Plans for tallest skyscraper ever built in the City given the go ahead
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Plans for the City’s tallest tower were given the go ahead today. The building known as 1 Undershaft will rise to 306.9 metres (1008ft) will exactly equal the height of the Shard across the river at London Bridge. The consent from the City of London Corporation comes almost a decade after plans for the site first emerged and five years after the first application was submitted.
Work on removing the the St Helen’s tower currently on the site are already underway but 1 Undershaft is not expected to be completed until the early 2030s. It will provide 154,156 sqm of Grade A offices as well as a 1,000 sq m free-to-visit public space and children’s education space at levels 72 and 73, operated in partnership with the London Museum. It will be open 7 days a week and into the evenings.
The tower, designed by Eric Parry Architects on behalf of Singapore’s Aroland Holdings, will be sited in the “Eastern cluster” of skyscrapers close to the Gherkin. It will also feature a 2,500 sqm publicly accessible podium garden 42 metres above street level with a glass floor, with cafes and shops, across levels 10 to 12.
Property company Stanhope will be the development managers on the project. When completed 1 Undershaft and the Shard will share the honours as the tallest buildings in western Europe. Shravan Joshi, chairman of the City of London Corporation’s planning and transportation committee, Shravan Joshi, said: “1 Undershaft is a truly remarkable building that will not only help to deliver on the demands for economic growth, through the high-quality office space it offers, but also contribute to the City’s growing cultural offer and tourist appeal.
