior sortof reminds me of what 20FC is hoping to acheive!
http://i33.tinypic.com/zjw677.jpg

[GazKinz]

Nice, very slick looking, it will certainly lift the image of Wandsworth Road, this end is of it is pretty dire. I tempted to agree with wjfox in post #3. Oh well, I guess we'll get a 70m tower minus the skygardens.

[wjfox]

Originally Posted by GazKinz

Oh well, I guess we'll get a 70m tower minus the skygardens.

[Jamandell (d69)]

I'n the words of the great Boss Nass...

"mesa lika dis!"

[mulattokid]

[QUOTE=london lad;26340952]
QUOTE]


In this view St Georges tower is completey hidden by Millbank Tower