flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Construction on the tallest residential tower in western Europe could start early next year

High-rise Construction

Construction on the tallest residential tower in western Europe could start early next year

China’s Greenland Group is the developer of four of the world’s 10 largest skyscrapers


By John Caulfield, Senior Editor | September 8, 2016

The 67-story Spire London will have separate entrances for tenants of affordable and pricier apartments. At 771 feet high, it would be Europe's tallest residential tower. Image: Greenland Group

Greenland Group, Shanghai’s biggest property developer, is moving forward on an £800 million (US$1.066 billion) project in London that could be the tallest residential building in western Europe.

Spire London, as it’s being called, will rise 235 meters, or 771 feet, near the City’s Canary Wharf. Ninety-six of the building’s 861 apartments will be priced affordability and have access to third-floor communal amenities such as meeting rooms, games room, and a music/learning/cultural space. 

However, so-called “social” tenants housed on the lower floors will enter the 67-story building through a separate door. Affluent private buyers will be ferried to their ritzier apartments, ranging in size from 50 to 150 sm (538 to 1,614 sf) and in price from £595,000 to £3 million, on the upper floors and penthouse via nine dedicated elevators. Their amenities include a 35th-floor club, infinity pool, and cinema.

(To put these prices into some context, the average price of a home in London in August, unadjusted for seasonality, was £206,145, according to the Nationwide House Price Index.)

HOK is the architect for Spire London, and Greenland Group released renderings of the building yesterday. Its design is said to be based on the nautical history of the dock site, and by the orchid, which China first cultivated more than 3,000 years ago.

The building’s angled roof creates terraces for upper-level apartments, and louvers will provide natural ventilation.

 

 

Spire London is one of 400 towers 20 stories or more that are either under construction or in the planning stages in London. Image: Greenland Group

 

Construction work on Spire London is scheduled to begin in January and be completed by 2020.  This is one of 400 high rises over 20 stories tall that are in construction or planning stages in London, 270 of which would be in the inner boroughs. Last month, an Ipsos Mori survey of more than 500 Londoners, commissioned by the anti-skyscraper Skyline Campaign, revealed that nearly half (49%) think that’s too many skyscrapers, versus 34% in outer boroughs who feel the same way.

Nearly three-fifths of all Londoners support restrictions on the number of skyscrapers that can be built, partly because they remain unconvinced that these tall buildings are meeting the City’s housing needs. Nearly three-quarters of respondents also want their communities to have more say in the design of these high rises.

However, foreign investment in UK real estate is not likely to be discouraged at a time when the country is trying to sort out where it stands, post-Brexit, in terms of international trade and commerce.

 

Where Spire London would stand compared to other tall buildings in London. Chart: The Guardian

Related Stories

High-rise Construction | Oct 5, 2016

Plans for Hudson Yards skyscraper from Bjarke Ingels have officially been filed

The 65-story tower will be primarily office space and has an estimated development cost of $3.2 billion

Sustainability | Oct 4, 2016

One World Trade Center officially awarded LEED Gold certification

The skyscraper received the certification despite a setback caused by Hurricane Sandy.

High-rise Construction | Sep 23, 2016

A massive redevelopment in Tokyo reunites developer and architect

Mitsui Fudosan and SOM join forces to create OH-1, a mixed-use complex with a prominent public square.

High-rise Construction | Sep 12, 2016

Bangkok’s tallest tower is also one of its most unique

At 1,030 feet tall, MahaNakhon Tower’s height is only outdone by its arresting design.

Mixed-Use | Sep 9, 2016

Rolled book scroll-inspired mixed-use project from Aedas planned for Chongqing, China

With a bookstore at the heart of the development, the project looks to exemplify an ancient Chinese proverb that says “knowledge brings wealth.”

Office Buildings | Sep 8, 2016

Taipei’s Lè Architecture, designed by Aedas, is almost complete

The 18-story building is designed to resemble a moss-covered river pebble in Taipei’s Nangang District.

High-rise Construction | Sep 8, 2016

Lendlease to build Aykon London One Tower

Damac, the Dubai-based developer of the project, selected the Australian property construction and development company to build the tower.

High-rise Construction | Sep 7, 2016

Shenzhen Kingkey Group submits re-planning package for what could become China’s tallest tower

The high-rise, H700 Shenzhen Tower, is one of a group of towers being built in Shenzhen’s Caiwuwei financial and commercial area.

High-rise Construction | Sep 6, 2016

Peddle Thorp Architects' solar-powered Melbourne high-rise looks to go off the grid

The skyscraper would be the first in Australia to incorporate solar cells in its façade.

High-rise Construction | Aug 22, 2016

Tall buildings with a twist: CTBUH ranks the world’s 28 tallest twisting towers

In 2005, the Turning Toroso, designed by Santiago Calatrava, was completed, making it the first twisting skyscraper in the world.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




Curtain Wall

7 steps to investigating curtain wall leaks

It is common for significant curtain wall leakage to involve multiple variables. Therefore, a comprehensive multi-faceted investigation is required to determine the origin of leakage, according to building enclosure consultants Richard Aeck and John A. Rudisill with Rimkus. 

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021