The Square Mile's latest batch of skyscrapers is shooting up. By summer 2017, you'll see three massive new peaks amid the familiar towers, with another three not far behind. Here's the bluffer's guide to our brand new skyline.
22 Bishopsgate
What is it? Set to be the loftiest building in the Square Mile (for a while), and quite possibly the dullest. It'll be 272 metres tall.
Backstory: Remember the Pinnacle? What would have been the City's tallest building stalled at just seven storeys. The concrete core sat around for three or four years, earning the nickname 'The Stump'. That's now been demolished and work has begun on its replacement. A recent planning decision has lopped a few floors off the top, making 22 Bishopsgate even blander than the megabland blandity it would have been.
Progress: As of December 2016, the tower's core has reached its 13th floor. Look, see.
The Scalpel
What is it? Sharp, pointy office 'scraper across the road from the Lloyds building. 192 metres tall. Like the nearby Cheesegrater building, it slopes backwards to avoid a protected viewing corridor.
Progress: As of December 2016, the core has reached its full height, and many of the floorplates are in place. Expect this one to look largely complete by summer 2017.
100 Bishopsgate
What is it? Boxy office tower with a noticeable 'skirt'. Find it across the road from the Heron Tower, eventually blocking the southward views from that building's restaurants. The final height will be 172 metres.
Progress: It's taking an age to rise, but the skyscraper's core has now reached the 14th floor. Quite a bit of floorplate action, though.
Three for the future
While the Scalpel and 22/100 Bishopsgate are already under construction, the cluster should also see three further behemoths begin in the near future. Boss of them all is the soaring 1 Undershaft, nicknamed the Trellis (above). This 290 metre titan would be the tallest point in the City, and would boast the highest free viewing platform in London. The scheme was recently granted planning permission, but will take years to build. Before work begins, the St Helen's Tower — taller than Centre Point — must be vacated and demolished. This will be the tallest skyscraper ever demolished in London.
Two further stacks will grow up nearby. The Mitsubishi Tower will squeeze in to the south of 22 Bishopsgate. Its unusual Jenga-like form will be hidden from most angles, thanks to an abundance of taller buildings around it. The scheme has received planning permission. Across the road, 1 Leadenhall will be of similar height.
Based on the visuals, these projects are a mixed bag of ho-hum and coo-wow. Taken together, they make for a crowded cluster that'll almost entirely obscure the much-loved Gherkin building, once so dominant on the skyline.
