The tower would be the latest to join the City cluster, sitting next door to Richard Seiffert’s Tower 42 and near PLP’s 22 Bishopsgate, Allies and Morrisons’ recently completed 100 Bishopsgate, Kohn Pedersen Fox’s Heron Tower at 110 Bishopsgate and WilkinsonEyre’s under-construction 8 Bishopsgate.
The scheme is also close to Foster + Partners’ Gherkin and RSHP’s Leadenhall building.
The proposed skyscraper would provide about 74,000m² of office space across 60 floors, as well as ‘expansive’ public space on the top floor and activation at ground level. Office lobbies would on the second floor, allowing the entire ground place to be publicly accessible.
The tower’s design has a structural lattice inspired by the Fibonacci sequence. Developer Schroders Capital, working with Stanhope, describes the structural system as ‘mirror[ing] nature’s most efficient forms’ as it ‘resembles the shape of a leaf, echoing its meaningful connections to natural elements’.
The developer added: ‘As well as responding sympathetically to protected views across the capital, the slender, tapering design seeks to make a positive contribution to the skyline by balancing the composition of existing and proposed nearby tall buildings.’
The skyscraper would feature ‘advanced’ sustainability measures, including a ‘smart façade’ with integrated automatic blinds to respond to light conditions and reduce operational energy demands. Fresh air will be drawn through the façade at each floor level to improve indoor air quality.
The tower would also be ‘one of the first all-electric tall buildings in the UK in both power supply and standby generation’, according to Schroders Capital, which has pledged that its £17 billion of real estate assets will be net zero carbon by 2050.
The tower would be slightly taller than neighbouring 22 Bishopsgate (278m); if completed tomorrow it would be the second tallest building in the UK after The Shard by Renzo Piano Building Workshop (310m). However, it is also smaller than Eric Parry Architects’ consented design for 1 Undershaft (290m).
Designs for the tower are currently undergoing pre-application consultation, with the project team aiming to submit a planning application to the City of London in autumn.
View of existing office building at 55 Bishopsgate, which would be demolished to make way for the new tower:
