London already has an Eye, a Gherkin, and a Cheese Grater. Now, the City of London has approved plans for The Tulip.
Designed by Foster + Partners (designers of the Gherkin), the Tulip will rise 1,001 feet in the air and be a new cultural and tourist attraction meant to build public engagement within the City and enhance The Gherkin’s public offering.
Viewing galleries at the top of the Tulip will include sky bridges, internal glass slides, and gondola pod rides (think the gyrospheres from the Jurassic World movies) on the building’s façade. Interactive materials and expert guides will enhance the experience for visitors and provide information about the history of London.
See Also: SOM-designed 100 Leadenhall Street will be one of the tallest buildings in the U.K.
A sky bar and restaurants with 360-degree views will give visitors a place to eat and drink high above the city. Another key feature at the top of the Tulip will be an education facility that offers 20,000 free places per year for London’s state school children.
At the ground level, there will be a pocket park alongside a two-story pavilion with a publicly accessible rooftop garden. Half of the perimeter walls around the already completed Gherkin will be removed to improve public access to the revamped site.
Construction is expected to begin in 2020 with completion in 2025.
Update
It seems as though the tulip will not bloom after all. According to the BBC.com, London's Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has rejected plans for the new tower. According to the BBC, the reasons behind the rejection were as follows:
– The design did not constitute the very highest quality of design required for a building in the location
– The proximity, height and material would have a negative impact on the Tower of London World Heritage site
– The space around the proposed building was insufficient to be safe and to prevent overcrowding
– A lack of new cycle parking spaces failed to comply with the London Plan for transport
The Foster + Partners team described themselves as "disappointed" by the Mayor's decision and will "take time to consider potential next steps for The Tulip Project."
DBOX for Foster + Partners
DBOX for Foster + Partners
DBOX for Foster + Partners
DBOX for Foster + Partners
DBOX for Foster + Partners
Related Stories
| Sep 30, 2014
With its 'stacked volumes' scheme, 3XN wins bid to design high-rise in Sydney
By dividing the 200-meter building into five separate volumes and placing atria throughout each volume, the spaces become smaller, more intimate social environments, according to the Danish architects.
| Sep 23, 2014
Cloud-shaped skyscraper complex wins Shenzhen Bay Super City design competition
Forget the cubist, clinical, glass and concrete jungle of today's financial districts. Shenzhen's new plan features a complex of cloud-shaped skyscrapers connected to one another with sloping bridges.
| Sep 22, 2014
Swanke-designed Eurasia Tower opens in Moscow
The 72-story tower—the first mixed-use, steel tower in Russia—is located within the new, 30 million-sf, 148-acre Moscow International Business Center.
| Sep 17, 2014
Arquitectonica's hairpin-shaped tower breaks ground in Miami
Rising above Biscayne Bay, the 305-meter tower will include three viewing decks, a restaurant, nightclub, and exhibition space.
| Sep 16, 2014
Ranked: Top hotel sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Tutor Perini, Gensler, and AECOM top BD+C's rankings of design and construction firms with the most revenue from hospitality sector projects, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Sep 15, 2014
Argentina reveals plans for Latin America’s tallest structure
Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announces the winning design by MRA+A Álvarez | Bernabó | Sabatini for the capital's new miexed use tower.
| Sep 5, 2014
First Look: Zaha Hadid's Grace on Coronation towers in Australia
Zaha Hadid's latest project in Australia is a complex of three, tapered residential high-rises that have expansive grounds to provide the surrounding community unobstructed views and access to the town's waterfront.
| Sep 2, 2014
Extreme conversion: 17-story industrial silo to be converted to high-rise housing
As part of Copenhagen's effort to turn an industrial seaport into a bustling neighborhood, Danish architecture firm COBE was invited to convert a grain silo into a residential tower.
| Sep 2, 2014
Melbourne's tallest residential tower will have 'optically transformative façade'
Plans for Melbourne's tallest residential tower have been released by Elenberg Fraser Architects. Using an optically transformative façade and botanical aesthetic, the project seeks to change the landscape of Australia's Victoria state.
| Aug 28, 2014
Stantec releases design for Edmonton's tallest tower
At 227 meters, Stantec Tower will be the tallest building in the city, dwarfing the two next-tallest: Epcor Tower and Manulife Tower.