精东影视

RSHP鈥檚 proposals for one of the City of London鈥檚 tallest office towers at 99 Bishopsgate are expected to be approved this Friday.

The 54-storey scheme, part of the growing cluster of towers in the east of the Square Mile, has been recommended for approval by planning officers ahead of a planning committee meeting on 31 January.

Designed by Brookfield, and expected to be built by its subsidiary Multiplex, it will see the site鈥檚 existing 28-storey 1970s building demolished to ground level and replaced by 99,000 sq m of commercial floorspace along with a separate six-storey cultural centre.

It would also result in a significant transformation of the public realm around the crossroads between Bishopsgate and Wormwood Street, opening up a ground level pedestrian route underneath the building, similar to the open space beneath RSHP鈥檚 other large City tower, the Cheesegrater.

This space would host a new retail, food and drink hub at street level known as the City Market with seating areas, which is intended boost footfall in the area and act as a gateway into the rest of the tower cluster.

City planners said the proposals 鈥渆xude architectural excellence鈥� and would provide an 鈥渆xceptional new addition鈥� to the edge of the cluster.

The recommendation for approval comes despite objections by Historic England and St Paul鈥檚 Cathedral, which have raised concerns about the height of the tower and its impact on protected views.

Officers admitted the building would 鈥渟lightly and momentarily鈥� diminish the ability to appreciate St Paul鈥檚 when viewed from the river but this harm was 鈥渄ecisively outweighed鈥� by the scheme鈥檚 public benefits, including the cultural centre and market space.

Historic England said in its objection last November that the tower would create a 鈥渃liff edge鈥� on the border of the cluster which would harm protected views of the grade I-listed cathedral, which is considered the most important heritage asset in the City.

A total of 37 letters of objection to the scheme were received by the City against two letters of support. 

St Paul鈥檚 Cathedral said in its objection that the tower would cause 鈥渟ignificant harm鈥� to the building and criticised the heritage assessment drawn up as part of the application as 鈥渆rroneous鈥�. 

鈥淭he assessment submitted by the applicant is so deficient, we suggest, that the regulator should either undertake their own new assessment, or commission a more properly objective and professional evaluation,鈥� the cathedral said.

The assessment claims that the building鈥檚 design, which includes a chamfered corner at roof level, creates a 鈥渟ubtle鈥� step down at the edge of the cluster which reduced the tower鈥檚 impact on views of the cathedral.

The project team for 99 Bishopsgate includes T&T Alinea on costs, AKT II on structural engineering, Ramboll on MEP services, Atelier Ten on sustainability, Momentum on transport, GIA on sunlight and wind, Trium Environmental Consulting on environment and Andy Sturgeon as landscape architect.

Planning consultant DP9, communications consultant Kanda Consulting and heritage and townscape consultant The Townscape Consultancy are also on the team.