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Towers of London
By Elizabeth Hopkirk and Ross Lydall, Evening Standard Last updated at 11:08am on 18.07.07Ken Livingstone is being given new powers to approve skyscrapers as part of a government drive to increase the supply of affordable homes.
The Mayor will be able to remove major planning applications from the control of boroughs and approve them himself, preventing schemes being delayed by local objectors.
How London's skyline could look by 2012
The move comes as the Evening Standard today reveals how the London skyline could look by the time of the Olympic Games in 2012. This panoramic picture shows a radically altered landscape with dozens of new skyscrapers, including the recently approved Walkie-Talkie tower in Fenchurch Street. Some of the buildings have not even reached the formal planning stage yet.
Graphic designer Will Fox placed artists' impressions of every large new project on a panorama made from 17 photographs taken from a balcony in Forest Hill.
"There was this amazing London skyline and I started wondering how much it will have changed by the time the Olympic games arrive," said Mr Fox. "I wanted to show the impact these developments will have as I think nobody has a sense of how many new buildings are planned."
Under his new powers, Mr Livingstone is expected to rule on about 350 big developments each year - up 40 on present arrangements. Only a minority are likely to include skyscrapers.
The Greater London Authority Bill, which is due to receive its third reading in the Lords next week, will allow the Mayor to decide on applications for buildings 30 metres or higher.
This falls to 25metres or higher for those adjacent to the Thames but rises to 150 metres for those in the City of London due to the preponderance of skyscrapers there.
Areas favoured by the Mayor for tall buildings - which he believes can be landmarks that "contribute to regeneration and improve London's skyline" - include King's Cross, Paddington, Euston, Victoria, Waterloo, Tottenham Hale, Elephant and Castle, Waterloo, Vauxhall, Battersea and Croydon.
At present the Mayor can only veto applications approved by the boroughs. The new powers - which are expected to receive Royal Assent this autumn - will enable him to give the go-ahead to schemes that face rejection by councillors.
However, the Mayor has to pass three tests before he can take over an application - it must have a "significant impact" on his London Plan development strategy and "significant effects" across more than one borough and there must be "sound planning reasons".
The Mayor will also be able to intervene in plans featuring 150 or more houses or flats - meaning he can force boroughs to reject schemes where he believes there is insufficient affordable housing. His aim is for half of all new homes to be affordable.
For the first time, the Mayor will be required to consider the views of the applicants and the relevant borough council in an open forum.
Reader views (23)
Some people say that since a few buildings built in the 1960s should be demolished as eyesores, modern buildings will look awful in 30 years' time, how about even older buildings? Surely by this logic, they must have been eyesores for even longer, and hence even more worthy of demolition. Why not demolish the Tower of London, and return it to a pristine green field?
Of course, that would be just as ridiculous as saying that we should not build any more large structures now - the point is that something is made in modern times can be just as inspiring or beautiful as something hundreds of years old. Much as I do not approve of a lot of what the mayor does, the question of tall buildings only has one realistic answer in a growing city which cannot spread, in times when minimal environmental impact is desired. Tall buildings increase energy efficiency with economies of scale, whilst still leaving open spaces for the public to enjoy as opposed to lower, broader buildings that take up all available space, and with quality architecture and planning of the public realm, there are few valid reasons to object to a building merely because it is tall.
The apparently common process of many planning enquiries of lopping off some of the height of a building simply results in a wider, lower, less optimised structure to maintain the economic case, reducing any extra public space generated for no apparent gain. This is therefore probably better off out of the hands of local councils.
- Sunil, London
That is one fantastic looking skyline! London needs skyscrapers to show off it's economc power to the world! It's ony British people who seem to have a problem with skyscrapers, the rest of the world seem to love them, when london gets these built, london will outshine every city in every departement. I am proud to call it my capital, and these skyscrapers merely add to the greatest city in the world and make it even better, these are the cathedrals of our time, let's not support those who block them, they live in the past, these buildings represent our generation, just as old buildings did for theirs.
- James, Leeds
Much as I support Ken, I don't see why there has to be sudden blitz on high rise buildings in London. I we have to have tall buildings why can't we just encourage further development round the Docklands - they look good clustered together there, no need to ruin the low skyline in Central London.
- Headhunter, London
One of the most amazing things walking around the City is the juxtaposition of the grand old buildings like the Royal Exchange with the modern high-rise buildings sprouting from behind them - this is one of the many things that makes London unique.
Also, everyone knows we need more housing in London - the cost of living even vaguely centrally is beyond the reach of many and we need to build taller to avoid having to concrete over even more of the home counties! We also need more office space in the City, otherwise we'll find we lose our competitive edge over rival cities such as New York, Paris and Frankfurt, and the whole economy will suffer. And if we don't build taller in the City, we'll only end up losing the character of surrounding areas such as Shoreditch as they get swallowed up with sprawling low-rise glass office blocks.
As long as the quality and context is right, we must embrace high-rise buildings to safeguard London's success for the next 20years.
- Andy, London
Good to see London looking to the future with such confidence. London is going from no skyline to a great skyline in a very short period of time. Well done London.
- L E, Guangzhou, China
The skyscrapers being proposed and currently built are beautiful and Londoners should back them fully.
