New plans have been shown off for three towers to stand next to Blackfriars Bridge on a site that already has approval for two tower blocks.
(c) Hines / Foster + Partners
The site is a plot of land that was cleared in 2016 and plans for two towers, one of which included a hotel, on the site were approved in 2017. That never went ahead, and last year, the property investor, Hines bought the site and commissioned a new design. Hines also acquired the Mad Hatter public house and One Stamford Street in early 2022 which have been incorporated into the site.
The developer has now come back with a revised plan from Foster + Partners for three towers, one office and two residential, to be set around a central plaza sitting between them. The Mad Hatter pub, which is in a listed building will be preserved on the site.
(c) Hines / Foster + Partners
The tallest, the office building will rise to 210m, a second residential tower, known as the Stamford Building, will rise to 160m, with a third, The Paris Building, containing affordable flats reaching a height of up to 100m.
The proposed office tower is distinctive in its appearance, with staggered blocks running up the sides with roof terraces on each block. The developer consultation says that the revised plans take into account how working has changed since the pandemic.
The other two towers, one will be for affordable housing, and the other the commercial residential tower. Unusually, the developer isn’t arguing to reduce its affordable contribution or shift it elsewhere and will meet the council’s standard for 40% of new housing to be affordable.
They also propose linking the urban landscaping to the church next door, and refurbishing that area as well.
A planning application is expected to be filed later this year, and a consultation that was underway will resume in the Autumn.
If approved, construction could start next year. Completion will be quicker than usual thanks to the fact that the site is already cleared.
(c) Hines / Foster + Partners
