In the eight months since our last update, progress at the site of One Blackfriars in London has been moving along nicely, and the 52-storey, mixed-use, 152-room, 274-unit hotel and residential tower will soon top off. With a bold cantilevered design by SimpsonHaugh and Partners, the St. George-built tower is set to redefine the southern bank of the Thames upon its completion in early 2018. 

One Blackfriars nearing completion in Central London, image by Flickr user Jimmy Wu via Creative Commons

Sprouting from a narrow base, the 170-metre glass-wrapped tower's irregular massing spreads outwards towards the top of the structure, until finally contracting inwards once more near the multi-storey pinnacle that will eventually become home to an observation deck. Meanwhile, back at ground level, the base of the tower will be joined by two additional low-rise structures, at four and six storeys apiece, which will host functions related to the project including retail and office space. 

Cladding well underway towards the top of the tower, image by Flickr user Jimmy Wu via Creative Commons

Clad in a special double-skinned envelope, One Blackfriars' glass curtain wal. system will help conserve energy costs, while also facilitating the flow of air through every level of the building. Featuring a design that blends a mixture of angular and curved lines, the rear view of the tower, seen below, will have a much sleeker silhouette. From any angle, the tower will stand out from a city skyline that has in recent years become known for its ever-growing collection of avant-garde skyscrapers. 

One Blackfriars, rear view, image by Flickr user Jimmy Wu via Creative Commons

SkyriseCities will be sure to return to this project as progress continues. For more information, check out the associated Database file and Forum thread, and as always, feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below.