London Planning

[Tim Lund]

(Apologies to those of you bored with me going on about planning - just don't read it if you don't want to, or write about something else more interesting ...)

That said, I found this article in the latest Economist about planning in London interesting

The ascent of the city

not least for this, one of six striking graphics which help explain the odd pattern of London's recent skyscraper eruption



But apart from protected views, there's also this:

The other reason London’s tall buildings are so oddly spread is local democracy. In the conservative borough of Westminster, the council resists almost all new tall buildings; despite soaring rents, no new skyscrapers have been built there since the 1960s. In the corporatist City, expensive architecture is prized. Almost anything goes in poor Labour-run authorities such as Lambeth, Southwark and Tower Hamlets.

In Elephant and Castle, part of Southwark, at least two towers are expected to join the Strata, an ugly 148m building that incorporates rarely-moving wind turbines. At Nine Elms, on the border between Lambeth and Wandsworth, another undistinguished tower will be joined by several more over the next few years. More still are going up at Stratford and Croydon. Councils—and the mayor’s office—smile on big development projects which spruce up neglected areas or raise money for infrastructure.

I was also struck by this, which adds weight to my slightly jaundiced attitude towards star architects:

firms hire well-known architects as a way to ensure they win planning permission: a popular architect, on average, can get 19 storeys more. The buildings they design, while pretty, are often costly and impractical.

Oh well. I very much agree with how it concludes:

London needs a better, stronger plan. The mayor should provide it. A single authority could reduce the cost and uncertainty of the current system for developers. It would allow planning to be more clearly linked up with transport— ideally, projects such as Crossrail would lead to more construction near stations such as Tottenham Court Road. It might even help conservationists: since the mayor would be directly accountable, he might pause before allowing an ugly building. London’s skyline is changing faster than ever. It is time the system that regulates it changed too.

[leenewham]

Aren't most of the new tower blocks empty?

Aren't they all expensive?

Aren't most if them aside from the shard and gherkin, extremely ugly?

[Tim Lund]

Aren't most of the new tower blocks empty?

Some may not yet be fully let, but according to Knight Frank

For the first time in history London's vacancy rate did not increase during a recession, according to Knight Frank's analysis of the capital's property market in 2012.

Vacancy rates across the capital edged down to 7.2% by the end of 2012, compared to 7.3% in December 2011, despite the fall in UK GDP in the first half of the year.

It is the first time on record that vacancy rates have not increased in a year with two consecutive quarters of GDP reduction.

so the market is still strong

London vacancy rate makes history

Aren't they all expensive?

Maybe, but not expensive enough for some

Aren't most if them aside from the shard and gherkin, extremely ugly?

I'll give you that.

[stone-penge]

Developers also get a well known Architect on board and once approval is given ditch then for someone else who will adapt the concept to cram in extra floor space for extra $$$$.
Developers will also put in multiple applications for a development on the same principle that "the bomber will always get through".

[Tim Lund]

And just found this on one of them

BRITISH Land said yesterday it has secured another tenant at the Cheesegrater skyscraper as the property giant reported growing demand for London office space.

Australian serviced office provider Servcorp has signed a deal to take the whole of the 30th floor of British Land and Oxford Properties’ development on Leadenhall Street, which is due to complete later this year. The firm will join insurers Amlin and Aon, who have already taken space.

The announcement was made as British Land reported that a recovery in the wider economy was helping to boost demand for both its shops and offices in London and across the UK.

New tenant for British Land’s Cheesegrater

[stone-penge]

These developers such as British Land, lend lease etc are better resourced and employ cleverer people than the local councils. They probably have better lobbying power than individual local authorities and most likely the GLA too.

[Tim Lund]

These developers such as British Land, lend lease etc are better resourced and employ cleverer people than the local councils. They probably have better lobbying power than individual local authorities and most likely the GLA too.

That may apply in boroughs such as Lambeth, Southwark and Tower Hamlets, as referred to in the Economist article, but the Cheesegrater is in the City of London, where, under the leadership of its Chief Planning officer, Peter Rees, such commercial developments have been actively encouraged.

