A new ‘jewel-like’ skyscraper with a distinctive ‘crown’ design at the top of its 479ft structure is set to be built in the City of London after plans were approved.
The glass and steel structure at 130 Fenchurch Street will be made up of two towers of 31 and 34 storeys and include more than 600,000 sq ft of office space.
The structure will feature public viewing galleries and exhibition spaces halfway up and is set to be completed by 2030 after being passed by planners last week.
The new building will replace Fountain House, the existing 16-storey block which was built on a Second World War bomb site and is now set to be demolished.
Fountain House, which was one of the first tall buildings to go up in the City following the Blitz, was completed in 1958 but has been mostly empty since 2020.
The postwar building is notable for being the capital’s first New York style ‘podium and tower’ development which later became the norm for office blocks in London. It was also notable for being the former home of financial newspaper City AM.
The new building designed by architects Wilkinson Eyre comes after refurbishment of the existing structure was considered as an option but eventually rejected.
It will have 618,828 sq ft (57,491 sq m) of office space, as the City of London seeks to deliver at least of 13million sq ft (1,2million sq m) net floorspace by 2040.
The new ‘jewel-like’ skyscraper has a distinctive ‘crown’ design at the top of its 479ft structure
The building in the City of London will include more than 600,000 sq ft of office space
The glass and steel structure at 130 Fenchurch Street will be made up of two towers
The structure will feature public viewing galleries and exhibition spaces halfway up
The building is set to be completed by 2030 after being passed by planners last week
The building is next door to Fen Court at 120 Fenchurch Street which is known for its ‘Garden at 120’ rooftop garden – not to be confused with the nearby Sky Garden.
The new structure will have a free public garden terrace on the 20th storey.
Aviva Investors is backing the scheme and wants to add more than 3,200 sq ft (300 sq m) ‘public space’ to the area, including food, drink and retail outlets.
The developers are also expected to build the first stage of a new North-South pedestrian route connecting Fenchurch Street with Leadenhall Market, Cullum Street and the Lime Street Estate.
The building will be the 12th tallest in the City, although it could move down the list before it opens as other skyscrapers are completed.
Two previous schemes for the site were approved in 2016 and 2020, but neither were implemented.
A temporary exhibition space called Seed130 showcasing work by poets, writers and scientists has been opened on the site while the plans progress.
The new building will replace Fountain House, the existing block which was built on a Second World War bomb site and is now set to be demolished having been mostly empty since 2020
The existing City of London skyline including the Leadenhall building, the Gherkin and Scalpel
The application was approved by the City of London Corporation’s planning sub-committee on September 30 and demolition is now set to begin next year.
Ben Littman, head of development in real estate at Aviva Investors, said: ‘This is a bold and thoughtful scheme that will bring a long-vacant site back into positive use.
‘It reflects the best of what the City can offer; ambition, culture, sustainability and inclusivity.’
Aviva Investors, an investment management company which is part of the Aviva group, is also behind the One Liverpool Street and 101 Moorgate developments.
Tom Sleigh, chairman of the City of London Corporation planning and transportation committee, said: ‘130 Fenchurch captures our ambition to unlock growth: a striking new workplace in the heart of the City, with routes and views that open up the City for everyone.
‘This is about more than one building — it’s part of a pattern of proactive planning decisions that are helping to shape a future-ready Square Mile: greener, denser, more dynamic, and firmly aligned with the UK’s growth mission.
‘Planning can be a growth engine, and 130 Fenchurch proves it. We’re delivering jobs, public space, and best-in-class offices at the scale the UK economy needs.’
The council also cited data from Knight Frank suggesting demand for modern office space in the City is increasing, with vacancy rates in newly constructed buildings falling to 0.5 per cent.
