Architecturally diverse styles may be seen across London’s cityscape. It is home to structures from the Roman era, some outstanding edifices inspired by Gothic architecture, baroque architecture, and a large number of buildings and skyscrapers created in contemporary architectural styles.
The following is a list, in ascending order, of the top 10 tallest buildings in London. These structures have gained a lot of popularity both for their architecture and for their significance as key icons on the skyline of the city.
Let Us Look at the Top 10 Tallest Buildings in London
The Shard
At a height of 309.6 meters, this structure holds the title of being the highest building in London. This building had its grand opening in the year 2012, and architect Renzo Piano was responsible for its design. It is stated that the building was constructed using the architectural language of neo-futurism, which can be seen both inside and outside of the structure. One of the tallest buildings in the UK.
The spires of churches that are visible in the old architecture of the city served as inspiration for the design of The Shard, which was built close to the river Thames and seems to be a sculpture rising from the water. This building has several business spaces spread out throughout its 26 floors, as well as three restaurants, a hotel with five stars, and the United Kingdom’s most renowned tallest viewing gallery, which is dubbed “The View from The Shard.”
Heron Tower / Salesforce Tower, 110 Bishopsgate
Formerly known as the Heron Tower, this structure now occupies the third spot on the list of the tallest buildings in London. It has a roof height of 202 meters and a spire height of 230 meters. This building, the tallest building in London, which can be found in Bishopsgate, was developed by the architectural firm of Kohn Pedersen Fox.
The Heron Property Corporation went through a number of design iterations before settling on the design of the building in its current state, which was the product of those iterations.
This is a fantastic illustration of a forward-thinking, really global corporation that understands why London is the most advantageous major city in which to do business. The commitment that Harvey Nash has made is an excellent indication of confidence in the city, and it will give a welcome boost for employment as well as the economy as a whole. They have made an excellent choice in locating their new home by deciding to relocate to the Heron Tower, which is situated in the very core of the city.
122 Leadenhall Street/ Leadenhall Building
The 122 Leadenhall Street Building, often known as the “Cheesegrater” due to its distinctive wedge-shaped architectural appeal, is the fourth tallest structure on this list and rises 225 meters above 122 Leadenhall street in London. It is more frequently referred to as the “Leadenhall Building.” The building, which was finished in the year 2014 and was the idea of architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, was finally finished in 2014.
The structural system that is used eschews the conventional central core idea in favor of the more forward-thinking entire perimeter braced tube, which provides an increased degree of stability when confronted with wind loads.
8 Canada Square/ HSBC Tower
Due to the fact that it houses HSBC’s global headquarters and is situated in close proximity to the 25 Canada Square building in Canary Wharf, it is sometimes referred to as the HSBC Tower. Its height of 199.5 meters is nearly as high as that of the 25 Canada Square building. Considered to be the new tallest building in London, it is relatively beautiful.
It was completed in 2002 at a cost of £500 million, and it holds the record for being the first building in Britain to sell for more than £1 billion. It has 45 levels and can accommodate 8,000 employees. It was the biggest sale of a single piece of property ever completed in the United Kingdom when Metrovacesca of Spain purchased the building on Monday. When it was finished, the renowned Foster + Partners designed the 25 Canada Square skyscraper, which went on to become the second-highest structure in all of the United Kingdom.
The structure has been given an excellent grade for sustainability by BREEAM, which was helped along by one of the numerous amenities, such as a dedicated station for the Jubilee Line Underground, which encourages the use of public transportation.
The Scalpel/ 52 Lime Street | London Skyscrapers
This 190-meter-tall structure is the tallest building in the UK. Which was given its name because to the singular shape it has, which can be found in the heart of London’s financial center. In the year 2018, this building was brought to life thanks to the efforts of the architects at Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. 52-54 This structure is tucked away on Lime Street, which is where one may locate it.
