Revised plans submitted for UK’s second-tallest building
A revised planning application has been submitted for a 74-story skyscraper in the heart of the City of London, aiming to become the second-tallest building in Western Europe.
Back in 2019, the City of London gave the green light for a 289-meter-tall structure at 1 Undershaft, positioned in close proximity to iconic landmarks like the Gherkin and the Cheesegrater. The original plans called for a 73-story rectangular tower with an external cross-bracing structure, encompassing a substantial 90,000 square meters of office space.
However, the development team led by Stanhope and architect Eric Parry Architects has now presented a fresh proposal. This new design features an 11-story podium topped by three stepped glass sections, interspersed with outdoor leisure areas.
The updated concept, backed by Singaporean developer Aroland Holdings, offers a total of 160,000 square meters of office space and an additional 20,000 square meters of diverse spaces, including public areas.
This prospective structure would stand one story taller at 294 meters, securing its position as the tallest building in the eastern cluster and second only to The Shard, which soars to 310 meters, in Western Europe.
The previous notion of an external cross-bracing structure seems to have been set aside, replaced by a grid-like glass facade with horizontal accents, as depicted in computer-generated visualizations.
The project also entails the demolition of the 28-story Aviva Tower, erected during the 1960s. The tower's distinctive design features floors suspended from extended steel truss sections supported by a concrete core, necessitating a deconstruction process starting from the bottom and progressing upwards.
The new planning application underscores that the reimagined 1 Undershaft tower is a response to a comprehensive reevaluation, taking into account the post-pandemic needs, evolving market demands, and the changing landscape and aspirations of the City of London.
Furthermore, it states, "The innovative stepped design of the building enhances the public and workplace offerings by integrating outdoor recreational spaces throughout the structure, contributing to the well-being and urban greenery of the locale. Ground-level public spaces and an elevated public podium garden at the 11th floor are designed to offer exciting new experiences, complemented by fresh dining options and flexible cultural areas on the 10th, 11th, and 12th levels. The upper portion of the building retains the previously approved volume and tapered profile, preserving the publicly accessible viewing gallery and dedicated educational spaces on the top two levels, both curated by the London Museum."