Tall & Urban News

Allford Hall Monaghan Morris has submitted plans to build a 35-story office-led tower close to the Shard in London.

The practice filed an application with Southwark Council for the New City Court project on St. Thomas Street near London Bridge station.

The project, for Great Portland Estates, involves demolishing 1980s buildings on the site, which is within the Borough High Street conservation area. It also features the revamp of an existing listed terrace at 4-16 St. Thomas Street and overhaul of Keats House at 24-26 St. Thomas Street.

As well as more than 45,000 square meters of office space, the scheme would include 765 square meters of retail facilities, 615 square meters of leisure room, a hub space and an elevated public garden.

The planning documents said: “The proposal for a tall building on the New City Court site has been developed over the course of the last four years in close consultation with the London Borough of Southwark and other key stakeholders.

“The form has been shaped and refined in response to a complex set of aspirations and constraints, including townscape views, rights of light, heritage setting and wind mitigation.”

It added: “By cutting out massing at the corners of the block, a smaller width and length is read and therefore the tall building appears more slim and slender.”

Volume is removed at the base and top of the tower by tapering and stepping, reducing the building’s footprint in order to maximize the public realm, as well as refining the tower’s appearance.

“A form was further developed through the introduction of a curve on the north facade to avoid overhanging soffits and achieve the same overall massing form,” added the planning documents.

A future timeline is not yet known, although a public consultation runs until 14 February 2019.

For more on this story, go to Architect’s Journal (subscription required).