But Tenacity鈥檚 neighbouring 55 Gracechurch scheme in doubt as planning consent expires
Sellar and Obayashi鈥檚 proposals for a 36-storey tower in the City of London are likely to be given the green light next week.
The 60 Gracechurch scheme has been recommended for approval by City planning officers ahead of a committee vote next Friday (6 December), although it is facing a set of weighty objections from heritage groups including Historic England.
The scheme has been designed by 3XN, a Danish practice with a growing profile in London which has designed two large projects for British Land, a 拢400m extension of Euston Tower in Camden and the 2 Finsbury Square scheme in Broadgate.
It would contain around 52,000 sq m of office space and replace the site鈥檚 existing nine-storey Allianz House, a mid-1990s building containing 13,300 sq m of office space.
In a 336-page report published this week, planning officers said 60 Gracechurch would be a 鈥渟triking new addition鈥� to the City鈥檚 eastern tower cluster.
Officers praised the design鈥檚 鈥渄ynamic and distinctive architectural character鈥� with its facade system of angled metal 鈥榝ins鈥� which would cover most of the south side of the building.
>> See also: New pictures of Sellar鈥檚 36-storey City tower revealed as plans are submitted
The report also welcomed the proposed creation of new public realm in a 368 sq m sheltered 鈥榰ndercroft鈥� which would be built beneath the tower and include seating and greenery.
But objections and comments have been received by Historic England, Historic Royal Palace, 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.
Meanwhile, plans for a neighbouring tower by Hong Kong firm Tenacity could be in doubt because the scheme鈥檚 planning consent has lapsed.
Images of the 32-storey 55 Gracechurch Street, which was designed by Fletcher Priest, were removed in the latest visual impact statements submitted as part of the application for 60 Gracechurch.
The former had been approved by the City in January 2021 and began its three-year window of consent the following September. Consultants which were working on the scheme included heritage specialist Montagu Evans, QS Alinea and structural and facade engineer AKT II.
Fletcher Priest has been contacted for comment.
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