December 15th 2024.
A new, impressive addition is set to grace the skyline of the City of London. 1 Undershaft, a towering 74-storey skyscraper, has been given the green light by the City of London. It will stand at a whopping 309.6 metres tall, making it the exact same height as the iconic Shard building. In fact, it will share the title of the UK's tallest building with the Shard, as well as being the tallest in Western Europe.
This mega-structure, officially named 1 Undershaft, will offer a range of exciting attractions, including Europe's highest publicly accessible viewing gallery and a "classroom in the sky" for children on levels 72 and 73. Its construction will involve replacing the current 118-metre St Helen's tower on St Helen's Square and providing a significant 13% of the office space needed by the City by 2040, spanning over 150,000 square metres.
The approval for this project comes nearly a decade after it was first proposed, with the City of London stating that it will help meet the demands for economic growth and also contribute to the City's cultural offerings and tourist appeal. Interestingly, 1 Undershaft is just a 20-minute walk away from the Shard, and the two buildings will be identical in height down to the centimetre. This means that 1 Undershaft will surpass 22 Bishopsgate and become the tallest building in the City.
Apart from its impressive height, 1 Undershaft will also feature a unique 2,500 square metre podium garden on the 42nd level, taking advantage of the growing popularity of rooftop gardens in London. The Civil Aviation Authority sets a limit of 309.6 metres for towers in London due to the number of airports in and around the city. But this doesn't stop 1 Undershaft from offering its own breathtaking garden experience high above the bustling streets.
In addition, the skyscraper will collaborate with the London Museum to create a 7-day-a-week educational area and public space on the 72nd and 73rd levels. It's no surprise that this project is generating a lot of buzz, especially since it will also be joining the ranks of the top 10 tallest buildings in the world. The current top 10 list includes the 2,717-foot Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the 2,227-foot Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur, and the 1,819-foot Lotte World Tower in Seoul.
Despite facing objections from Historic England and Tower Hamlets Council, 1 Undershaft has been approved and is set to become the joint-tallest building in Western Europe. Historic England expressed concerns about the impact on the public realm and the Tower of London World Heritage Site, but the project was still approved by a majority vote. With an estimated completion date in the early 2030s, 1 Undershaft is definitely a building to watch out for in the coming years.
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