Minerva Building
Encyclopedia
The Minerva Building was a skyscraper
once planned for the eastern edge of London's
main financial district, the City of London
. If built, it would have been the first building in the City of London to contain more than 1000000 sq ft (92,903 m²) of office space.
A revised planning application by developers Minerva plc for the 53-storey version was submitted during the week ending 12 July 2002. The original proposal for the site, known as the St. Botolph's House, was a 14-storey office block. In 2001, this was revised to a 36-storey, 159 metres (522 ft) tall office tower. A post-September 11
revision brought structural and design changes and a further increase in height, to 53 floors and 217 metres (712 ft).
Its location marks the Eastern gateway to the City and the building might have acted as a focus for the regeneration of the eastern City fringe. The site is outside the strategic views of St. Paul's, and does not contain listed buildings, although it does infringe upon a conservation area. It also lies within one of the three proposed viewing cones for the Tower of London, as do 30 St Mary Axe
, Heron Tower
and Tower 42
.
Although the official height was 217 metres (712 ft), the building was claimed to have planning permission for an antenna which might have seen its pinnacle height rise to 247 metres (810 ft). The developers claimed that a restaurant would have been open to the public on the highest floor.
In March 2006, amidst the Cash for Peerages
political scandal, it emerged that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister had not called in the application for the Minerva Building (nor Minerva's Park Place
proposals in Croydon
) shortly after two of Minerva's senior figures had made major donations and loans to the Labour Party
. This led some commentators to make a connection between the loans and the decision.
In mid-2006 it was announced that Minerva, deep within a period of financial consolidation, were no longer actively pursuing development of the site. A mid-rise commercial development has occurred instead on the site.
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...
once planned for the eastern edge of London's
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
main financial district, 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...
. If built, it would have been the first building in the City of London to contain more than 1000000 sq ft (92,903 m²) of office space.
A revised planning application by developers Minerva plc for the 53-storey version was submitted during the week ending 12 July 2002. The original proposal for the site, known as the St. Botolph's House, was a 14-storey office block. In 2001, this was revised to a 36-storey, 159 metres (522 ft) tall office tower. A post-September 11
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
revision brought structural and design changes and a further increase in height, to 53 floors and 217 metres (712 ft).
Its location marks the Eastern gateway to the City and the building might have acted as a focus for the regeneration of the eastern City fringe. The site is outside the strategic views of St. Paul's, and does not contain listed buildings, although it does infringe upon a conservation area. It also lies within one of the three proposed viewing cones for the Tower of London, as do 30 St Mary Axe
30 St Mary Axe
30 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...
, Heron Tower
Heron Tower
Heron Tower, also referred to as 110 Bishopsgate, is a skyscraper owned by Heron International in the City of London. It was completed in 2011...
and 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...
.
Although the official height was 217 metres (712 ft), the building was claimed to have planning permission for an antenna which might have seen its pinnacle height rise to 247 metres (810 ft). The developers claimed that a restaurant would have been open to the public on the highest floor.
In March 2006, amidst the Cash for Peerages
Cash for Peerages
Cash for Honours is the name given by some in the media to a political scandal in the United Kingdom in 2006 and 2007 concerning the connection between political donations and the award of life peerages...
political scandal, it emerged that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister had not called in the application for the Minerva Building (nor Minerva's Park Place
Park Place (Croydon)
Park Place was a shopping centre which had been expected to open in Croydon, England by 2011, although this date has been pushed back and building has not started. It is part of the Croydon Vision 2020 re-generation scheme...
proposals in Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
) shortly after two of Minerva's senior figures had made major donations and loans to the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. This led some commentators to make a connection between the loans and the decision.
In mid-2006 it was announced that Minerva, deep within a period of financial consolidation, were no longer actively pursuing development of the site. A mid-rise commercial development has occurred instead on the site.