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It’s finally happened. One Undershaft has officially been given the approval it needs to start being built. At long last, the City of London Corporation’s Planning Applications Sub-Committee has granted the building consent and, in around six years time, The Shard will have to share its title as the tallest building in the country.
If you’ve been following the One Undershaft saga, you’ll know it’s been a long time coming. Proposals for the building first emerged almost eight years ago but time after time, architects have been forced to rethink their plans. This year alone, developers have had to go back to the drawing board twice following opposition to the designs.
The new and approved designs for One Undershaft incorporate more greenery and public space. Besides loads of office space, there will be a children’s education hub at levels 72 and 73 in collaboration with the London Museum, a 2,500 square metre publicly accessible podium garden with a glass floor, 42 metres above street level and food, drink and retail outlets from floors 10 to 12.
The skyscraper will be built between the Gherkin and the Leadenhall building. At 309.6m high, it’ll be the highest tower in the City of London and become the joint tallest building in the UK and Western Europe. One Undershaft will also beat Horizon 22 at 22 Bishopsgate by getting the capital’s highest viewing platform.
Shravan Joshi, chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee, said: ‘One Undershaft is a truly remarkable building that will not only help to deliver on the demands for economic growth, through the high-quality office space it offers, but also contribute to the City’s growing cultural offer and tourist appeal.
‘I’m particularly pleased that we will be able to work with the London Museum to open the uppermost floors of One Undershaft to school children and local communities, a classroom in the sky, developing another inclusive, unique visitor destination that makes the Square Mile the best place to live, work, play and invest.’
Construction is set to start in late 2025 (after St Helen’s tower is demolished) and is scheduled for completion in 2029. This is what it’ll look like.
Building London
There’s always some sort of construction taking place or being planned across the city. In most recent news, the Gherkin is getting a glow-up, East London is getting a brand new riverside ‘town’, the Eden Project revealed it is coming to London and London could be getting a whopping 600 new skyscrapers. Other skyscrapers announced for the capital include 11 new towers in the City, 55 Bishopsgate, and the controversial Slab.
Good news: Kentish Town tube station finally has an official reopening date.
City Hall is getting ‘modernised’ with plant-covered balconies, shops and restaurants.
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