This list of the tallest buildings and structures in London ranks skyscrapers and towers in London by their height. Since 2010, the tallest structure in London has been The Shard, which was topped out at 310 metres (1,017Â ft), making it the tallest habitable building in Europe at the time. The second tallest is One Canada Square in Canary Wharf, which rises 235 metres (771Â ft) and was completed in 1991. The third tallest is the Heron Tower in the City of London financial district, which was topped out in 2010 and stands at a height of 230 metres (755Â ft), including its spire.
The Greater London metropolitan area contains the most skyscrapers in the European Union. As of 2018, there are 21 skyscrapers in London that reach a roof height of at least 150 metres (492Â ft), with 18 in the Paris Metropolitan Area, 15 in Frankfurt, eleven in Warsaw and five each in Madrid and Milan.
The history of tall structures in London began with the completion of the 27-metre (89Â ft) White Tower, a part of the Tower of London, in 1098. The first structure to surpass a height of 100 metres (328Â ft) was the Old St Paul's Cathedral. Completed in 1310, it stood at a height of 150 metres (492Â ft). St Paul's was the world's tallest structure until 1311, when its height was surpassed by Lincoln Cathedral in Lincoln. It regained the title when the spire of Lincoln Cathedral fell in 1549. Although the spire of the Old St Paul's was destroyed by lightning in 1561, it still stood as the tallest structure in London, while the world's tallest structure became Strasbourg Cathedral in Strasbourg, France. St Paul's was severely damaged by the Great Fire of London in 1666. The title of the tallest structure in London passed to Southwark Cathedral, which stands at a height of 50 metres (164Â ft) and no structure in London again rose above 100 metres until 1710, when the current St Paul's Cathedral was completed. At 111 metres (364Â ft), the cathedral remained London's tallest building until it was overtaken in 1962 by the BT Tower, which was topped out in 1964 at 177 metres (581Â ft) and officially opened in 1965.
Few skyscrapers were built in London before the late 20th century, owing to restrictions on building heights originally imposed by the London Building Act of 1894, which followed the construction of the 14-storey Queen Anne's Mansions. Though restrictions have long since been eased, strict regulations remain to preserve protected views, especially those of St Paul's, the Tower of London and Palace of Westminster, as well as to comply with the requirements of the Civil Aviation Authority.
The lifting of height restrictions caused a boom in the construction of tall buildings during the 1960s. One of London's first notable tall buildings was the 117-metre (384Â ft) Centre Point, completed in 1966. The National Westminster Tower (now called Tower 42) followed in 1980, which at 183 metres (600Â ft) became London's first genuine "skyscraper" by international standards. It was followed in 1991 by One Canada Square, which formed the centrepiece of the Canary Wharf development. Following a 10-year gap, several new skyscrapers appeared on London's skyline: 8 Canada Square, 25 Canada Square (both also at Canary Wharf), the Heron Quays buildings, One Churchill Place, the Broadgate Tower and the gherkin-shaped 30 St Mary Axe. Some of the awards given to 30 St Mary Axe include the Emporis Skyscraper Award in 2003 and the RIBA Stirling Prize for Architecture in 2004.
With the precedent set by the towers of Canary Wharf and with the encouragement of former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, a renewed trend for building tall has been established in recent years. As of September 2016, there were 79 structures under construction or proposed in London that will rise at least 100 metres in height, including the South Bank tower, which has been increased in height by 11 storeys, architecturally topping out in 2016. 1 Undershaft, planned to form the centrepiece of the City of London's skyscraper cluster, is the tallest skyscraper currently proposed for London. Also in the City, a skyscraper at 100â€"112 Leadenhall Street, to be designed by SOM architects, is in the early stages of design and planning.
Tallest buildings and structures
Tallest Buildings by Country Ranking 2017 - The following is a list of the tallest buildings in the world by country listing only the tallest building in each country. The list is including only completed (or at least topped-out) buildings....
This list ranks externally complete London skyscrapers and free-standing towers that stand at least 400 feet (122Â m) tall, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. An equals sign (=) following a rank indicates the same height between two or more buildings. The "Year" column indicates the year in which a building was completed.
* Indicates still under construction, but has been topped out
Tallest under construction, approved, and proposed
Under construction
This lists buildings that are under construction in London and are planned to rise at least 328 feet (100Â m). Under construction buildings that have already been topped out are listed above.
Approved
This lists buildings that are approved for construction in London and are planned to rise at least 328 feet (100Â m).
* Table entries without text indicate that information regarding a building's expected year of completion has not yet been released.
** Approximate figure.
Proposed
This lists buildings that are proposed for construction in London and are planned to rise at least 328 feet (100Â m). Once a planning application has been submitted, a decision by the relevant authority may take two or three years.
* Approximate figure.
Cancelled constructions
This lists proposals for the construction of buildings in London that were planned to rise at least 328 feet (100Â m), for which planning permission was rejected or which were otherwise withdrawn.
Demolished buildings
This lists all demolished buildings in London that stood at least 328 feet (100Â m) tall.
Visions of skyscrapers
* Estimated height.
Timeline of tallest buildings and structures
This lists free-standing structures that have at some point held the title of tallest structure in London.
See also
- Architecture of London
- List of tallest buildings and structures in Croydon
- City of London#Skyscrapers and tall buildings
- List of tallest buildings in the United Kingdom
- List of tallest structures in the United Kingdom
Notes
Footnotes
- A.^ This structure was destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666, allowing a shorter structure to become the tallest in the city.
- B.^ The exact height of the Old St. Paul's Cathedral remains unknown. Heights ranging between 140 metres (460Â ft) and 150 metres (490Â ft) have all been reported. The spire was destroyed by fire in 1561.
- C.^ If counting the tallest habitable floors in buildings, then the record would be held between 1961 and 1962 by the Shell Centre, at 107 metres (351Â ft) and having 26 floors; and before it by the Victoria Tower at 98.5 metres (323Â ft), completed in 1858 and having 14 floors.
- D.^ If the Crystal Palace Transmitter is excluded as a "building", then the record was held by the "Post Office Tower" (later The British Telecom Tower) from 1962 to 1980, at a height excluding antenna of 177 metres (581Â ft) and containing 34 floors, and from 1980 to 1991 by Tower 42 at 183 metres (600Â ft).
Citations
References
- "High-rise Buildings of London". Emporis.com. Retrieved 30 June 2008.Â
- "The Taller, The Better? List Of London's Tallest Buildings". Joanne Watson. Retrieved 10 April 2014.Â
External links
- Info graphic of London's Top 10 Tallest skyscrapers
- "Interim strategic planning guidance on tall buildings, strategic views and the skyline in London" (PDF). Greater London Authority. October 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 April 2003.Â