Work should shortly begin to refurbish the King's Reach Tower, a minor Southbank landmark close to Blackfriars Bridge. The 1970's structure will also gain an additional six storeys, thrusting its height (128m) up to almost that of the London Eye.
A redevelopment has been on the cards for more than half a decade. An earlier scheme would have seen the tower enbaffled in a pox-ridden melange of blue and purple cladding. After a rethink, and a major cash injection from the Middle East, developers CIT Group will now proceed with the more conservative scheme shown above.
The mixed-use tower will contain 173 new apartments between floors 11 and 30, with the rest given over to office space. A new building alongside will add to the floor space for businesses. The existing poo-brown cladding will be replaced with something a bit more 21st Century.
King's Reach Tower was completed in 1972 by Richard Seifert, the same architect behind the similarly poised Tower 42. The redevelopment is expected to start next year, for completion in 2015. The scheme mirrors similar moves downriver at Guy's Hospital, where a major refit is underway.
