©cpat/hayes davidson/jason hawkes
These computer generated images from the Hayes Davidson studio give a sneak preview of London’s skyline in 10 years time, commissioned as part of forthcoming exhibition called London’s Growing… Up!
You’ll need to hire a helicopter if you want to experience this aerial perspective view in real life, but there’s also a view showing the changing view from Waterloo Bridge once the current crop of skyscrapers getting under way around Blackfriars and the South Bank are complete.
The New London Architecture Centre exhibition will examine how the 200-odd towers with more than 20 storeys currently planned for the capital will affect the familiar skyline. Around 150 of the planned developments are residential.
Peter Murray, chairman of NLA and the exhibition’s curator, comments: “As London’s population gets bigger and bigger and new development for London takes place within the constraints of the green belt, we have to increase the density of the city. This results in our buildings getting taller. The huge number of towers in the pipeline will have a significant impact on the look of London. The exhibition will look at the current controls and planning processes to see whether they are fit for purpose and how they can cope with this upsurge in construction.”
View from Waterloo Bridge existing (top) and in the future (above)
The aerial view over the City includes new buildings such as the so-called “Can of Ham” by Foggo Associates at 60-70 St Mary Axe, although it is still reported to be on hold and “waiting for the market to turn”.
It also features the Pinnacle by Kohn Pedersen Fox, where the tower’s eventual appearance – currently in a redesign process – is likely to be simpler than what was originally planned.
They join the nearly complete Cheesegrater (or Leadenhall Building) by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and Rafael Vinoly’s Walkie Talkie at 20 Fenchurch Street.
The exhibition, which opens on 3 April, will use images, video, models, CGIs and visitor interaction to present a past, present and future view of London’s skyline as the capital’s developers focus on building upwards rather than outwards.
Visitors will explore the history of London’s high-rise architecture, looking at how the Barbican in the 1970s and Centre Point in the 1960s set a precedent for the future of the skyline.
A series of panoramic views of London chart the ever-changing landscape, from the 1960s through to the modern day and demonstrating how London will appear in 10 years.
Emerging high-rise areas such as Nine Elms, Waterloo and White City will be explored, looking at why these are attracting high-rise development and how luxury and affordable residential can coincide in London’s new vertical city.
Touch screens will enable guests to rewind time and fast-forward to the future to see how London has, and will be, developed.
