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The London borough of Hackney will be the recipient of a 175-metre tower, which is quickly becoming one of the tallest residential buildings in the city. The landmark building in the mixed-use Principal Place project — developed by Brookfield Property Partners, Concord Pacific and W1 Developments — is envisioned by the world-renowned architectural practice Foster + Partners, who are instilling their penchant for sleek and streamlined design into the busy London neighbourhood.
The 50-storey tower is split into three slim volumes of varying heights, a dichotomy meant to reflect the relationship between the creativity of the formerly industrial east end and the financial centre of Britain. The shorter volume is oriented towards the mature residential neighbourhood of Shoreditch, while the other volume addresses the highrise typology of the city centre. A central volume erupts between the two bookending blocks to bring the tower to a dramatic apex, where a flashy duplex penthouse will sit.
There are eight apartments on a typical floor in the 273-unit building, divided evenly between one- and two-bedroom layouts. External features are designed to enhance the livability of the interiors, with solid cladding panels enclosing the bedrooms for additional privacy. The remaining spaces are enveloped in glazing and shading fins. Nearly every residence also comes with their own curved balcony, accented by bronze exterior detailing.
Nearly 3,000 square feet of retail will occupy the base of the tower, complementing over 18,000 square feet of retail space at an adjacent 16-storey office building that is also part of Principal Place. Online retailing giant Amazon will be taking occupancy of 431,000 square feet in the 600,000-square-foot structure later this year.
Recent images of construction showcase the fully clad status of the office building standing congruent with the signature tower, whose three forms are continuing to rise skywards. Curved balcony glass and metal detailing have begun covering the skyscraper, giving the public a general idea of the final product.
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