Plans for City of London’s tallest tower revealed

Image: Foster + Partners

Plans for what would become the tallest tower in the City of London, featuring sky bridges, internal slides and an education facility at the top, have been revealed.

The 305.5m-high building, dubbed ‘the Tulip’ and proposed by J Safra Group and Foster + Partners, would sit next to 30 St Mary Axe, also known as the Gherkin. It would be just shy of the Shard’s height of 310m.

Instead of housing offices, Foster + Partners said the new building would be a tourist destination, offering “cultural and economic benefits” with a diverse programme of events.

One of the tower’s main features would be an education facility at the top, offering 20,000 free places per year for London’s state school children, delivering national curriculum topics using “innovative tools” to bring to life the city’s history.

The plans also allow for viewing galleries at around 300m, gondola pod rides on the building’s façade, a sky bar and restaurants with 360-degree views of the City, and sky bridges and internal slides.

Other features would include a new “pocket park” alongside a two-storey pavilion offering a publicly accessible rooftop garden. Together with green walls this would the site’s green surface area by 8.5 times, supporting the Mayor’s goal for London to be the world’s first National Park City, Foster + Partners said.

Meanwhile, the Tulip’s bud-like form and minimal building footprint reflects its reduced resource use, with high performance glass and optimised building systems reducing its energy consumption, Foster + Partners said.

Heating and cooling would be provided by zero-combustion technology while integrated photovoltaic cells would generate energy on site.

Subject to the planning approval process, construction on The Tulip could begin in 2020 with completion projected for 2025.

Norman Foster, founder and executive chairman, Foster + Partners said: “Continuing the pioneering design of 30 St Mary Axe, the Tulip is in the spirit of London as a progressive, forward-thinking city. It offers significant benefits to Londoners and visitors as a cultural and social landmark with unmatched educational resources for future generations.”

Jacob J. Safra said: “We are delighted to benefit from the exceptional talent of Foster + Partners in bringing to London this world-class visitor attraction. The Tulip’s elegance and soft strength complements the iconic Gherkin. We are confident in London’s role as a global city and are proud to offer its schoolchildren a state-of-the-art classroom in the sky to appreciate London’s history and dynamism.”