Tallest Buildings In London

Tallest Buildings in London

London is the biggest city and also the capital of England and a global city in finance, health, commerce, trade, finance, art, media, and entertainment among other sectors. The skyline of London is dramatically changing with several tall buildings coming up adding to the 16 existing tallest buildings that are over 150 meters. In the 1970s and 1980s only one skyscraper, Nat Tower renamed Tower 42, ruled London’s skyline as compared to the expected 250 or more once the ongoing constructions are completed. London has experienced a construction boom in the last two decades with most of the skyscrapers constructed during this period. Tallest buildings in London include;

1. The Shard

The Shard is Western Europe’s highest building. It has been renamed several times before the current name. The 309.6-meter tower was formerly called the London Bridge Tower because it was part of London Bridge Quarter. The construction of the Shard Tower started in 2009 and was finished in 2012. The 87-floor glass-clad pyramidal building was developed by Sellar Property Group who owns it jointly with the State of Qatar. Only 72 floors of this tower are inhabited while the rest of the upper floors are for the spire. The Shard’s tenants include Hospital Corporations of America, Shangri-La Hotel, Al Jazeera Media Network, the Office Group, and Greenberg Traurig.

2. One Canada Square

One Canada Square was constructed in Canary Wharf in London. The building was the tallest in the UK between 1990 and 2010 at 235 meters and comprising of 50 floors. The tower was designed by Cesar Pelli with its shape resembling the World Financial Center and that of the Elizabeth Tower. The construction work began in 1988 and was completed in August 1991. One Canada Square building has a pyramid roof which encloses a maintenance plant and houses facilities of water supply. The tower is currently owned by the British Land and has several tenants including Bank of New York Mellon, CFA Institute, HSBC, JP Morgan, and International Business Times.

3. Heron Tower

Ranking third among the tallest buildings in London is the Heron Tower. It is a commercial tower in London which stands at 230 meters and has 46 floors. The construction of the tower started in 2007 and was completed in 2011 making it the tallest building in London’s financial district. Heron Tower is formally known as 110 Bishopsgate, and it is almost fully let with tenants including McDermott Will & Emery, Partnership Assurance, Harvey Nash, Salesforce.com, and Proskauer Rose Law Firm.

4. 122 Leadenhall Street

122 Leadenhall Street is a 225-meter building located on Leadenhall Street in London. The tower was opened in 2014 after its completion in 2013. The 48-floor skyscraper was designed by Roger Stirk Harbor and Partners. The tower was formally known as Cheesegrater because of the wedge shape design. 122 Leadenhall Street is built on a site that was previously occupied by the building that was damaged in 1990 by an IRA bomb but was demolished in 2008 to create room for the new development. 122 Leadenhall Street is currently occupied by AON, Amlin, and Roger Stirk Harbor and Partners.

5. Crystal Palace Transmitter

Crystal Palace Transmitter, ranking fifth amongst the tallest buildings in London, is currently called Arqiva Crystal Palace. It is a telecommunication and broadcasting center and the main television transmitter for London. Crystal Palace Transmitter was constructed in the 1950s on the ruins of Crystal Palace. The transmitter was designed and built by British Insulated Callender’s Construction Company LTD for BBC. The first transmission from the site took place in March 1956. Crystal Palace Transmitter is owned and maintained by Arqiva.