The Bigger They Come, The Longer They Stall

M@
By M@ Last edited 222 months ago
The Bigger They Come, The Longer They Stall
montage.jpg

Where are all those tall buildings they promised us? Good question. We’re glad you asked it, because we’ve been wondering too. So we thought that it’s time for a round-up of who’s building what, when, and with whom. For comparison, London’s tallest building, 1 Canada Square, is 235 m high.

Name: Bishopsgate Tower

Nickname: To be decided, but we reckon ‘The corkscrew’ would be a good bet.

Height: 307 m, and London’s tallest.

Architect: Kohn Pederson Fox

Where?: Well, Bishopsgate, towards the Southern end, opposite Threadneedle Street.

Status: Planning application has been submitted. Approval expected in February 2006. But this one’s far too impressive to ever get built.

Name: London Bridge Tower

Nickname: Shard of Glass

Height: 306 m

Architect: Renzo Piano

Where: Practically next door to the grotesque Guy’s Hospital tower in Southwark, on the site of the current PWC brown and silver tower.

Status: Fully approved in 2003. Demolition of current building to begin in summer 2006. This will take a year, before building can begin in 2007. Some tenants have already been secured.

Name: Columbus Tower

Nickname: To be decided. We coin ‘The Fountain Pen’.

Height: 237 m, tallest on the Isle of Dogs.

Architect: DMWR

Where?: West India Quay, next to the Museum In Docklands..

Status: Fully approved, but things have gone eerily quiet. The plans were conspicuous in there absence at the recent ‘Changing Face of London’ exhibition.

Name: 122 Leadenhall

Nickname: The Cheesegrater, by popular consent.

Height: 225 m.

Architect: Richard Rogers

Where?: Pretty much bang opposite the Gherkin and next to the Lloyds building.

Status: Approved in 2004. However, the lease on the current site (a really, really ugly 1960’s office block) expires in 2008, so delays will ensue.

Name: Minerva Building

Nickname: To be decided. We coin ‘The Razor”.

Height: 217 m.

Architect: Nicholas Grimshaw

Where?: Aldgate, next to St Boltoph's Church.

Status: Fully approved. Demolition on the current site is due to start soon.

Name: 110 Bishopsgate

Nickname: Heron Tower

Height: 207.7 m (231.5 m with spire).

Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

Where?: Yet another for Bishopsgate.

Status: Fully approved in original form, but four extra floors have recently been added and await approval. Building will hopefully start in 2006.

That's just a small selection of erections; there are plans for many more towers in and around London over the coming years. Londonist will keep you up to date as projects change and emerge.

We thank the truly superb skyscrapernews.com and particularly their associated forum for providing many of the facts and figures.

Last Updated 13 September 2005