London Approves Tower Above Liverpool Street Station
The City of London has approved controversial plans for a 19-storey tower block to be built above Liverpool Street station. Preservationists and heritage bodies have voiced concerns that the project will overshadow the Grade II-listed Victorian train shed. Proponents cite economic stimulus and improved passenger flows as key benefits of the major urban renewal project.
- The £1.2 billion project is a collaboration between developer Sellar, MTR Corporation, and Network Rail, with architectural designs from ACME. - Previous designs by Herzog & de Meuron were withdrawn after facing significant opposition, including thousands of public objections and criticism from public figures like Stephen Fry and Tracey Emin. - The commercial office and hotel components are intended to fund around £450 million of the necessary station upgrades, which proponents argue is the only viable funding model without using public money. - Station improvements will include a 76% increase in concourse capacity, step-free access to all platforms, new lifts and escalators, and upgraded passenger facilities. - Heritage groups like The Victorian Society, led by Griff Rhys Jones, have strongly opposed the plans, stating the office block will disfigure a major heritage asset and block natural light in the concourse. - The redevelopment includes over 1.5 acres of improved public space, the pedestrianisation of Liverpool Street, and a rooftop garden featuring a café and a 25-metre heated swimming pool. - The project timeline is extensive, with construction on the station upgrades not expected to begin for at least four years, and the entire redevelopment is unlikely to be finished until well into the 2030s. - Following the City of London's approval, the plans must now go to the Mayor of London and potentially the Secretary of State for final sign-off before the project can proceed.
