Parry’s plans for 1 Undershaft – which will be the same height as the Shard, that being the maximum height allowed – may come as something of a surprise, given that just a few months ago he published a book called Context in which he warned: “An orgy of tall buildings will transform and arguably overwhelm London.” This flood of towers, he added, is swiftly turning the city from one with a skyline dotted with white stone buildings, to one of “green glass envelopes imported from far afield, representing the Faustian pact of national commerce and real estate”. The rectangular tower has been commissioned by Singapore property developers Aroland Holdings.
“I wanted to do something calm,” says the architect Eric Parry, who on Monday unveiled his plan for what will be the tallest building in the City of London, which will rise 309.6m in the heart of the city’s financial district, squeezed between the Cheesegrater by Richard Rogers and the Gherkin by Norman Foster. “It is the last piece in the jigsaw,” he says of his addition to this great dinner party in the sky, “so I wanted to do something that isn’t flamboyant.”
Containing 90,000 square metres of internal space, it will sit amongst a cluster of skyscrapers including the forthcoming 22 Bishopsgate tower in the City of London, the city's financial district.
“Most skyscrapers are used Monday to Friday but 1 Undershaft will be used seven days a week, with the public able to enjoy the new public square, viewing platform and restaurant every day."