This skyscraper, like the Leadenhall building, was constructed with careful attention paid to the several significant vistas of the city in order to complement the skyline as it was before it was constructed. The variable floor plates, which are covered in high-performance reflective glass, make it possible to provide office spaces with the flexibility that is so required.
Tower 42/ NatWest Tower
Tower 42, formerly known as the National Westminster Tower since the National Westminster Bank was the building’s primary occupant at the time, has a height of 182 meters and is comprised of 42 storeys. Tower 42 alone contributes 3,24,000 square feet of compliant office space to the project’s overall size of 5,000,00 square feet. The complex is comprised of six separate towers that share a parcel of land of 2.2 acres. Tenants have the choice of selecting even the excellent views that are offered by each of these locations, which are distributed throughout three different leaves of space, designated A, B, and C respectively. The structure, which had been conceived by the architects R Seifert & Partners, was finally finished in the year 1980. Between the years 1980 and 1991, many people considered this structure to be the tallest building in the London.
St George Wharf Tower, Vauxhall Tower
The highest entirely residential skyscraper in London is called Vauxhall Tower or St George Wharf Tower since it is part of the waterfront St George Wharf development. This tower, which offers 223 luxurious apartments up to 181 meters above the ground in London, was completed in 2014.
The project was designed by Broadway Malyan, an internationally recognized architectural studio. Five condominiums are provided per level in the unusual circular layout, which somewhat resembles a ratchet, with a wall separating them emanating from the center core. The structure fully encloses itself in glass from floor to ceiling and takes great care to provide magnificent views of the London skyline. Although it may not appear so at first glance, the structure is ecologically friendly, with one particularly noteworthy feature being a wind turbine.
30 St. Mary Axe | Tallest building in London
This building is one of the most popular buildings which is informally called The Gherkin. It is the second structure Foster+Partners has created that has made the list thus far. The structure has a double layer of complete glass that offers picturesque views of the city skyline from every angle.
The Gherkin is a superbly skillful addition to London’s skyline, whether you love them or hate them. The Gherkin’s curved form continuously enlivens and entertains whether you stroll down the South Bank of the Thames from the Design Museum to the Royal Festival Hall or drive into the City via Mile End Road, especially at night.
100 Bishopsgate | Tallest building in London
This is not a spectacle to look at but has a historical value added to it. The name of the building comes from one of the original eight gates that were located in the old London Wall. This is one way in which the building pays homage to the history of the London Wall. The task at hand was to design a structure that, despite its location in the Financial District, would not seem out of place among London’s most famous monuments and skyscrapers.
This was a particularly difficult task because of the district’s dense population of these kinds of buildings. Graham Morrison, an architect with the firm Allies and Morrison, envisioned the building responding to its location and providing a public space at the ground level by being transparent. His vision was realized when the building was completed.
Principal Tower
This 163-meter residential tower was completed in 2019 thanks to a strong partnership between Brookfield Properties, Concord London, and the famous architects Foster+Partners. The structure, which is tucked away in Shoreditch, close to the City of London’s boundary, aims to create an urban vibe in this run-down area of the City.
The necessity of Connections was given top priority by the architects during the whole design process. We carefully examined everything from how the building would react to Shoreditch, the civic activity taking place at its base, the inhabitants’ and occupiers’ reactions to the local wildlife, to how the architecture would react to light and shadow.
In the Principal Tower, a typical floor plate consists of eight apartments, and among the range of apartments available, virtually all of them enjoy the curving balcony, which from the outside gives the building a curved profile and softens its profile. The interiors were also designed by the architects, who used a carefully planned color scheme that combined bright and dark tones.
Conclusion
The United Kingdom’s capital city, London, is often regarded as one of the most economically and technologically sophisticated cities in the world. Because of this, the skyline of the city is always shifting to make room for new construction and investment in the central business center as well as other financial districts. Here is a list of the structures that now grace the skyline of our wonderful nation’s capital that are the highest in the world.
