Tallest skyscraper in City of London is set to get go-ahead
- Planning for 1 Undershaft, previously known as Trellis began eight years ago
- But City Corporation planning officers have now recommended it for approval
The tallest skyscraper in London, that will rival the Shard is set to begin construction next week.
Planning for 1 Undershaft, previously known as Trellis began eight years ago but today City Corporation planning officers have finally recommended it for approval ahead of a committee meeting next Tuesday.
Towering at 309m tall with 74-floors, the architectural masterpiece would be built between other east London landmarks, the Cheesegrater and the Gherkin.
However, opposition groups have voiced their concerns, including Heathrow Airport who think the plans could interfere with their radar systems and could endanger the safe movement of aircraft.
1 Undershaft will join other famous landmarks in the area, sitting between the Gherkin and the Cheesegrater buildings
Construction of the tower is expected to start in 2026 and be completed in 2030
Plans have been unveiled for a new London skyscraper which will rival The Shard at a height of 309.6 meters
It was originally approved to be built as long ago as 2016 with a distinctive external lattice structure giving it the nickname the Trellis that has since been dropped.
Although it may receive the go ahead for the City, it will still need final sign off from Sadiq Khan and the next Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary.
Eric Parry Architects, who designed the structure, said it aims to provide an 'efficient, refined and timeless' building which is of 'exceptional quality when seen from anywhere within London, at close quarters, in glimpsed views, and in the grander set piece of London's skyline'.
However, Historic England has described as a “missed opportunity to achieve an exemplar building at the apex of the cluster”.
It is particularly worried that brightly coloured window frames at the peak of the building will harm views of the Tower of London.
It is up to the City of London Corporation to ensure that any relevant planning conditions are attached
1 Undershaft towers over the Gherkin in an artist's impression of the skyscraper in London
The architects said the design of the scheme aims to provide an 'efficient, refined and timeless' building
The proposed development, dubbed The Tulip, would have been the second tallest building in western Europe after the Shard, also in London, standing 305.3 metres high
The conservation body will flag up its concerns in a report on the Tower of London ordered by UN body UNESCO last month and due to be submitted by the UK government by December 1.
The Twentieth Century Society has also objected because before 1 Undershaft can be built, the 28-storey Aviva Tower, which was built in the 1960s, would need to be demolished.
This comes after the surprise rejection of The Tulip in 2021, a 'phallic-shaped' observation tower.
The proposed development would have been the second tallest building in western Europe, standing at 305.3 metres high.
The objections have been outlined in a 503-page report drawn up by City planning officers, who argued that the scheme’s public benefits outweigh harm to nearby heritage assets.
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