Discover

(Redirected from 110 Bishopsgate)

'Heron Tower', also known as '110 Bishopsgate', is a skyscraper planned for the centre of London's main financial district, the City of London.

Contents

Planning

Construction

See also

External Links

Planning

Its height was first planned to be 183m, identical to that of the City's current tallest building, Tower 42. According to the developer Gerald Ronson, it would be the first "six star" office development in the City and would feature a concierge-style entrance and reception area. An aquarium spanning five storeys would be located in the upper floors, along with a restaurant and public viewing area.
The building attracted controversy when first announced, due to its proximity to St Paul's Cathedral when viewed from Waterloo Bridge. English Heritage were the most vocal of the groups expressing concerns. A public inquiry was subsequently held, the outcome of which was decided by the then-Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who ruled in the developers' favour. The tower was given final approval in July 2002.
Three years later, the project had yet to begin construction. In September 2005 the Heron Property Corporation submitted a planning application to increase the height of its approved tower. Heron's revised plans, drawn up by architect KPF, now proposed a 202-metre tall tower topped by a 44-metre mast. Although the design was largely identical to the previous scheme, the tower's crown and southern facades were refined to give the building a more elegant profile.
A smaller neighbouring tower, ''Heron Plaza'', was also unveiled that would stand around 100m tall. This would feature nearly 250,000 square feet of retail space.
In January 2006, the revised project was approved by the Corporation of London.

Construction

In February 2006, a construction journal reported that Heron International were likely to award the contract for their £500m tower within a few weeks, with Skanska favourite as contractor, the same company who built 30 St Mary Axe.
In May 2006, preparatory works began underneath the current building on site. This process involved the relaying of pipes and wires (including the diversion of a sewer) and would take around a year to complete.
In late November 2006, it was confirmed that the £500m tower had received financing from the gulf state of Oman, was now fully funded and therefore almost certain to be built.
In June 2007, demolition officially began on site. At present, the tower appears to be on schedule, with construction expected to be well underway in 2008.
Other skyscrapers will be rising nearby during this time, including the Bishopsgate Tower and 122 Leadenhall, marking a period of dramatic change for London's skyline.

See also

★ Tower 42

★ 30 St Mary Axe

★ Bishopsgate Tower - another, much larger tower, planned for the southern end of the road.

★ Bishopsgate

External Links

★ Thread discussing the tower and its development, with regular updates.

★ SkyscraperNews.com building detail

★ Website of Heron International, the developers

★ Website of Kohn Pederson Fox, the architects

★ Project page of Skanska