On June 13, 2026, Eric Parry Architects recently unveiled the design for 'One London', a commercial skyscraper planned in the city's eastern cluster. The approved scheme provides approximately 154,000 square meters of office space while adding significant improvements to the public realm and high-density commercial infrastructure to the area.
The building reaches a height of 309.6 meters above sea level, making it the tallest structure in the City of London. This height is equivalent to The Shard, placing the tower as one of the tallest buildings in Western Europe. The project meets the city's 2040 plan by providing nearly 13% of the designated office space requirements for the area.
The design incorporates several publicly accessible levels throughout the vertical mass. At its summit, the tower features a viewing platform currently classified as the highest in Europe. This space provides visitors with panoramic views over the urban area of London.
The program includes, in addition to the viewing area, a specialized educational facility. The Museum of London oversees this space to provide interactive educational experiences for families and children. The curriculum focuses on the geography and history of London, taking advantage of the building's height to place the city's urban development in a clear spatial context.
The architectural strategy focuses on outdoor spaces at multiple levels. A publicly accessible elevated garden on the eleventh floor provides a mid-height viewing point. SLA has participated in the landscape design, framing specific views toward St. Paul's Cathedral, 30 St Mary Axe, and the Lloyd's building.
At the base, the project reshapes the ground level experience around St. Helen's Square. The design offers a vibrant and diverse coordination of sites and flexible event spaces in the public realm. A large public screen and the creation of a serene, landscaped square enhance pedestrian movement and provide community infrastructure at the building's entrance.
Project Team: Eric Parry Architects (lead architect), SLA (landscape architect), Museum of London (educational coordinator).
Project Notes: The project holds planning approval status and aligns with the City 2040 plan. Location: City of London, UK.
The 'One London' project represents a considered vertical expansion of the built mass in the 'City', leveraging its towering height to meet dense office requirements while attempting to mitigate its urban impact through civic programs. By integrating educational layers sponsored by the museum and hanging gardens within this architectural project reaching a height of 309.6 meters, the design seeks to justify the building's magnitude by creating a vertical public space prioritizing viewing and learning.
However, these civic additions may merely turn out to be a vertical 'improvement tax' to secure planning approvals for the massive commercial mass. While the project develops urban areas at the pedestrian level, relying on public exhibition spaces in the heights risks privatizing the visual identity of the city behind corporate gates. Ultimately, the tower reinforces a towering hierarchy wherein genuine public spaces remain subordinate to the core economic driver of global finance.