DIFA, the German investment company, submitted plans yesterday for Europe’s tallest office building, in the heart of the City of London.
The Bishopsgate Tower will be 307 metres high, comfortably trumping Canary Wharf, which stands at 235 metres. The new tower will comprise 947,232 sq ft of offices, shops and public space including a restaurant on the 43rd floor.
The restaurant will form part of a sky lobby, which will be higher than any other public space in London.
The project has the backing of the City Corporation, which is attempting to create a cluster of tall buildings in the heart of the Square Mile.
This latest tower will be situated between Tower 42, 30 St Mary Axe (otherwise known as the Erotic Gherkin) and two other proposed skyscrapers — Gerald Ronson’s Heron Tower and British Land’s 122 Leadenhall Street.
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The Corporation is keen to grant permission for large buildings that can accommodate big financial services firms in the City as part of its fightback against Canary Wharf.
DIFA is expected to secure an advance commitment from one or more large business occupiers before starting construction. It is also likely to seek a joint venture funding partner.
The building, which is designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, does not affect strategic views of St Paul’s and is situated within an area designated for tall buildings by planners.
The German group has carried out extensive consultation with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment and English Heritage to garner their support.
The building will replace office properties, most of which are half empty.