I thought it might be sensible to start a new thread for a few of the low rise projects around Cheapside and London Wall in the west end of the City.
First up - Austral House, the new home of L&G who will vacate Bucklesbury House in 2007. Current site - pile drivers putting foundations in: July 05
Austral House when completed:
35 Basinghall Street - what is should be like in 2007.
current site - bloody big hole in the ground - July 05
No.5 Aldermansbury - on the site of the former Royex House on Wood Street and London Wall.
Current status July 2005 - core up to 14th floor, another 5 to go. The steel framework is up to the 2nd floor.
Next time round I'll get some updates of 120 Cheapside (No.1 Wood Street) and Bow Bells House, both of which are shrouded in scaffolding with jackhammers at work on bringing them both down by the end of the summer.
Update from No. 5 Aldermansbury. The core has topped out at 18 storeys and the steelwork is starting to climb up, currently around the 4th floor.
In other news, the scaffolders were busy today (Sunday) at 150 Cheapside, almost directly opposite Paternoster Square. Also new hoardings from Land Securities have gone up on No.1 Wood Street. Within the next 6 weeks I'd expect both Bow Bells House and the current No.1 Wood Street building (formerly a Citygroup office) to be demolished down to ground level.
You're correct, and I presume you mean Beetham Manchester - but what's that to do with this thread old bean? The developments listed on this thread are all pretty much lowrise due to their proximity (couple of hundred meters) to St Pauls. 18 storeys for 5 Aldermansbury is actually going to look quite imposing next to London Wall.
You're correct, and I presume you mean Beetham Manchester - but what's that to do with this thread old bean? The developments listed on this thread are all pretty much lowrise due to their proximity (couple of hundred meters) to St Pauls. 18 storeys for 5 Aldermansbury is actually going to look quite imposing next to London Wall.
what did you expect - its fairly common knowledge that London has some cracking proposals on the go (122 Leadenhall, DIFA, LBT, Minerva, Beetham etc), but none of the biggies actually under construction. Its not suddenly going to change over night.
Yes, I suppose this thread is full of rather 'average lowrises', but as I said, that's what suits the location. I actually rather like the stainless steel cladding to be used on 5 Aldermansbury!!!!
I think the ctrl/st pancras/stratford international ranks at least along side those two and you also have the 3 sites of the arsenal stadium project that is pretty big. And shortly if what I saw the other day, piling equiptment at the Battersea Park Rd side of battersea power station, there will be another huge construction site in London.
And lets not foget it's neigbour the £3.5bn Stratford City.
Back to the topic. Aldermansbury is growing on me quickly. I think the other two are utterly soul destroying and I expect the suicide rate amongst Britains architects to rise. Outrageously forgettable for the money they will be costing.
Amazing how mid rise mediocrity gets built without fuss in London in double quick time.
Yet as soon as the tossers in EH and the numerous Nimby local authorities and public catch whiff of a tall but high quality design, the shit hits the fan, delays lasting years, pointless inquiries costing hundreds of thousands of pounds and redesigns to suit people hardly qualified to judge buildings in the first place because they go on about such abstact bullshit as 'sightlines'.......
If DIFA,LBT or Beetham were non descript, banal,boring bulidings like the above mid rise crap , then they could have been built 3 times over by now.
Fucking too right! The greatest hypocrisy of the sight-line myth. I could show people hundreds of absurd developments that kill off any sense of urban delight and smother beautiful buldings and the City is one of the worst culprits
Amazing how mid rise mediocrity gets built without fuss in London in double quick time.
Yet as soon as the tossers in EH and the numerous Nimby local authorities and public catch whiff of a tall but high quality design, the shit hits the fan, delays lasting years, pointless inquiries costing hundreds of thousands of pounds and redesigns to suit people hardly qualified to judge buildings in the first place because they go on about such abstact bullshit as 'sightlines'.......
If DIFA,LBT or Beetham were non descript, banal,boring bulidings like the above mid rise crap , then they could have been built 3 times over by now.
hmmm, possibly true, but then again how regularly has London had architectural office gems? There is a need for functional, efficient, well located office space in the City, and if we waited for DIFA sized buildings, then we'd be here for ever. That's not absolving architectural responsibility! 35 Basinghall Street is dull as, Austral House looks banal, but Aldermansbury seems fairly decent - might cover up abit of Terry Farrells London Wall development.
If you're worried about more lowrise dull stuff get a look at these on Cheapside:
No.1 Wood Street - Land Securities development opposite St Mary's le Bow - current old building being demolished at present by Keltbray.
150 Cheapside on the corner of Cheapside, New Change and St Martin's Le Grande - current building being demolished as we speak
Ok so some of this new developments arn't ground breaking or 'look at me' but they ok for the area & are a great improvement on what was on these sites before. I think i'll wait till there built & we see the cladding etc before passing judgement.
Here are some, IMO, good examples of less famous mid/low-rise modern architecture in the city.
30 Cannon Street
Helicon
This broadgate building is supported above the railway tracks by 4 giant steel arches
The lesser known Lloyds register of shipping.
There are quite a few really. We seem to be being plagued with a bit of a bad patch today. Perhaps all the artisitic talent is going into the skyscrapers.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
SkyscraperCity Forum
139.4M posts
1.1M members
Since 2002
A truly global community dedicated to skyscrapers, cities, urban development, and the metropolitan environment. Join us to share news, views and fun about architecture, construction, transport, skylines, and much more!