What's happening here are plain and simple market forces - there is demand for office space in London, a developer supplies it, and tenants are found.

[stone-penge]

That may apply in boroughs such as Lambeth, Southwark and Tower Hamlets, as referred to in the Economist article, but the Cheesegrater is in the City of London, where, under the leadership of its Chief Planning officer, Peter Rees, such commercial developments have been actively encouraged.

Indeed,and that must be the most prominently unattractive, unsuitable development in London:

The rivalry since the late 1980s between The City, who were historically deeply conservative in what they would allow to be built, and the Docklands who's presence effectively forced The City to open up on what could be built and where is a very interesting subject. I'm not sure the City has gained aesthetically in this, apart from a few exceptions.

[wen]

I loved it when I learnt that most buildings in London are restricted height-wise because of St Paul's Cathedral viewing platform - it just struck me that it was an area where planning actually worked cohesively.

And I also think the Cheesegrater/Leadenhall Building has an amazing structure, I love that you could see the steelwork frame the first time I saw it whilst walking round the City. Plus in reality, I know how everyone talks that it's all just about profit, but they'd have much more floor space to flog off to tenants if they had dumped a boring square shaped tower there. Instead you have the cheesegrater, tall but not much floor space the higher up you go, which are also usually the most expensive floors.

PBS had a 55 minutes long episode on the Leadenhall building, teasers below were really interesting, will have to try to find the full episode now. I can't seem to embed the videos, so here are the links.

http://youtu.be/Z3qmuphvhSE
http://youtu.be/UQw8Wlsg8eI

[stone-penge]

And I also think the Cheesegrater/Leadenhall Building has an amazing structure, I love that you could see the steelwork frame the first time I saw it whilst walking round the City. Plus in reality, I know how everyone talks that it's all just about profit, but they'd have much more floor space to flog off to tenants if they had dumped a boring square shaped tower there. Instead you have the cheesegrater, tall but not much floor space the higher up you go, which are also usually the most expensive floors.

I think you'll find that the Cheesegrater is so shaped to preserve one of the sightlines mentioned in the top of the thread, possibly the Richmond Park one.
If the people who built it could've built a square shaped box to maximise floor space, then trust me, they would of done.

[wen]

I think you'll find that the Cheesegrater is so shaped to preserve one of the sightlines mentioned in the top of the thread, possibly the Richmond Park one.
If the people who built it could've built a square shaped box to maximise floor space, then trust me, they would of done.

It wouldn't surprise me if the sightlines from St Paul's Cathedral was behind the shape, as majority of developments in the City have to get around this at the planning stage, as well as have the approval of the Barbican residents if in that area. They could still have had a squat square shaped box which would not affect the sightlines (and save on architecture fees), but the result is that architecture, for which I'm personally happy, but then that's my taste.

[stone-penge]

WHY THE LEADENHALL BUILDING IS THE CHEESEGRATER
The Leadenhall Building is located in the tall building cluster close to Swiss Re, Tower 42 and the Heron Tower. The location doesn’t impact on the strategic view of St Paul’s but affected a locally important view: the processional route down Fleet Street past St Paul’s. The City of London planning officer Peter Rees made it clear the new building should not affect the view of St Paul’s from the Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese pub on Fleet Street. “Peter Rees said, we do not want to see it from here,” says RSHP senior director Graham Stirk. “If we had built vertically, it would have impacted on the view of St Paul’s.”

The answer was to create a wedge-shaped building to preserve this view. Rees is credited with coming up with the moniker “Cheesegrater” in addition to his influence on the building shape. There were also other planning conditions including providing public realm - a requirement that has been fulfilled in other recent towers by providing access to the top of the building. Here Rogers opted to provide more accessible space at ground floor level. This is next to a square in front of the neighbouring Aviva building, which results in a generous public space. The building will be accessed by two escalators at ground level. Insurer Aon has taken a lease on a third of the building and will have a reception area at first floor level. All other users will enter at second floor level.

http://www.building.co.uk/the-cheesegra ... 54.article

[wen]

Thanks for sharing that stone-penge!