Pic: Wikipedia
East London’s skyline could be about to change drastically according to a report by New London Architecture, an independent discussion forum on architecture in the capital.
The report looks at buildings of 20-storeys or more, of which around 150 are being planned or are under construction in the ELL boroughs, more than a third of the total in London.
Tower Hamlets has the most new skyscrapers planned with 93, barely rivalled by other ELL boroughs, with Lewisham, Croydon and Hackney planning 21, 18 and 16 respectively.
Tower Hamlets has by far the highest amount of planned towers of all London boroughs, trailed by Greenwich with 67 and Lambeth and Newham with 32.
Peter Murray, Chairman of New London Architecture said: “This survey provides a snapshot of the changing shape and scale of 21st century London.”
“The clusters of towers in the Opportunity Areas of the London Plan are taking shape – in the east, in Tower Hamlets and Greenwich, the clusters are larger and the population more dense. This change of scale is inevitable as the capital faces up to the challenges of its burgeoning population within the constraints of the Green Belt and the lack of a wider planning strategy.”
The report comes as fear over accessibility and affordability of housing in London grows. Of the 156 towers that are planned in the ELL boroughs, 112 will be residential. Only two of these however, are being developed by their respective council.
Eileen Short, chair of Defend Council Housing said: “We need homes that all of us can afford so that we can live in stable, mixed communities and not in rich exclusion zones.”
“The council have bought into the developers’ mantra. It’s all about getting the maximum number of homes effectively to generate enough money, while providing the minimum public housing that we can get away with.”
“It matters that there are homes. But there’s luxury blocks in the Isle of Dogs that are half empty. It’s not homes of any description that we need, its homes that are secure and affordable. Are they homes with a secure tenancy, with a council rent? It’s a step in the wrong direction.”
The majority of the developments have been approved, as well as around a quarter being currently under development or completed.
Here are some of East London’s most notable future skyscrapers:
Hackney
Hackney’s proposed skyscrapers cluster around Shoreditch, due to proximity with Central London – with virtually no interest from developers in erecting tall buildings in Hackney’s eastern half.
Location: Shoreditch | Floors: 51 | Architect: Foster and Partners | Status: Under construction | Use: Residential
At 51-storeys, Principal Tower is the tallest of all of Hackney’s proposed skyscrapers. It’s one of four planned towers on Shoreditch High Street, continuing the regeneration of the area. The total Principal Place development will also have office and commercial space.
Location: Woodberry Down | Floors: 30 | Architect: Rolfe Judd | Status: Under construction| Use: Residential
Although nowhere near the tallest planned skyscraper in Hackney at 30-storeys, the Woodberry Down development’s most notable feature is its location. It is the only planned 30-storey or more development in Hackney not to be situated in the borough’s city-bordering, south-western corner. Instead it is in a relatively low-density part of North London, and will be by far the tallest building in the area.
Location: Haggerston | Floors: 20 | Architect: Karakusevic Carson Architects | Status: Approved | Use: Residential
At just 20 stories, Colville Estate’s third stage of redevelopment is dwarfed by the proposed towers to its south. Colville Estate is one of just two planned council-developed residential towers in the ELL boroughs. It is a part of Hackney’s Estate Regeneration Programme and will “cross-subsidise the construction of 450 affordable homes across the new Colville neighbourhood.”
Tower Hamlets
Tower Hamlets is the only ELL borough to have its planned skyscrapers spread over several areas, with Whitechapel and Poplar gaining significant interest from developers as well as the already hugely developed Isle of Dogs, which is the most densely packed areas for proposed tall buildings in London. The borough has 12 planned towers of 50-storeys or more.
Location: Isle of Dogs | Floors: 75 | Architect: Squire and Partners | Status: Under Construction | Use: Residential
Once completed, City Pride will be Britain’s tallest residential building and 3rd tallest building overall at 233m. City Pride’s 75-storeys is also the most of any currently proposed skyscrapers in London.
Location: Whitechapel | Floors: 28 | Architect: UNIT Architects | Status: Proposed | Use: Residential
Sainsbury’s development of their Whitechapel store is a key part of the ‘Whitechapel Masterplan’, a council scheme to create 3,500 homes and 5,000 jobs in Whitechapel by 2025. The plans have caused controversy, however, with residents of the nearby Grade I listed Trinity Green almshouses saying that the skyscraper will be “extremely damaging” to the historic buildings.
Location: Leamouth Peninsula | Floors: 29 | Architect: Glenn Howells Architects | Status: Under Construction | Use: Residential
London City Island will be an entirely new neighbourhood on Leamouth Peninsula, surrounded by the River Lea and connected to Canning Town via bridge. The island will have around 1,700 homes and will be home to the English National Ballet.
Lewisham
Of all of the developments proposed in ELL boroughs, those in Lewisham are by far lowest in terms of average number of storeys. Lewisham is also the only borough with no clear hotspot for planned skyscrapers.
Location: Bermondsey| Floors: 26 | Architect: Studio Egret West | Status: Approved | Use: Residential and commercial
New Bermondsey’s 26-storey tower is the pinnacle of a 30-acre regeneration scheme in the area surrounding Millwall FC’s stadium. There are plans for around six buildings of 20 or more storeys on the site. Developer, Renewal says that the plans will create 2,400 new homes and 2,000 jobs, as well as a new Overground station. Millwall FC have opposed the plans, calling them a “serious threat” to the future of the club.
Location: Lewisham Town Centre | Floors: 25 | Architect: PRP Architects | Status: Under Construction | Use: Residential
The development of Lewisham Gateway has required an entire rethinking of the road layout to remove the Loampit vale roundabout. The developers say that the traffic changes will be a better link between the town centre and the DLR and National Rail stations.
Location: Deptford | Floors: 48 | Architect: Farrells | Status: Proposed | Use: Residential
Lewisham Council say that the site will have up to 500 affordable new homes out of a total 3,500, with space for shops, parks and a hotel. The main 48-storey tower will be accompanied by two others of 38-storeys.
Croydon
Planned skyscrapers in Croydon are all concentrated towards the town centre as on-going regeneration makes it a central point for the borough. There isn’t a single 20-storey or above development planned in the outer areas of Croydon.
Location: Croydon Town Centre | Floors: 69| Architect: CZWG Architects | Status: Proposed | Use: Office, hotel and residential
Once built, One Lansdowne Road will comfortably be Croydon’s tallest building at around 200m. As well as 397 luxury apartments, 55,000 square meters of office space and 217 four-star hotel rooms, the tower may also boast some of the most unique facilities in the capital, such as Europe’s highest bar and a suspended, glass-bottomed swimming pool. The tower is most notable for its unusual design, which takes inspiration from the paintings of Henri Matisse.
Location: Croydon Town Centre | Floors: 38 | Architect: Darling Associates | Status: Approved | Use: Residential and hotel
A 38-storey tower with 150 new homes and 225 hotel rooms will soon be in place of Croydon College’s car park. It is reported that 20 percent of the homes in the building will be affordable. The Council say they will protect existing community facilities that still serve the needs of the community.
Location: Croydon Town Centre | Floors: 55 | Architect: Make | Status: Under construction | Use: Residential
Previously intended to be Britain’s tallest residential building when it was granted planning permission, the tower, dubbed a ‘Vertical Street’ will sit on the other side of East Croydon station from One Lansdowne Road. The building was conceived by Ken Shuttleworth of Make Architects, who has worked on iconic structures across London, such as ‘The Gherkin’ and Wembley Stadium’s arch.
