Draper's Gardens
Encyclopedia
Drapers Gardens is a site in the City of London
at the junction of Throgmorton Avenue and Copthall Avenue on land owned by the Drapers' Company, originally forming gardens but used for major office blocks from the 1960s.
in the City of London
, designed by architect Richard Seifert
. It stood at 100 metres (328 ft) tall and had 30 storeys. It was completed in 1967 and demolished in 2007. It holds the current record for the tallest building to be demolished in the UK, surpassing Limebank House which stood at 93 metres (305 ft) tall.
Until the skyscraper was built the site had been undeveloped since Roman times, as it was waterlogged by tributaries of the River Walbrook
.
When viewed from Waterloo Bridge
(as in the photograph below), Drapers Gardens appeared as the closest office tower to St Paul's Cathedral
. For this reason it was disliked by many people. Conversely, there were those who cited the building as a fine example of its period and one of the few genuinely well-designed towers of the 1960s. Richard Seifert, its designer as well as the architect of Tower 42
, described the Drapers Gardens' skyscraper as his proudest achievement.
., however BlackRock
subsequently made a higher offer.
Between the demolition and rebuilding, an archaeological dig by Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd found Roman remains dating from 63 AD to 383 AD. These included a well with 19 metal vessels in an exceptional state of preservation, a ruler and the skull of a bear.
51.5158°N 0.087°W
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...
at the junction of Throgmorton Avenue and Copthall Avenue on land owned by the Drapers' Company, originally forming gardens but used for major office blocks from the 1960s.
Seifert skyscraper
Drapers Gardens was a skyscraperSkyscraper
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...
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...
, designed by architect Richard Seifert
Richard Seifert
Reubin Seifert - normally known as Richard Seifert was a British architect, best known for designing the Centrepoint tower and Tower 42 , once the tallest building in the City of London...
. It stood at 100 metres (328 ft) tall and had 30 storeys. It was completed in 1967 and demolished in 2007. It holds the current record for the tallest building to be demolished in the UK, surpassing Limebank House which stood at 93 metres (305 ft) tall.
Until the skyscraper was built the site had been undeveloped since Roman times, as it was waterlogged by tributaries of the River Walbrook
Walbrook
Walbrook is the name of a ward, a street and a subterranean river in the City of London.-Underground river:The river played a key role in the Roman settlement of Londinium, the city now known as London. It is thought that the river was named because it ran through or under the London Wall; another...
.
When viewed from Waterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames in London, England between Blackfriars Bridge and Hungerford Bridge. The name of the bridge is in memory of the British victory at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815...
(as in the photograph below), Drapers Gardens appeared as the closest office tower to 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...
. For this reason it was disliked by many people. Conversely, there were those who cited the building as a fine example of its period and one of the few genuinely well-designed towers of the 1960s. Richard Seifert, its designer as well as the architect of Tower 42
Tower 42
Tower 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...
, described the Drapers Gardens' skyscraper as his proudest achievement.
New development
The replacement Drapers Gardens is only 75 metres (246 ft) tall with 16 floors, three roof terraces and a pocket park, but at 270000 square feet (25,083.8 m²) will have more floor space. It is designed by Foggo Associates. The developers are Exemplar Developments and Canary Wharf Developments, with completion planned for Autumn 2009. The development was then sold on to Evans Randall in 2010 for £242.5 million. Most of the floors of the building were originally taken by MacquarieMacquarie Group
Macquarie Group Limited is a global investment banking and diversified financial services group, providing banking, financial, advisory, investment and funds management services to institutional, corporate and retail clients and counterparties around the world...
., however BlackRock
BlackRock
BlackRock, Inc. is an American multinational investment management corporation and the world's largest asset manager. BlackRock is headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States and is the leading provider of investment, advisory, and risk management solutions...
subsequently made a higher offer.
Between the demolition and rebuilding, an archaeological dig by Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd found Roman remains dating from 63 AD to 383 AD. These included a well with 19 metal vessels in an exceptional state of preservation, a ruler and the skull of a bear.
External links
- Drapers Gardens details of the new development
- Photos and discussions on the tower's demolition and the new building
- News story on the planned demolition
- Emporis.com on the current building
- Details of the redevelopment
- Drapers Gardens by the 20th century society
- The RiskyBuildings.Org Article
51.5158°N 0.087°W