Foster towers planned for London's Blackfriars Road

Designed by Foster & Partners, with Lipton Rogers as a consultant, the proposed development will create two residential towers with 400 apartments and 20,000 sq ft of office space. The site is set back from the river, behind Sea Containers House

The proposals advance an existing consent on the site for two towers (the tallest of which was 184.2 metres) by providing three buildings (45, 40 and 22 storeys above podium), with the new office building being the tallest at 199.28 metres.

Foster’s design for the office building moves away from all-glass and has a series of bustles gradually reducing in size to the top. The concept is to provide a new form of architecture, departing from the traditional flat tower office building, the developer said.

The design of the public space – the Rotunda – seeks to enhance the existing Blackfriars streetscape. A podium at the base of the new buildings will include retail and food outlets, office and residential amenities, cultural and performance facilities, educational spaces, as well as other flexible uses. At ground level, three interconnected spaces – the Rotunda, Hatters Yard and the playground – aim to create a new social space for London.

The design is targeting a 20% to 30% improvement against the Greater Londonn Authority benchmark for embedded carbon. The development is designed to avoid all on-site emissions, using an all-electric strategy with ground and air source heating and cooling, targeting net-zero in operation.

Hines UK senior managing director Ross Blair said: “We’ve been working hard with our architects, the local community and other key stakeholders to bring this land, which has been undeveloped for 20 years, back to life.

“Occupiers are demanding more from their spaces to attract and retain the best people, the lines have blurred between workspace, wellness and leisure, and our design truly responds to these needs, offering an inspirational mix of spaces that foster collaboration. In many places around the world, Hines has successfully delivered environments which connect with the local community through a rich arts and wellbeing programme for the benefit of generations to come.

 “The significant investment we are planning underlines our firm belief in London, and its enduring appeal as a global centre for business. We believe that our proposals for 18 Blackfriars Road will add significant value to the already established growth story of the Southbank and Bankside neighbourhoods, and as a long-term owner and operator we are deeply invested in the future success of the site and the benefits it will bring to the Southwark community.”

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