Plans are doing the rounds for a 'vertical city' on the fringes of the Square Mile. The Endless City tower would reach around 300 metres, making it of similar height to the Shard.
The concept revives the old idea of a city in the sky, with homes, shops, offices, plazas, gardens, galleries and viewing platforms all intercalated into one giant Jenga, not dissimilar to a stack of beermats, or malformed pancakes.
The proposal comes from SURE Architecture, and is presumably intended to stir debate about the future of cities, rather than serving as a serious proposition. The scheme would allow residents to work, rest and play within the same building, and move between areas via platforms that cut across the central atrium.
According to reports, the company has 'earmarked a location close to the City of London'. In fact, it seems to have earmarked two: one of the visualisations above puts the scheme in Shoreditch, while another shows it near Aldgate.
Images by Sure Architecture/Caters News