I'm delighted to see that our skyline will change so much over the next few years - once all these are built, London will truly be the world's greatest city.
- James, London, UK
I really do not understand the negative comments here and can only conclude that they are borne out of ignorance of the urban or a selfish attitude regarding sharing urban space.
Creating tall buildings has been an age old solution and method for celebrating Urban spaces. In this diagram I see something similar to how Wren imagined the City would look all those years ago; a loose cluster of slender spires land-marking different locales.
I also see an attempt to solve such great problems of the modern world; Urban sprawl, housing shortage and quality of living space while working to an aesthetic of our natural inclination towards elegance and excitement.
I would hate to think that people on here would like to just leave the great urban journey up to the struggling mega cities while the lucky few in London watch from the side lines smug.
We can at least help those in a less fortunate position by experimenting, pushing forward ideas and helping to form practical solutions. The anti-urban doctrine that people and organisations such as English Heritage espouse should be ridiculed by any true Urbanite.
London will never be swamped by tall building as some people seem to irrationally fear, that ‘possible future’ diagram is about 10km wide! The historical fabric of the City and its many clusters of cherished neighbourhoods means that we will never end up as a ‘Manhattan’ or ‘Tokyo’.
- Ben Marshall, London
I like the view from Primrose Hill as it is. Do not let Ken Livingstone overbuild this city! Otherwise we look like just another Tokyo or Chicago. This is London!
- Gary, London
Are not one man's skyscrapers another man's tower blocks? Have we not just spent the last 10 years or so demolishing all these carbuncles because of their ugliness? Learn the lessons of the past, what may have looked good in 1960 looked awful by 1990 and this will probably not be any different. The low skyline in central London is great, unique so why spoil it, or is this just another of Ken's egomaniacal attempts to leave his "legacy" on London? Bring on Boris.
- Jk, London, UK
It's about time we went sky high. There are many cities around the world where the high rise skyline gives a air of freshness to old cities such as London. Take bangkok for example where fantastic buildings have sprouted towards the sky.
- Terry Molloy, Yalding Kent
fantastic rendering, how ironic that London - the low rise capital of the world is on its way to having the best high rise skyline bar none - all thanks to heritage bodies and nimbys - constantly attempting to block all high rise development - forcing the developers to produce skyscrapers of such quality and diversity - that they have all been approved! Of the new towers shown around 8 are under construction with a further 4 - including some of the tallest in ground preparation stage, so more reality than fantasy - excellent.
- Chest, London
Looks very professional. London is a world class city in need of a world class skyline.
- Alex, Shrewsbury
I love it! Just the "Walkie Talkie" (20 Fenchurch Street) is an ugly eyesore and should never be built. Strech yourself, Britain! The Pinnacle and Leadenhall Tower are awesome. Too sad that the "Minerva Building"-project stopped! Maybe it has a renaissance instead of the "Walkie Talkie".
London? The city to watch! The most exciting place in Europe! Would be great to see more high skyscrapers, there!
We done, Mr Fox!
- Oliver, Frankfurt
And to those who believe that skyline is ugly and 'like New York and Tokyo', it isn't. It is unique, there is no other city in the world with such superb towers all so close together, or those designs. Not all skyscrapers are 'ugly' and the same you know. Infact, very few of them are.
- Les Ferris, England
London is going through a transformation now greater than any before it for atleast a century. It is amazing. Also, it is good that work is now ongoing on all of the projects above, bar 1 or 2 of the smaller ones to the right. All sites now have demolition going on, and construction should begin straight after. There is nothing anyone can do to halt the 21st century renaissance of London.
I am happy that, since Swiss Re, the majority of Londoners have warmed to the idea of well-designed tall buildings.
And great job for the artist too for coming up with such an excellent rendering, he should be very proud!
London will finally have a skyline to be trully proud of.
- Les Ferris, England
It's great to see Londons confidence in the future with these daring and innovative examples of architecture. Such an impressive skyline will make a fantastic backdrop for the Olympics and shows London means business. It makes sense from an environmantal point of view as well to see land use maximised, especially for housing.
- Andrew Hobley, Reading, England
It is good as it is. Any man making a mess of London like Ken should never be allowed any control over its buildings. He should take the taxes and shut up.
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London
It might be just me but whenever I look at the NatWest Tower (or is it Level 42) it just looks unfinished....more symetry please!
If we could have more tall buildings in clusters at Canary Wharf it would be great but not in Westminster or the City.
- Victor, Croydon
Many of these superb skyscrapers will rival the most dramatic victorian buildings that made this city so famous for.
London is definitely embracing modernity with grace without losing its soul. An architectural beacon for Britain and Europe.
- Manuel, France
Ken Livingstone should not be allowed any control over buildings in London.
- Trevor Roll, London
That skyline is ugly. I like it the way it is now - you know, different from New York and Tokyo. Liveable. Ken just wants to build and build and show his "power".
- Georgie, London
"For the first time, the Mayor will be required to consider the views of the applicants and the relevant borough council in an open forum."
Just like he "considered" the views of the majority of Londoners who opposed the C-Charge extension!
- Helene Davidson, London
Well I think that skyline looks fantastic, much more coherent and lively than the messy stumpy blocks we currently have.
- Darren, London
