The City of London has released updated images of how its City Cluster skyline will look in 2026, including the now approved 100 Leadenhall Street — which you can see appearing in the gif below:
Around 60% of the City’s growth is expected to be delivered in the eastern cluster. As of September 2017, there were over 1.37 million square metres of office space under construction in the City with the potential to accommodate 85,000 workers.
As the image only includes buildings with planning permission, the recently announced Tulip viewing tower with its bulbous top next to the Gherkin isn’t included in the photo. Also missing, in fact, is The Gherkin, mainly as that once-dominant landmark on the skyline is now a small bit player, and from the river at least, totally obscured by its taller usurpers.
A range of policies set to redefine the area and the wider City of London are currently out for consultation.
Key proposals in the 25-year Transport Strategy will see pedestrians prioritised, the implementation of a 15mph speed limit and deliveries reduced by 30% through consolidation centres based outside of the City. Britain’s first large scale Zero Emission Zone covering the City Cluster is also proposed.
The Transport Strategy consultation closes on 13 January 2019 with the last drop-in session taking place with City Corporation Transport officers at Guildhall on Wednesday 9 January. The final version of the Transport Strategy is due to be published in spring 2019.
The Local Plan is open for consultation until 28 February 2019, with drop-in sessions arranged throughout January and February.
Developments to be constructed by 2026Height (m)Status
22 Bishopsgate | 294.94 (62 storeys) | Under Construction |
52 Lime Street (the Scalpel) | 206 (36 storeys) | Under Construction |
100 Bishopsgate | 181 (37 storeys) | Under Construction |
6-8 Bishopsgate/150 Leadenhall Street | 185 (50 storeys) | Under Construction |
70 St Mary Axe | 164.3 (21 storeys) | Under Construction |
150 Bishopsgate | 150.92 (41 storeys) | Under Construction |
80 Fenchurch Street | 78 (14 storeys) | Under Construction |
1 Undershaft – the tallest in the Eastern Cluster* | 304.6 (73 storeys) | Consented, Not Commenced – still subject to S106 Approval |
2-3 Finsbury Avenue (Broadgate) north of the Eastern Cluster | 168.4 (32 storeys) | Consented, Not Commenced – still subject to S106 Approval |
100 Leadenhall Street | 263.4 (56 storeys) | Consented, Not Commenced |
40 Leadenhall Street | 170 (34 storeys) | Consented, Not Commenced |
130 Fenchurch Street | 105 (17 storeys) | Consented, Not Commenced |
1 Leadenhall Street (corner of Leadenhall Market) | 182.7 (36 storeys) | Consented, Not Commenced |
*120 Fenchurch Street | 85 (15 storeys) | *Completed since last update |
Arrgh!
is probably all that I should write.
“Starchitects” legacy pieces out-wonky~ing each other are not to my taste. But the confluence of relaxed planning rules with the excuse du jour of Brexit are manna from Heaven for any developer worth his or her salt. I see that pedestrians are to be given greater weight in the plan too. Ironic really as skyscrapers often create wind tunnels (cf. Chicago’s windy city nomenclature) so who has oversight of the effect of these gangly neighbours combined? Rights to light? Sacrosanct sightlines of Saint Pauls, Tower Bridge?
All a bit showy for me, so the new space = new jobs had better have been planned down to the level of new commuting permutations and stations.
London will still be competing with other cities worldwide with more new skyscrapers being built. With The Gerkin building will soon be hidden away and unseen.
It’s the silly CAA arbitrary height limit which results in the wall effect that ruins the skyline.
Sight lines!!?? Tourists clamor to take photos of Tower bridge/Tower of London with the shard/City Skyline juxtaposed behind.
Chicago windy city = nothing to to with physical wind apparently.
The CAA rule isn’t arbitrary, and is in fact, higher than would otherwise be, as London City Airport was classed as a Short Take-Off and Landing Airport which allows buildings to be taller when that close to an airport.
Oh. I know that it’s to do with the windbag politicians; windy city Chicago.
It was also an early adopter of the skyscraper and I thought that I’d heard that it related to the physical wind, too. Thanks for putting me right.
Without tall buildings London wouldn’t have a skyline. I think they look great. The contrast between the old and the new is part of London’s charm. Building high also offers a way of stopping London spreading so far. LEt’s see another thousand high rise residential towers. No good for families I agree but fine for young singles who will spend part of their life in them.