KPF approves plans for city tower to make the plan more sustainable | News

KPF has unveiled plans to overhaul an approved office tower in the City of London, two years after the scheme’s developer, Stanhope, bought the site from Hong Kong firm Tenacity.

The developer has sent KPF back to the drawing board to deliver a sustainability boost to the 70 Gracechurch project, a 33-storey tower that was given permission by Square Mile councilors in 2021.

An image of the new proposals appears to show changes to the facade of the approved plan, including the removal of two vertical lines of planted terraces under plans due to be submitted later this year.

Stanhope senior development director Nick Jarman said the tower has been redesigned with an emphasis on reusing part of the existing ten-storey building.

“Our development team has reimagined the plans for this prominent and beautifully located City of London site, with an emphasis on sustainability and the reuse and retention of substantial elements of the existing building,” said Jarman.

“This will minimize the carbon impact of redevelopment, in addition to creating new cultural spaces and routes for wider public benefit. We look forward to showcasing these emerging plans at the public exhibition and encourage people to come along and have their say.”

Under previous plans, the existing building, currently leased by Marks & Spencer and AXA-owned XL Catlin, would be demolished.

The revised plans, which will be made public at a city consultation tomorrow, come a month after the Square Mile formally approved plans to prioritize renovation projects in planning decisions.

The City 2040 plan requires developers to adopt a ‘retrofit first’ approach and give significant importance to the renovation of existing buildings rather than new construction projects.

The plan also aims to transform the area into a ‘destination city’ with more cultural and recreational offerings, a vision that Stanhope said the new plans for 70 Gracechurch aim to reflect.

Historic England criticized the design quality of KPF’s approved plans for the site before the plans were approved, warning that the plan would damage views of St Paul’s Cathedral and reduce daylight in nearby Leadenhall Market.

Stanhope purchased the site in April 2022 in partnership with Cadillac Fairview, the real estate arm of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.

The move came two weeks after the pair announced a deal with Thomas White Oxford for the £700 million Oxford North development in Oxford.

The 70 Gracechurch project is part of a group of proposed towers on the southwestern edge of the main city cluster, including adjacent sites 85 Gracechurch Street, designed by Woods Bagot, and the 3XN-designed 60 Gracechurch unveiled by Sellar last week.