Plans confirmed for London’s new 1008ft skyscraper set to equal The Shard

A towering new 74-storey skyscraper the exact same height as The Shard has been given the go-ahead by the City of London.

The high-rise tower will be 309.6 metres (1016ft) tall and join The Shard as the tallest building in the UK, as well as the tallest in Western Europe.

Officially called 1 Undershaft, the mega-structure will host Europe’s highest publicly accessible viewing gallery, as well as a ‘classroom in the sky’ for children at levels 72 and 73.

The new skyscraper will replace the existing 118 metre tall St Helen’s tower on St Helen’s Square and will provide almost 13 per cent of the office space required by the City by 2040, at more than 150,000 square metres.

It’s just one of nearly 600 new skyscrapers planned for the capital in the next decade, which could change London’s skyline forever.

Approved close to a decade after plans for the project were first put forward, the City of London said 1 Undershaft will ‘help to deliver on the demands for economic growth’and ‘contribute to the City’s growing cultural offer and tourist appeal.’

However, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for1 Undershaft, as the proposals were in question over complaints it would block the sun and take up public space.

Planners rejected the plans in July after neighbours and businesses said it would have a negative impact on public spaces – especially St Helen’s Square, where city workers gather to eat their lunch and chat.

Architect Kim Wilkie said of the square: ‘Historically, open space has been very limited in this tight urban grain, so the few places where sunlight actually reaches the ground, creating a comfortable place for people to gather and enjoy the public realm, are especially important.’

Plus, Historic England said the plans would ‘seriously degrade’ the surrounding public realm.

1 Undershaft will be built on the space currently occupied by the Aviva Tower between the Gherkin and the Cheesegrater.

The Aviva tower will have to be demolished before work to build the new skyscraper can begin.

The City of London Corporation described the development as ‘truly remarkable’ and said it would work with the London Museum to create ‘a classroom in the sky’ – facilities for schoolchildren and local communities on the 72nd and 73rd floors.

Just a 20 minute walk away from The Shard, the buildings will be the same height to the centimetre, while 1 Undershaft will over take 22 Bishopsgate (278 metres) to be the tallest building in the City.

The Civil Aviation Authority restricts the height of towers in the capital to 309.6m because of the number of airports in and around London.

The new skyscraper will also cash in on the popularity of rooftop gardens in London, such as Sky Garden and 120 Fenchurch Street, by offering its own unique 2,500 sqm podium garden 42 metres above street level.

1 Undershaft will also collaborate with the London Museum to host a 7-day-a-week children’s educational area and public space all the way up on the 72nd and 73rd levels.

Historic England warned that the plans would ‘seriously degrade the scale and character of the public realm around the site’ and have a ‘harmful impact’ on the Tower of London World Heritage Site.

Despite these objections, the project was approved by 16 votes to 7, with completion of the building work expected in the early 2030s.

This article was first published on December 15, 2024

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