Developers aiming to create one of Western Europe’s tallest buildings in London‘s City area have been forced to submit fresh plans due to fears that the towering 74-storey structure could rob nearby workers of much-needed outdoor space.
The developers behind the proposed skyscraper, which has been given the name ‘1 Undershaft’ in initial plans, were told in July that their submission before the City of London Corporation would need to be revisited.
Led by development management firm Stanhope, the new plans entail a reconfiguration of the buildings lower flowers and efforts to improve the building’s surrounding outdoor public areas.
Originally aiming to soar 309 metres and impose itself alongside The Shard as the most prominent fixture in the iconic London skyline, the skyscraper would be located next to the Leadenhall building in the Square Mile’s ‘Eastern Cluster’.
However, it was the developers plans to encroach on the St. Helen’s Square area at street level which proved to be most controversial.
Plans for 1 Undershaft, which would sit at a height of 309.6 meters above the City of London, were unveiled earlier this year
The plans, Eric Parry said, would see the structure have the highest occupied floor height in the UK
Plans for 1 Undershaft have been resubmitted after an initial rejection by the City of London Corporation back in July
A busy meeting point during the day for City workers, the square remains one of the few places of outdoor refuge available, according to the Chair of Lloyd’s of London Bruce Carnegie-Brown.
‘It would rob the City of a really important convening space’, the Chair stated, adding that the junction was ‘a mini oasis within the hustle and bustle of the City of London’.
Historic England also failed to provide their backing for the project back in February over fears the design would spoil the City’s ‘heritage’.
Councillors on the City of London Corporation’s planning sub-committee voted down that initial proposal on a count of nine votes to six.
The new London skyscraper would rival The Shard at a height of 309.6 meters and become one the tallest buildings in Western Europe
Initial plans for the 309 metre tower were put on hold over fears that it would have a severely negative impact on St. Helen’s Square
The proposed development, dubbed The Tulip, faced a surprise planning rejection back in 2021
In the reworked plans submitted before the City Corporation, developers have offered to retain a greater portion of the Square in their new build, with the southern facade moving further north and the amalgamation of public entrances into a newly designed raised lobby.
Speaking on their submission of revised plans, developer firm Stanhope stated its aim to ‘deliver an enhanced, accessible and active public realm, with Undershaft Square to the west of the building reimagined to establish a new public garden for people to enjoy’.
Also included in the plans are a publicly accessible garden on the tower’s 11th floor, alongside the creation of Europe’s highest public viewing gallery at the very top of the building.
Developers have also promised the inclusion of an educational space overseen by the London Museum, which would aim to teach visitors about London’s unique geography, history and commerce.
Discussing the resubmission of plans for 1 Undershaft, Eric Parry, the founder of Eric Parry Architects who are designing the project on behalf of Singaporean firm Aroland Holdings, stated his desire for the skyscraper to become a ‘uniquely welcoming building’.
Mr. Parry added that his firm have ‘listened to the feedback offered by stakeholders and neighbours’ of the building, with the revised vision for St. Helen’s Square thanks in large part to their response.
1 Undershaft is not the first proposed City skyscraper to endure a drawn-out and complicated planning process in recent times, with the surprise rejection of ‘The Tulip’ in 2021 over concerns it could overshadow the Tower of London.