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Almost three years after the opening of their iconic tower The Shard, Renzo Piano Building Workshop has unveiled their next project set to rise on London's growing skyline. Known as 31 London Street, it will consist of a mixed-used 224-metre cylindrical tower featuring 200 luxurious residences across 65 storeys, 4,000 square metres of new public space as well as 14,000 square metres of office space. It will stand in the immediate vicinity of Paddington Station, on the site of the former Royal Mail sorting office.
Developed by Sellar Property Group, the $1.54-billion tower aims to integrate smoothly into the predominantly mid-rise urban form of the neighbourhood. To achieve this, a strong emphasis was put on the urban realm surrounding the building. At ground level, more than an acre of public space will improve pedestrian flow within the area, especially between the Bakerloo tube line and Paddington Station, which is currently undergoing a dramatic expansion with the Paddington Integrated Project scheduled for completion in 2018.
While a series of restaurants and other retail spaces are planned at street level, the upper portion of the tower will also offer access to the public. Indeed, restaurants will occupy the 60th, 61st and 62nd floors. On the rooftop, an open-air garden will offer unobstructed views of the city to visitors, helping 31 London Street become a destination in itself rather than simply being another condominium tower.
31 London Street will become one of London's tallest structures when it opens in 2020, provided it gets planning permissions before the end of the year, allowing construction to start by 2017 as currently planned. In the meantime, additional information and renderings can be found in our Database file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
