First glimpsed in September, the proposed skyscraper on the corner of Leadenhall Street and Lime Street in the City, dubbed the Scalpel, has been granted planning permission.
Heralding, perhaps, a welcome shift away from comestibles and toward a typology based on medical instruments (surely the Dentist's Drill Tower isn't far behind?), the Scalpel will serve as the headquarters for American insurance firm WR Berkely, who will occupy a quarter of the building's space, The angular edifice tapers to a height of 190m, slightly loftier than its near-neighbour, the Gherkin. The expected completion date is 2017.
The building's architect is Kohn Pederson Fox (KPF), who are making their mark on the square mile at present: the practice also designed the Heron Tower and the (currently stalled) Pinnacle and, as Building Design reports, will also be working on a new HQ for Goldman Sachs.
