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London could evolve to have a New York-like skyline as close to 600 projects for major new high-rise developments are in the pipeline.
The future of the capital is being visioned as a “Manhattan-on-Thames,” according to architects, as London shakes of its past opposition to sky scrapers.
Architectural think tank New London Architecture (NLA) revealed details of 583 high-rise projects, of 20 floors or more, in its tenth annual tall buildings report.
They are likely to be completed over the next 10 years, it said. So far, only 270 skyscrapers have been built across London in the last decade, so, if completed, these new projects would make a huge difference to the capital’s skyline.
The borough of Tower Hamlets has seen the completion of 71 skyscrapers in the last ten years, more than any other.
The report called London’s Growing Up: A Decade of Building Tall, highlights significant changes to what was a very low-rise skyline, compared to other global major cities.
The new push for high rise is driven by increased overseas investment and a need for more residential space, as the population moves towards 10 million, and some offices.
Peter Murray, NLA co-founder, said in the report: “Tall buildings have changed the face of London substantially over the last 20 years and will continue to do so — the pipeline that NLA has tracked means there is at least ten years’ supply that has already been defined.
London’s population continues to grow, passing the 10 million mark at the end of this decade. We’ll still need tall buildings; and NLA will continue to keep a close watch on what’s going on.”
Approvals for new towers are already happening. In May, Southwark Council agreed the construction of three towers on Blackfriars Road, which will contribute to a new skyscraper cluster near Bankside.
Other regions witnessing a surge in high-rise construction include Nine Elms, Wembley, White City, Acton, and Croydon.
But, there are now more demands on developers, in terms of accompanying open space, and meeting net zero requirements.
Brian Smith of multinational infrastructure consulting firm AECOM said: “When the inaugural London Tall Building survey was conducted a decade ago, we were discussing the first wave of developments that transformed London’s skyline.
“Schemes like The Walkie-Talkie and The Leadenhall Building were designed to stand out and stand up to architectural scrutiny, achieving iconic status.
“During this time, commercial schemes were about high specification levels and the resilience of service. However, in the decade since, the cost and commercial drivers of tall buildings have changed.
“Firstly, to accommodate functionality and financial viability, then a growing desire for community spaces and amenities and latterly, ESG and net zero requirements.”
In some surveys up to 50% of Londoners have said they now feel there are too many tall buildings in the city, a rise from around 32% in 2014.
But, Nia Fraser, of consultants Gerald Eve, said they appear to be here to stay.
She said: “We’re going to continue to see tall buildings. The process is more challenging, but that’s largely due to the current economic climate. We may not see those with planning consent come to fruition until the market stabilizes.”
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