20 Fenchurch Street
Encyclopedia
20 Fenchurch Street is a 160 metre (525ft), 36-storey skyscraper
currently under construction in the City of London
. It has been nicknamed the Walkie Talkie. Costing over £200m, it is designed by the Uruguayan born architect Rafael Viñoly
and will feature a highly distinctive, top-heavy form which appears to burst upward and outward. Opinions on the tower's design appear to be greatly polarised.
A large viewing deck and sky gardens will be included on the top floor. These will be open to the public.
The tower was originally proposed at nearly 200 metres tall, but was scaled down after concerns about its impact on St Paul's Cathedral
. It was subsequently approved in November 2006. Even after this reduction, however, there were continued concerns from heritage groups about its impact on the surrounding area. The project subsequently went to a public inquiry
. In July 2007, this ruled in the developers' favour, and the tower was granted full planning permission.
In their preliminary results for 2007, Land Securities confirmed the new tower would be completed in 2011, however by the time of their Annual Report 2009, this date was pushed back to 2014.
.
The building was formerly occupied by Dresdner Kleinwort
, and was notable for being one of the first tall buildings in the Square Mile
, and for its distinctive roof. It was one of the towers nearest to the River Thames
when viewed from the southern end of London Bridge
.
In 2007, one of the upper floors was used in the BBC drama series, Party Animals
.
Piling and ground works were completed in June 2009 and after a period of inactivity the raising of the tower is set to kick start at the end of October 2010.
On 20 January 2011, ample work at the basement level of the tower is under way
By the end of October 2011 the building was raising above the street level.
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
currently under construction in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. It has been nicknamed the Walkie Talkie. Costing over £200m, it is designed by the Uruguayan born architect Rafael Viñoly
Rafael Viñoly
Rafael Viñoly is an Uruguayan architect living in the United States.-Biography:He was born in Montevideo, Uruguay to Román Viñoly Barreto, and Maria Beceiro ....
and will feature a highly distinctive, top-heavy form which appears to burst upward and outward. Opinions on the tower's design appear to be greatly polarised.
A large viewing deck and sky gardens will be included on the top floor. These will be open to the public.
The tower was originally proposed at nearly 200 metres tall, but was scaled down after concerns about its impact on St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
. It was subsequently approved in November 2006. Even after this reduction, however, there were continued concerns from heritage groups about its impact on the surrounding area. The project subsequently went to a public inquiry
Public inquiry
A Tribunal of Inquiry is an official review of events or actions ordered by a government body in Common Law countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland or Canada. Such a public inquiry differs from a Royal Commission in that a public inquiry accepts evidence and conducts its hearings in a more...
. In July 2007, this ruled in the developers' favour, and the tower was granted full planning permission.
In their preliminary results for 2007, Land Securities confirmed the new tower would be completed in 2011, however by the time of their Annual Report 2009, this date was pushed back to 2014.
The old building
It was 91 m (299 ft) tall with 25 storeys and was built in 1968 by Land Securities. The architect was William H. RogersWilliam H. Rogers
William H. Rogers was an English architect. His most notable building was 20 Fenchurch Street in the City of London, which was occupied by Kleinwort Benson from 1968 to 2006....
.
The building was formerly occupied by Dresdner Kleinwort
Dresdner Kleinwort
Dresdner Kleinwort was a British-based investment bank: it disappeared as a brand from the world of investment banking in September 2009, when its remaining businesses adopted the Commerzbank branding.-History:...
, and was notable for being one of the first tall buildings in the Square Mile
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, and for its distinctive roof. It was one of the towers nearest to the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
when viewed from the southern end of London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
.
In 2007, one of the upper floors was used in the BBC drama series, Party Animals
Party Animals (TV series)
Party Animals is a British television drama series screened on BBC Two in 2007. It was produced by World Productions, the makers of No Angels and This Life....
.
Demolition
Demolition of the old building is now complete. Despite the top-down method of construction, the old building was not demolished from the bottom up, as a temporary structure was built, allowing Keltbray, the demolition contractor, to demolish the building from the top down.Construction
In January 2009, piling began on site, which meant the start of construction.Piling and ground works were completed in June 2009 and after a period of inactivity the raising of the tower is set to kick start at the end of October 2010.
On 20 January 2011, ample work at the basement level of the tower is under way
By the end of October 2011 the building was raising above the street level.
See also
- City of London landmarks
- 30 St Mary Axe30 St Mary Axe30 St Mary Axe, the Swiss Re Building , is a skyscraper in London's main financial district, the City of London, completed in December 2003 and opened at the end of May 2004...
, more popularly known as The Gherkin - Plantation PlacePlantation PlacePlantation Place is a large office development in the City of London, taking its name from a previous 'Plantation House', once the world's recognised centre of the tea trade....
, a neighbouring office building - St Margaret PattensSt Margaret PattensSt Margaret Pattens is a Church of England church in the City of London, located on Eastcheap near the Monument. The dedication is to St. Margaret of Antioch.-History:...
, a neighbouring 17th century church - Tower 42Tower 42Tower 42 is the second tallest skyscraper in the City of London and the fifth tallest in London overall. The original name was the National Westminster Tower, having been built to house the National Westminster Bank's International Division. Seen from above, the tower closely resembles the NatWest...