These are the first concept pictures of a stunning new 1,000ft-high glass skyscraper featuring glass gondolas allowing visitors to ride on the outside.
The building dubbed ‘The Tulip’, which is set to become London’s second tallest structure behind The Shard, will have a 12-storey glass bud on top of a 787ft concrete shaft with eight floors of viewing platforms.
The Tulip, which will have bars and restaurants inside to hold 1,500 people, will sit next to the Gherkin – the 590ft tower also known as 30 St Mary Axe which was designed in 2003 by the same architects, Foster + Partners.
The building dubbed ‘The Tulip’ (centre right) is set to become London’s second tallest building behind The Shard
The Tulip will have a 12-storey glass bud on top of a 787ft concrete shaft with eight floors of viewing platforms
The stunning new 1,000ft-high glass skyscraper in London will feature glass gondolas allowing visitors to ride on the outside
The Tulip, which will have bars and restaurants inside to hold 1,500 people, will sit next to the Gherkin (seen at the bottom)
The 590ft Gherkin, also known as 30 St Mary Axe, was designed in 2003 by the same architects, Foster + Partners
Visitors to the skyscraper will have a unique 360-degree vantage point of London, with bridges, internal glass slides and gondola pod rides – along with interactive displays and talks from experts about the capital’s history.
Plans will be submitted to the City of London Corporation today following a year of discussions and work is expected to start in 2020 on the building, which developers hope will attract one million visitors.
Sir Norman Foster, founder of Foster + Partners, said: ‘It offers significant benefits to Londoners and visitors as a cultural and social landmark with unmatched educational resources for future generations.’
The Tulip would be just 1ft taller than architect Eric Parry’s One Undershaft that is being built nearby, which had been at the height limit for towers in the Square Mile, reported the London Evening Standard.
The Tulip will become the second tallest tower in London – and will be more than three times the height of Big Ben
A CGI shows how the tower might look towering over the City of London and the Shard if the building is built to reach its planned height
Visitors to the skyscraper will have a unique vantage point, with bridges, internal glass slides and gondola pod rides
The Tulip, which will be 1,000ft high, is pictured across the River Thames from The Shard, which stands at 1,016ft tall
There will be interactive displays and talks from experts about the capital’s history, along with an education centre
This was due to flight path restrictions at London City Airport, but the Tulip can now be marginally higher thanks to a thick new layer of Tarmac on the runway.
The Tulip will have a pavilion building where visitors will arrive before being taken under the existing piazza to double-decker lifts that will take them up to the top, where there will also be a high-tech education floor.
Developers say they have already held a dozen meetings with planning officials that were ‘fruitful and exciting’ – and an opening date of 2025 has been proposed if construction is secured.
Jacob J Safra, of J Safra Group, which owns The Gherkin and is also involved in latest project, said it would be a ‘world-class visitor attraction’, adding: ‘The Tulip’s elegance and soft strength complements the iconic Gherkin.
‘We are confident in London’s role as a global city and are proud to offer its schoolchildren a state-of-the-art classroom in the sky to appreciate London’s history and dynamism.’
From The Shard to One Canada Square, and The Heron Tower to The Cheesegrater: London’s tallest buildings
1) THE SHARD
Height: 310m / 1,016ft
Floors: 87
Completed: 2012
The Shard opened to great fanfare in 2012 with a laser light show. There had been plans for a 1,400ft building, but aviation chiefs said this was be a hazard to air traffic – so the developers scaled it back to 1,000ft. However this still made the £500million project – which has 11,000 glass panels – the tallest building in Western Europe. But it was revealed last month that ten apartments worth up to £50million there still sit empty because offers have not been high enough.
2) ONE CANADA SQUARE
Height: 236m / 771ft
Floors: 50
Completed: 1991
One Canada Square was the centerpiece of Canary Wharf’s transformation when it opened in 1991. The skyscaper in the financial district, which has 50 stories, held the title as Britain’s tallest building until The Shard was completed. Architects for the building took inspiration from Big Ben’s design, and the structure has a pyramid roof with a flashing light for aircraft. It is now surrounded by buildings for banks such as Barclays and Citibank.
3) THE HERON TOWER
Height: 230m / 756ft
Floors: 46
Completed: 2011
The Heron Tower, also known as Salesforce Tower or 110 Bishopsgate, is currently the tallest building within the City of London and was opened in 2011. The plans were controversial because of how close the site is to St Paul’s Cathedral, but they were passed by then deputy prime minister John Prescott following a public inquiry – and construction started in 2007. The £500million building also contains the largest aquarium in London with around 1,200 fish.
4) THE CHEESEGRATER
Height: 225m / 737ft
Floors: 46
Completed: 2014
The Cheesegrater, opposite Lloyd’s of London, was built between 2011 and 2014 – and contains 610,000 sq ft of office space. The 737ft tower incorporates 18,000 tonnes of steel. The structure has no central core, with an external frame providing stability. Some 26 passenger lifts are in its northern core. It also has a 100ft high atrium including lawns, seating, trees, shops and an events space. In addition, it boasts impressive views from the top of its 47 floors to ascend.