Heron Tower

Infobox Skyscraper
building_name= Heron Tower


previous tallest=
built= 2008 - 2011
status= Under Construction
use= Commercial
location= London, United Kingdom
antenna_spire= convert|246|m|ft|0
top_floor=
roof= convert|202|m|ft|0
floor_count= 47
floor_area=convert|680000|sqft|m2|-3|abbr=on
elevator_count=
architect= KPF
skyscraperpage_id=

Heron Tower, also referred to as 110 Bishopsgate, is a skyscraper currently under construction in the centre of London's main financial district, the City of London. When topped out, it will be the first skyscraper to overtake One Canada Square as the tallest in the UK.

Planning

Its height was first planned to be convert|183|m|ft|0, identical to that of the City's current tallest building, Tower 42. According to the developer Gerald Ronson, it would be the first "six star" office development in the City and would feature a concierge-style entrance and reception area. An aquarium spanning five storeys would be located in the upper floors, along with a restaurant and public viewing area.

The building attracted controversy when first announced, due to its proximity to St Paul's Cathedral when viewed from Waterloo Bridge. English Heritage were the most vocal of the groups expressing concerns. A public inquiry was subsequently held, the outcome of which was decided by the then-Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who ruled in the developers' favour. The tower was given final approval in July 2002.

Three years later, the project had yet to begin construction. In September 2005 the Heron Property Corporation submitted a planning application to increase the height of its approved tower. Heron's revised plans, drawn up by architect KPF, now proposed a convert|202|m|ft|0 tall tower topped by a convert|44|m|ft|0 mast. Although the design was largely identical to the previous scheme, the tower's crown and southern façades were refined to give the building a more elegant profile.

A smaller neighbouring tower, "Heron Plaza", was also unveiled that would stand around convert|100|m|ft|0 tall. This would feature nearly convert|250000|sqft|m2|-3 of retail space.

In January 2006, the revised project was approved by the City of London Corporation.

Preparation and Demolition

In February 2006, it was reported that Heron International were likely to award the contract to build their £500m tower to Skanska, the same firm who constructed the "Gherkin". In May, preparatory works began on site. This process involved the relaying of pipes and wires (including the diversion of a sewer) and took around a year to complete. In late November, it was confirmed that the tower had received financing from the gulf state of Oman, was now fully funded and therefore almost certain to be built. In June 2007, demolition began on site, and in November of that year, Skanska signed the construction contract.

Construction

Full construction began in April 2008, with foundation piles and steel rebar cages being installed around the site. In June, the first tower crane was erected. In August, the pile driver and small mobile crane were taken off site, and a second tower crane was erected a few days later. This was followed by a third and final crane in September.

In early October, the first steel beams appeared on site, and the core started to be visible above street level, seemingly ahead of schedule. [cite web | last = SkyscraperCity | title = Heron Tower construction thread | publisher = http://www.skyscrapercity.com | date = October 2008 | url = http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=413356&page=90 | format = HTML | accessdate = 2008-10-04] The steelwork is currently being used to build the basements, core and lobby.

ee also

*Tower 42
*30 St Mary Axe
*Broadgate Tower
*Bishopsgate

References

External links

* [http://www.herontower.co.uk Official website]
* [http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=413356 A thread discussing the tower and its development, with regular updates.]
* [http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=59 SkyscraperNews.com building detail]
* [http://www.heroninternational.co.uk Website of Heron International, the developers]
* [http://www.kpf.com/main.asp Website of Kohn Pederson Fox, the architects]
* [http://www.skanska.co.uk/herontower Project page of Skanska]