The disused tower at the north end of Tottenham Court Road will soon look like this.
It's not the daintiest of landmarks, but the Euston Tower has a certain robust charm about it. Completed in 1970, the mirror-glass International-style tower dominates the skyline beside Warren Street Tube. It will soon look very different.
Plans emerged in 2023 to rework the tower's 36 storeys, and radically alter its appearance. The scheme would transform the tower from an old-school office block — empty since 2021 — into "a world leading science, technology and innovation building".
Those plans, tweaked somewhat, have now been unanimously approved by Camden Council, meaning the scheme is very likely to go ahead.
The £400 million revamp by British Land will see the tower denuded of its facade and floor-plates until only the core, basement and foundations remain. The shell will then be rebuilt to modern environmental standards, with the floors configured for use by science and technology firms of all sizes. The development will also see the creation of "a new civic square, green space, and opportunities for learning, play and events", as well as funding towards affordable housing.
The plans, which turn a moribund office space into a multi-storey incubator for sci/tech firms, seem to have been well received by local stakeholders, with more letters of support than usually seen for a proposal of this scale. Even Historic England were satisfied, after having previously objected to an earlier version of the building:
The revised design has a calmer and more ordered façade design, alongside a more muted colour. These changes help to make the proposed development less assertive and so would reduce the level of harm. We are pleased to see that our advice has been taken into account and consider that our previous concerns have largely been addressed.
A walk-through video of the development can be seen here.
