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London's faltering towers
Sri Carmichael and Mira Bar-Hillel04.03.09
The most ambitious building programme in London since the war is slowing to a halt.
The clash between the Labour government, which opposes high rise, and the Mayor, who has become a convert to new building projects, has ended in a planning stalemate as the recession bites.
At least 21 London property schemes could be scrapped or dramatically shrunk.
The Evening Standard has learned that five skyscrapers are facing a public inquiry, seven developments are in doubt because of the credit crisis and nine face political opposition.
Even projects that have already won approval and funding face major difficulties as the property slump means flats will not sell.
Together, the height of the planned skyscrapers would be 4,095 metres. They would contain 6,271 apartments and add 1.7 million square feet of office and retail space.
The planning deadlock comes amid a battle of wills between Boris Johnson and the Government over London's skyline, with Communities Secretary Hazel Blears stepping in to halt two key schemes supported by the Mayor.
The Standard survey reveals that plans for a £500million scheme for Shoreditch, including a 51-storey skyscraper, homes and a hotel on the former Bishopsgate Goods Yard, have been mothballed as a result of the credit crunch.
And the bulging "Walkie Talkie" tower at 20 Fenchurch Street in the City is still on hold despite Mr Johnson's backing.
Piers Gough, partner at London-based architects CZWG, said the combined pressures of recession and opposition from Ms Blears had created an "appalling" situation for the construction industry.
He said: "Every developer has been hit by the credit crunch, it's very tough to get finance to start building even if a developer can find tenants or secure sales.
"In the current climate the likelihood of a tower going on site is extremely low. The industry is facing an appalling situation as one of the worst hit by the recession. It's very quiet."
Former mayor Ken Livingstone wanted up to 25 skyscrapers built all over London in the next 10 years.
Mr Johnson promised to oppose towers when he was running for Mayor but since his election has backed most of those which came before him, including the "Penny Whistle" in Ealing.
The move has put him on collision course with Ms Blears, who last month ordered a public inquiry into the 25-storey tower in the Ealing project.
Ms Blears also called a halt last month to the £1billion redevelopment of the Ram Brewery site in Wandsworth, including two towers of up to 144 metres. Industry insiders say developers are using the Government's opposition to schemes as a smokescreen for cash problems brought on by the recession.
Evening Standard architecture critic Rowan Moore said: "Until very recently towers were seen as an essential accessory of a go-ahead ambitious city and now 90 per cent of them seem completely pointless.
"They are ideas from a bygone age. Towers are more expensive to build and there's not the same high demand for flats and offices any more."
Below from left: 20 Blackfriars Road, Ram Brewery, Boomerang, Arcadia Centre, Battersea Tower
Reader views (10)
In the "olden days" (whenever that actually was) London had the plague and cholera too.....just because soemthing is old does not make it fit for current purpose.
- Jeff, Hobart, Australia
Two things worry me here, where is all the electricity coming from, and who is going to use these monstrosities.
- David., Chertsey.UK.
Oh yes and Kimberley, do you like your running water, electric lighting, television, indoor toilet, etc, etc? Progression is a wonderful thing my dear..
- Jono, London
'London is an old city and its architecture should reflect that, skyscrapers weren't around in the olden days', haha, that's hilarious! I'm not sure if you realise Kimberley, but we are not currently in the 'olden days', we now inhabit the 21st century and our architecture should reflect that, whilst presevering what was good of the previous ages.
London is indeed a very old city, but it is also an Alpha World City, economic powerhouse and home to 7.5m poeple! We should build to refect that, and help to stop urban sprawl.
Infact London is ancient, so what period exactly do you propose we should pathetically minick? Roman? Medieval? For goodness sake, do you think the georgians and victorians had this bizarre viewpoint. No, they didn't, they built great pioneering monuments to their time, and we now love them for it; likewise skyscrapers are the monuments of our age. Many of those proposed are some of the finest examples of the architecture of our time. They soar gracefully into the sky, yet so many blinkered people (English Heritage and the Evening Standard in particular) have this histerical problem with their height. Very strange.
Anyway, they're happening, so deal with it, and once they're built and grace the London skyline, be ready to say 'ok, so maybe we were wrong..'
- Jono, London
Its time to reduce the politicians hold on the planning system. Lets have a culling of politicians by not voting for them
- Spooran, Watford
The article fails to mention all the towers currently under construction in London and that the tallest towers London has ever seen are now beginning to rise and also fails to take in to account that buildings of all shape and sizes are often proposed but never see the light of day due to whole number of reasons - its always been like this.
Just so people are aware and those against tall buildings don't get too excited believing tower construction has stopped, below is a list of tall buildings under construction or about to begin construction in London - where serious ground preparation works are underway...
as a point of reference for size -
One Canada Square (Canary Wharf Tower) 235m 50 floors
The Gherkin 179m 41 floors
Battersea Power Station 103m
buildings currently under construction / ground preparation works
Shard Southwark 310m 72 floors
Bishopsgate Tower City 288m 63 floors
Heron Tower City 246m 47 floors
Riverside South tower 1 Canary Wharf 236m 45 floors
Riverside South tower 2 Canary Wharf 189m 37 floors
Strata Elephant & Castle 147m 43 floors
Pan Peninsula tower 1 Canary Wharf 147m 48 floors
The Landmark tower 1 Canary Wharf 140m 44 floors
Pan Peninsula tower 2 Canary Wharf 122m 38 floors
100 Middlesex Street City 105m 34 floors
Pioneer Point Ilford 105m 31 floors
Royal London Hospital Whitechapel Tower 1 101m 18 floors
Royal London Hospital Whitechapel Tower 2 97m
The Landmark tower 2 Canary Wharf 98m 30 floors
Ropemaker Place City 96m 23 floors
- Ben Veasey, London
Reading this article, you'd be forgiven for thinking that all construction in London has come to a sudden halt. This couldn't be further from the truth.
The 800ft Heron Tower has already begun to rise in the City, and will soon be followed by the 950ft Pinnacle on Bishopsgate.
At London Bridge, groundwork on the 87-storey, 1016 ft Shard of Glass is underway.
In Elephant & Castle, there is a 45 storey residential tower called Strata which is midway through construction.
In Canary Wharf, another 45-storey tower is nearing completion, and construction is also underway on Riverside South - a pair of skyscrapers, the tallest of which is going to be taller than 1 Canada Square.
Plus there are numerous other towers that will be getting underway in 2010-11... I look forward to the exciting changes they will bring to the skyline
- Will Fox, London
London is THE capital city of the United Kingdom, it is also (supposedly), one of the leading financial and cultural centres of the western world. Why do we have the parochial sentiment towards buildings?
If you want to live in a conservation area, buy small georgian townhouse in Bristol.....
- Tom, London
It is fortunate that Labour's Communities Secretary Hazel Blears is saving London from these monstrosities in the face of Boris who promised to oppose them. Perhaps the meer fact he is the opposition is encouraging Blears to say "no", and if so it is a very lucky irony. Now Boris, wake up and do as you promised, don't cave in to the money grabbing developers with their social bribes and total lack of love for London and what it is, and where it should go.
- Stephen, London
London is an old city and its architecture should reflect that, skyscrapers weren't around in the olden days.
- Kimberley, London
