Southwark Towers

Last updated

Southwark Towers
Southwark Towers, PwC, London.jpg
Southwark Towers
Southwark Towers
General information
StatusDemolished
Architectural style Modernism
Location Southwark, London, England
Construction started1970
Completed1975
Demolished2008
Height
Roof100 m (328 ft)
Technical details
Floor count25
Floor area19,800 m2 (213,000 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architect(s) tp bennett
DeveloperPeachey Property Corporation
Main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine
References
[1]

Southwark Towers was a high rise building at 32 London Bridge Street, designed by TP Bennett architects, overlooking London Bridge station, in Southwark, London. When it was demolished in 2008 to make way for The Shard, it was jointly the tallest building ever to have been demolished in the United Kingdom, alongside the Drapers' Gardens tower.

Contents

History

Under demolition Southwark towers 1.jpg
Under demolition

Completed in 1975, [2] it was 100 metres (330 ft) tall and had 25 floors [3] in three wings. Southwark Towers was formerly the London office of Price Waterhouse before it merged with Coopers & Lybrand in 1998. [4] The property attracted some political interest in the 1970s when the developer, Peachey Property Corporation ('PPC'), got into financial difficulties. It was subsequently alleged that the transaction to develop the property might not have been entered into on an arm's length basis and that there might have been an element of bounty or kindness from PPC to Price Waterhouse, who happened to be PPC's auditors. Department of Trade inspectors dismissed the allegations. [5] In 1998 the building was acquired by Irvine Sellar, a property developer. [6]

In 2008, [3] the building was demolished to make way for The Shard. [7] The typical way to demolish a building in the United Kingdom is by implosion, but due to its close proximity to Guy's Hospital and other buildings, Southwark Towers was instead taken apart in pieces. It was the tallest building ever to have been demolished in the United Kingdom. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tower block</span> Tall building; as opposed to a low-rise building

A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, residential tower, apartment block, block of flats, or office tower is a tall building, as opposed to a low-rise building and is defined differently in terms of height depending on the jurisdiction. It is used as a residential, office building, or other functions including hotel, retail, or with multiple purposes combined. Residential high-rise buildings are also known in some varieties of English, such as British English, as tower blocks and may be referred to as MDUs, standing for multi-dwelling units. A very tall high-rise building is referred to as a skyscraper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Helen's (skyscraper)</span> Commercial in London, England

St Helen's is a commercial skyscraper in London, United Kingdom. It is 118 metres (387 ft) tall and has 23 floors. The postal address is No. 1, Undershaft, though the main entrance fronts onto Leadenhall Street, in the City of London financial district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drapers' Gardens</span> Area in the City of London

Drapers' Gardens is a site in the City of London at the junction of Throgmorton Avenue and Copthall Avenue on land owned by the Drapers' Company. Originally a garden space, it was largely built over by the early 20th century. It has been the site of two major office blocks since the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Shard</span> Skyscraper in London, England

The Shard, also referred to as the Shard London Bridge and formerly London Bridge Tower, is a pyramid-shaped 72-storey mixed use development supertall skyscraper, designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, in Southwark, London, that forms part of The Shard Quarter development. Standing 309.6 metres high, The Shard is the tallest building in the United Kingdom, and the seventh-tallest building in Europe, the second-tallest outside Russia, only 40cm less than the Varso Tower in Warsaw. It is also the second-tallest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom, after the concrete tower of the Emley Moor transmitting station. The Shard replaced Southwark Towers, a 24-storey office block built on the site in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">122 Leadenhall Street</span> Skyscraper in central London, England

122 Leadenhall Street, which is also known as the Leadenhall Building, is a 225-metre-tall (738 ft) skyscraper in central London. It opened in July 2014 and was designed by the Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners; it is known informally as The Cheesegrater because of its distinctive wedge shape, similar to that of the kitchen utensil of the same name. It is one of numerous tall buildings recently completed or under construction in the City of London financial district, including 20 Fenchurch Street, 22 Bishopsgate and The Scalpel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">22 Bishopsgate</span> Commercial skyscraper in London, England

22 Bishopsgate, also known as Twentytwo, is a commercial skyscraper in London, England. Completed in 2020, it occupies a prominent site in Bishopsgate, in the City of London financial district, and stands at 278 m (912 ft) tall with 62 storeys. The project replaces an earlier plan for a 288 m (945 ft) tower named The Pinnacle, on which construction was started in 2008 but suspended in 2012 following the Great Recession, with only the concrete core of the first seven storeys. The structure was later subjected to a re-design, out of which it became known by its postal address, 22 Bishopsgate. It is the second tallest building in the United Kingdom and the second tallest building in Western Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heron Tower</span> Skyscraper in the City of London, England

