The announcement of Cheesegrater 2 proves that the higher the building, the grater it will be.
The City of London continues to grow apace, with new skyscrapers announced seemingly every week. New to the party is a familiar looking outline: a giant wedge-shaped skyscraper, rising from Leadenhall Street into the azure heavens. Brie-lieve it or not, London is getting a second Cheesegrater, a mere 200 metres from the original.
Architectural firm Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill submitted designs for Cheesegrater the Second back in November, and planning permission was secured last week. They’ve got a pretty impressive portfolio to fall back on: the One World Trade Center in New York, the Willis Tower in Chicago, and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (the tallest building on Earth) are all previous projects, so this one’s in pretty good hands.
Officially known as 100 Leadenhall, the new tower would top out at 263 metres, with 56 storeys of FUN. Well, mostly office space, but there are plans for shopping areas, and two public plazas. As with every building in the city of London, the sight lines to St Paul’s will be kept clear so you can still see it through the skyscrapers. Best of all, the top two floors will be a free public viewing gallery, offering 360-degree panoramic views of London. You’ll have to wait until 2026 to see them (that’s when construction is scheduled to end), but we’re sure they’ll be worth it. After all, this is the Big Cheese we’re talking about.
See how London’s skyline will change in the future! There are 20 new skyscrapers arriving by 2020, and roughly 500 buildings are currently in the works.
Featured image: @theb1m
Also published on Medium.