| Tower 42 | |
|
|
|
| Information | |
|---|---|
| Location | 25 Old Broad Street, London |
| Status | Complete |
| Constructed | 1971–1979 |
| Use | Commercial |
| Height | |
| Roof | 183 metres (600 ft) |
| Floor count | 42 |
| Companies | |
| Architect | Richard Seifert |
Tower 42 is the tallest skyscraper in the City of London and the fifth tallest in London as a whole. It was originally built for the National Westminster Bank (NatWest), hence its former name, the NatWest Tower. Seen from above,[1] the tower closely resembles the NatWest logo (three chevrons in a hexagonal arrangement). The tower, designed by Richard Seifert, is located at 25 Old Broad Street. It was built by John Mowlem & Co[2] between 1971 and 1979, and opened in 1980, costing a total of £72 million (approximately £222 million today).[3]
It is 183 metres (600 ft) high, which made it the tallest building in the UK until the topping-out of One Canada Square in Docklands in 1990.
Contents |
Its status as the first skyscraper in the City was a coup for the NatWest, but was extremely controversial at the time, as it was a major departure from the previous restrictions on tall buildings in London. The building is constructed around a huge concrete core from which the floors are cantilevered, giving it great strength but significantly limiting the amount of office space available. On opening, this was not a consideration — but following the Big Bang in the City, the nature of bank trading changed and the tower's design became somewhat obsolete given its lack of large trading floors. The cantilever is constructed to take advantage of the air rights granted to it and the neighbouring site whilst respecting the banking hall on that adjacent site, as only one building was allowed to be developed. For a time it was the tallest cantilever in the world.
On 24 April 1993 it was damaged in the Bishopsgate bombing, a Provisional Irish Republican Army truck bombing in the Bishopsgate area of the City of London. The bomb extensively damaged the tower and many other buildings in the vicinity, causing over £1 billion worth of damage.[4] The tower suffered severe damage and had to be entirely reclad and internally refurbished (demolition was considered, but would have been too difficult and expensive).[5] After refurbishment, NatWest decided not to re-occupy and renamed the building the International Financial Centre, then sold it. The new owners, UK property company Greycoat, renamed it Tower 42, in reference to its 42 floors. It is now a general-purpose office building occupied by a variety of companies.
In 2004, the City gained its second major skyscraper in the form of 30 St Mary Axe, more popularly known as the Gherkin. Its construction radically altered the London skyline. This was followed by the Broadgate Tower in 2008. Although Tower 42 remains the tallest of these buildings, it will lose this status in the near future, as the 246 meter Heron Tower is under construction nearby as are the Bishopsgate Tower, 288m and the Leadenhall Building, 225m.
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tower 42 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
