Plans To Build 'Tulip' Tower Scrapped
16 July 2019, 14:27
The proposed 'Tulip' skyscraper will not be built in the City of London after Mayor Sadiq Khan vetoed plans.
It was intended to be a 300-metre (1,000ft) skyscraper towering over The Thames. However plans to build what would have been the second tallest building in Western Europe, dubbed "The Tulip" have been thrown out by Sadiq Khan.
“The mayor has a number of serious concerns with this application and having studied it in detail has refused permission for a scheme that he believes would result in very limited public benefit,” Khan’s spokesman said.
Visual pollution to London's skyline is one of Mr Khan's main arguments against the skyscraper.
“In particular, he believes that the design is of insufficient quality for such a prominent location, and that the tower would result in harm to London’s skyline and impact views of the nearby Tower of London world heritage site," his spokesman said.
"The proposals would also result in an unwelcoming, poorly designed public space at street level.”
The plans had originally been approved in April 2019, despite a backlash from groups such as Historic England.
The City of London Corporation (CoLC) claimed that the skyscraper would have been “truly unique visitor attraction” that would have helped the City's economy.
It would have had transparent pods, glass slides to connect floors, and a restaurant and bar at the top.
The 'Tulip' would have also featured classroom space "offering 40,000 free places per year for London's state schoolchildren", according to the project's website.
The skyscraper would have been designed by Foster + Partners architectural design and engineering firm, who were aiming to have the project completed by 2025.
