1 Undershaft architect says vote to leave EU could hit availability of products

The architect behind the planned tallest building in the City of London has warned that last year鈥檚 Brexit vote might impact on the quality of buildings going up in the UK.

Eric Parry Architects鈥 73-storey tower at 1 Undershaft (pictured) was given planning last November and will be close to 305m tall when built.

But in a report accompanying the firm鈥檚 latest report and accounts, Parry said 鈥渢here was a sense of rejection鈥 in his office after last June鈥檚 vote to leave the EU and warned: 鈥淢any of our commercial buildings rely on the quality of products purchased in Europe and we fear the risk of the quality of our buildings this uncertainty [leaving the EU] brings.鈥

The bespoke cladding market is dominated by big European suppliers and in March Canary Wharf developer Sir George Iacobescu also flagged up fears about materials, adding that the UK construction industry needed to start producing home-grown materials if firms were not to be crippled by materials price hikes caused by a weak pound.

Parry also said the firm wants to take on more work outside the UK in the future. 鈥淲e would like to expand our horizons working beyond the limits of London and the UK,鈥 he added.

In the year to July 2016, revenue from overseas stood at 拢151,500 鈥 just 1.5% of its annual turnover.

Income at the firm rose just over 拢200,000 to 拢9.2 million although pre-tax profits slipped 41% to 拢877,000. The firm, which has 93 staff, said the fall was down to start-up costs for an office it opened in Singapore. Staff costs at the business rose from 拢5.4 million to 拢5.8 million.

The salary of the highest paid director, who is not named, was 拢307,660 鈥 down from the 拢322,333 he picked up last time.

The new skyscraper at 1 Undershaft, which is being masterminded by Singaporean developer Aroland Holdings and has been dubbed the 鈥楾rellis Tower鈥 for its criss-cross fa莽ade, will take the title of the Square Mile鈥檚 tallest tower from the Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners-designed Leadenhall 好色先生TV when completed.