London’s skyline set for a new building resembling a toast rack
LONDON’S iconic skyline is set for another overhaul after plans were unveiled yesterday for a new 34-storey office building to house up to 7,000 city workers.
Henderson Global Investors, which manages more than $100bn in assets, wants to build the complex in the city’s insurance district at 40 Leadenhall Street.
The 910,000 square feet building, which will cost £391m to develop, is set to rival other buildings dominating London’s skyline such as the Gherkin and the Shard.
An insider is said to have compared the look of the new building to a toast rack, while also suggesting the complex resembles a building from Gotham City, the fictional city featured in superhero adventure Batman.
Around 97 per cent of the building will be used for office space with the other three per cent – about 20,000 square feet – used for retail.
“The building is also a vote of confidence in the City of London and a major boost to investment, growth and employment in the economy,” Henderson’s Geoff Harris said. Ken Shuttleworth’s Make has designed the building.