A Tall Tale : Dealing with
Growth of Tall Buildings in
London
English Heritage and its position on tall
buildings in the capital
Nigel Barker
English Heritage Planning and Conservation Director London
The Brief
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A brief chronological context
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Key issues to consider
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Process of assessment
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English Heritage position
Chronological Context: Pre C19
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Building heights
have always been
determined by
balance of
material, practical
and human factors
but most
conspicuous preC19 tall buildings in
London were public
in one sense or
another
Chronological Context pre-C19
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London’s first tall
buildings of nonpublic and wholly
functional were
along the Thames
including for
example shot
towers on the South
Bank 1789-90 and
1826
Early C19 shot tower on Festival of
Britain site 1959
Chronological Context: C1800- 1900
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Overall increase in
scale starting from
about 1850 in central
London. Also
increasing variety of
building types e.g.
railway termini which
were also designed as
civic gestures
Chronological Context C1800-1900
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1870 average heights of
London buildings in
commercial districts a little
lower than Paris and on a
par with Manhattan. But fact
that London did not join
“skyscraper race” was not
technological backwardness.
Answer was regulation and
the Building Acts of 1844
and 1855 especially in the
heights of commercial
buildings which were the
ones leading the way in
building tall elsewhere
Chronological Context 1900-1960
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Waivers to the
regulations
increasing in the
1920’s including:
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55 Broadway 1927-9 (175
feet) by Charles Holden
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Senate House 1934-8 (210
feet) by Charles Holden
Chronological Context 1900-1960
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1930’s saw emergence of 2
principles that have
influenced succeeding
“policy” in London ever
since. The first was zoning,
with the LCC division of
London into outer, inner and
central zones in 1936
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and the second was the
relation of new buildings to
“ancient monuments or
buildings of historic or
artistic importance” and the
formulation of the St Paul’s
heights policy
Chronological Context :1960’s-70’s
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Before 1960 there were no high
buildings in the City, the first Post
War high offices were on part of
the Festival of Britain site on the
south Bank – Shell Centre
promoted in 1952 as a 26 storey
tower
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First tall buildings in the City were
within the planned Barbican
redevelopment . Tall offices sited
at careful intervals along route 11
(London Wall) outline planning
granted 1953- first completion
1960 (Moor House)
Chronological Context 1960-2000
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Orderliness of London Wall
destroyed by Terry Farrell’s
Alban Gate 1989-92)
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City Tall buildings after the
Barbican more arbitrarily
sited east of the Bank
including Nat West Tower of
1970-81 by Siefert (600 feet)
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High buildings policy after
the Creation of the GLC in
1965 is one of growing
confusion and complexity
Chronological Context 1970-c2000
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Symbolic events of the 1980’s
in respect of high buildings in
London were the two public
Inquiries into Palumbo’s
determination to replace fine
Victorian buildings at No 1
Poultry first with a tall block by
the late Mies Van der Rohe,
defeated in 1984-5 and then
afterwards with a postmodernist design by Stirling and
Wilford whose further amended
design won permission in 1990
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Key to the victory was the
introduction of the concept that
if a building was by a good
enough architect, it did not
matter if it was high, big, or out
of scale with its neighbours the
concept of the landmark or
“icon”
Key Issues: EH/CABE Guidance
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Whether tall buildings are considered in a
plan-led context where authorities define
those areas which are suitable and those
which are not
Impact on adjacent context and especially
historic environment and the setting of
heritage assets
Architectural quality including consideration
of how the building meets the ground and
contributes to identity of place
Process of assessment: NPPF + Tall
Buildings Guidance
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129 Local planning authorities should identify and assess the particular
significance of any heritage asset that may be affected by a proposal
(including by development affecting the setting of a heritage asset)
taking account of the available evidence and any necessary expertise. They
should take this assessment into account when considering the impact of a
proposal on a heritage asset, to avoid or minimise conflict between the
heritage asset’s conservation and any aspect of the proposal
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132 When considering the impact of a proposed development on the
significance of a designated heritage asset, great weight should be given to
the asset’s conservation. The more important the asset, the greater the
weight should be. Significance can be harmed or lost through alteration or
destruction of the heritage asset or development within its setting. As
heritage assets are irreplaceable, any harm or loss should require clear and
convincing justification…
English Heritage : recent advice
St Mary Axe
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In 2006 EH reviewed tall buildings
proposals in Central London:
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Of 16 proposals: 6 were granted where
EH raised no objections including 122
Leadenhall, Tower 42, Swiss Re,
Minerva Tower
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3 had been granted where EH had
raised objections including London
Bridge Tower (the Shard), Heron
Tower and Vauxhall Tower
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Subsequently two more granted
despite EH objections – Doon Street
and 20 Fenchurch Street (Walkie
Talkie)
Vauxhall Tower
English Heritage: current position
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“Viscerally opposed” (Boris Johnson) – No
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“Wanting to preserve skyline in stasis” (Sir
Edward Lister)- No
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“Wanting to preserve London in aspic”
Evening Standard/ BD or anyone wanting to
shoot the messenger – Read our advice