Councillors vote to back 3XN-designed 60 Gracechurch scheme as Barbican upgrade gets near 拢200m funding boost
The City of London has approved Sellar and Obayashi鈥檚 plans for a 36-storey office tower at 60 Gracechurch Street.
Councillors voted to back the planning officer鈥檚 recommendation to approve the proposals at a committee meeting this morning despite concerns from heritage groups over the scheme鈥檚 impact on a neighbouring grade I-listed church.
Designed by Danish practice 3XN, the tower will contain around 52,000 sq m of office space and sit above a sheltered 鈥榰ndercroft鈥� public realm area leading off the street.
It will also contain a free to access evening destination on the 35th storey called the 鈥楽anctuary鈥� and a public roof garden offering views to the west over the City.
The new tower will replace the site鈥檚 existing nine-storey Allianz House, a mid-1990s building containing 13,300 sq m of office space.
The City has praised the sustainability of the scheme, which has sought to minimise carbon emissions by avoiding basement excavation and committing the new building to 100% operational energy.
Shravan Joshi, chairman of the council鈥檚 planning and transportation committee, said the proposals 鈥渁lign perfectly鈥� with the City鈥檚 climate strategy and its Destination City programme, which aims to boost the Square Mile鈥檚 retail and leisure offering.
He also talked up the scheme鈥檚 approval as an example of how the City remained an active part of London鈥檚 commercial development market after the latest Deloitte crane survey showed a decline in office starts over the past six months.
鈥淚t is no coincidence that the City is bucking the global trend of rising office vacancy and stalling construction activity,鈥� Joshi said.
鈥淲ith a dedicated, solution focussed planning department, combined with clear policy and strategy, we are creating an environment in which developers and investors can help us create a vibrant, thriving Square Mile, for all to enjoy.鈥�
Sellar chief executive James Sellar added: 鈥淲e have a clear aim for 60 Gracechurch Street to be one of the Square Mile鈥檚 most sustainable and wellness focused workplaces and today鈥檚 decision marks an important step in taking us closer to achieving those goals.
鈥淭here is an acute shortage of office space across London that is able to meet the exacting requirements of the modern occupier and we firmly believe that being able to satisfy that demand is an important component in London鈥檚 ability to attract leading businesses and ensure it maintains its status as a world-class city.鈥�
The application was opposed by Historic England, Historic Royal Palaces, St Paul鈥檚 Cathedral and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets due to the scheme鈥檚 proximity to heritage assets including the grade I-listed St Mary Woolnoth church.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has also notified the application to Unesco and is set to submit a report in the coming days to the United Nations World Heritage Centre on the impact which the City鈥檚 tower is cluster is having on the Tower of London world heritage site.
The project team includes executive architect Adamson Associates, cost consultant Turner & Townsend Alinea, project manager Gardiner & Theobald, structural engineer Arup, planning consultant DP9 and transport consultant Velocity.
Meanwhile, the City has approved a 拢191m funding package to support critical repairs and upgrades at the Barbican Centre.
The package will fund phase one of the Barbican Renewal Programme, a five-year project of works at the grade-II listed site.
Work will include upgrades to the Barbican鈥檚 brutalist foyers, lakeside terrace and conservatory as well as making major sustainability improvements to ensure net-zero commitments are met.
The 拢191m represents around 80% of the amount needed for the phase of work with the remainder, around 拢48m, due to be raised under a major fundraising campaign to be launched by the Barbican Centre next year.
The Barbican Renewal Programme design process is being masterminded by Allies and Morrison, Asif Khan Studio and Buro Happold. Construction is slated to begin in 2027 with the first phase of work due to be completed in time for the Barbican鈥檚 50th anniversary in 2032.
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