Salesforce Tower, 110 Bishopsgate is a commercial skyscraper in London. It stands 230 metres (755 ft) tall including its 28-metre (92 ft) mast making it the second tallest building in the City of London financial district and the fifth tallest in Greater London and the United Kingdom, after the Shard in Southwark and One Canada Square at Canary Wharf. 110 Bishopsgate is located on Bishopsgate and is bordered by Camomile Street, Outwich Street and Houndsditch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St George Wharf Tower</span> Skyscraper in Vauxhall, London, England

St George Wharf Tower, also known as the Vauxhall Tower, is a residential skyscraper in Vauxhall, London, and part of the St George Wharf development. At 181 metres (594 ft) tall with 50 storeys, it is the 20th-tallest building in London and was the tallest residential building in the United Kingdom on its completion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strata SE1</span> Building at Elephant and Castle in the London Borough of Southwark

Strata SE1 is a 147-metre (482 ft), 43-storey, multi-award-winning, building at Elephant & Castle in the London Borough of Southwark with more than 1,000 residents living in its 408 flats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St George Wharf</span> Residential development in Vauxhall, London

St George Wharf is a riverside development in Vauxhall, Lambeth, London, England, located on the southern bank of the River Thames beside Vauxhall Bridge. Vauxhall Pier is a calling point for Uber Boat by Thames Clippers riverboats RB1, RB2 and RB6 services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Scalpel</span> Skyscraper on Lime Street in London

The Scalpel is a commercial skyscraper in London, United Kingdom. It is located on Lime Street in the City of London financial area. Originally a nickname but subsequently designated as its official name, the term "Scalpel" was coined by the Financial Times due to the building's distinctive angular design. The building has also been noted for its similarity to a "play" media button due to how it looks from South of the River Thames. This follows a trend of nicknaming new buildings based upon their shape, such as the nearby Leadenhall Building, also known as "The Cheesegrater". Completed in 2018, The Scalpel at 52 Lime Street is 190 m (620 ft) tall, with 38 storeys. It was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Street Tower</span> Residential building in Manchester, England

River Street Tower is a high-rise residential tower in Manchester, England. The tower is situated immediately north of the Mancunian Way on land which was formerly occupied by a concrete car park frame from 2005 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landmark Pinnacle</span> Residential skyscraper in London

Landmark Pinnacle is a 233-metre (764 ft) skyscraper constructed by developer Chalegrove Properties in Marsh Wall on the Isle of Dogs, London, United Kingdom. The 75-storeys Landmark Pinnacle is a short distance west from the financial center of Canary Wharf. It is the tallest residential tower in the United Kingdom, the tallest residential building in western Europe and has more habitable floors than any other building in western Europe. As of 2023, Landmark Pinnacle is the fourth-tallest building in the United Kingdom. The development was formerly known as City Pride, the same name as the public house it replaced, before a name change in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wardian London</span> Residential in Canary Wharf, London

Wardian London is an ultra-luxury residential complex located in the centre of Canary Wharf’s financial district from Eco World-Ballymore and designed by architect firm Glenn Howells. The scheme consists of two skyscrapers that completed in 2020, is one of the tallest residential developments in London and the United Kingdom.

1 Undershaft is a supertall skyscraper planned for the City of London financial district. The scheme is being developed by Aroland Holdings and designed by Eric Parry Architects. It is set to replace the St Helen's tower, and upon completion will share The Shard's status as the tallest skyscrapers in London and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spire London</span> Construction Project

Spire London, previously known as Hertsmere House, is a construction project located in West India Quay, near Canary Wharf. Developed by Greenland Group and designed by HOK, construction on the tallest building of 67 stories commenced in 2016, and was targeted for completion in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highpoint (building)</span> Residential tower in London

Highpoint is a 142-metre, 46-storey, 458-apartment residential tower in Elephant and Castle in the London Borough of Southwark in London on the site of the London Park Hotel.

References

  1. 1 2 "Southwark Towers". Skyscraper City. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  2. "Change of Address" (classified advertisement by Price Waterhouse & Co.), The Times, 1975-12-01, p.22
  3. 1 2 "Southwark Towers, London". Skyscraperpage. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  4. "Shard construction moves closer with £196 million deal". London SE1. 19 September 2006. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  5. "Peachey Property Corporation". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . 15 March 1979. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  6. "London's Shard skyscraper rises above its critics". BBC. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  7. "Qatar's Shard the tallest building in Europe now". Gulf-times.com. 3 January 2012. Archived from the original on 3 January 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012.

51°30′16.3″N0°5′11.2″W / 51.504528°N 0.086444°W / 51.504528; -0.086444