Two years ago, plans for a tower that would match the height of The Shard were approved. Sandwiched between the Cheesegrater and the Gherkin, the skyscraper will reach 309.5 metres and be the joint-tallest building in the UK and western Europe. For the last decade (plans were first revealed in 2016) the building has been known as One Undershaft. Now, it’s got a brand new name and an official date for the start of construction.
From here on out, the 74-storey tower will be known as One London. Construction will get going in 2028 and is due to be complete by 2033. It’s expected to cost over £1bn.
Inside the high-rise, there’ll be mix of civic and corporate space. Levels 72 and 73 will be home to an education centre and viewing gallery operated by the London Museum while level 71 will host the highest bar in London. On floor 11, there’ll be a free-to-access elevated podium garden with 360 views over the city and at ground level there’ll be 42,700 square feet of public realm with 350 outdoor seats. More than 1 million square metres of the building will be office-led space.
At the moment, the plot of land reserved for One London is occupied by the 1960s St Helen’s Tower. Of course, it’ll have to be knocked down to make room for the new development – and at 118m tall, it’ll be the largest skyscraper ever demolished in London. The process of deconstruction is already underway.
Eric Parry, founder of Eric Parry Architects which designed the building, said: ‘One London stands as an icon at the centre of a great city with a confident future in its global role and outreach.
‘London has evolved around the Square Mile, essentially the Roman city, over the last two thousand years, adding with each historical twist and turn layers of building and conversation of every period since. We stand at an historic moment of physical metamorphosis as the City rises in a uniquely close and tall form, at the centre of which is One London.’
See the future: This is what the City of London’s skyline could look like in 2032.
Plus: The DLR extension in east London just got a step closer to actually happening.
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