City of London: Images show how skyline could look by 2025

The latest images of the Square Mile’s skyline have been released depicting familiar buildings such as the Cheesegrater and The Gherkin dwarfed by the new mega structures.

A total of 13 huge new buildings are in the pipeline for the City of London as part of the authority's plan for 2036 - two of which have already been completed and a further 10 have been approved and are either being built or due to start work soon.

Some of the buildings in the City seem to have been built into odd shapes - this is to make it still possible to view St Paul's Cathedral from Parliament Hill, Alexandra Palace, King Henry's Mound in Richmond and from Greenwich Park.

Another distinctive tower - known as the Tulip - is also planned for the area next to the Gherkin, but has not yet been approved and is currently the subject of a public enquiry.

The new computer generated images capture all major developments which have been resolved to approve by the City Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee over the past year - including 50 Fenchurch Street, 55 Gracechurch Street, 60 Aldgate High Street, 70 Gracechurch Street and 2-3 Finsbury Avenue.

They also show 22 Bishopsgate - also known as Twentytwo - which at 912 feet is currently the second tallest building in the UK after The Shard and the 40-storey 100 Bishopsgate, both completed in 2019.

It also shows 1 Undershaft - known as The Trellis that will replace St Helen's tower - which has been approved and when complete will reach 1,000ft in to the air.

The Trellis will over take Twentytwo as the second tallest building in Britain and will only be around 15ft shorter than The Shard.

But this skyscraper could also be overtaken if The Tulip is given the go-ahead as it would stretch to just over 1,000ft.

It will feature glass gondolas fixed to the outside that will allow visitors to ride mini Ferris wheels high above the London metropolis. The planned building will hold 1,500 people inside as well as housing bars and restaurants.

The nearly finished 150 Bishopsgate, which stands at 443 feet, can also be seen in the new images.

The majority of these tall buildings are within the 'City Cluster' area, in the eastern corner of the City of London, which is already home to some of the capital’s most iconic sights.

The City Cluster is set to grow to close the gap between the famous ‘Walkie-Talkie’ that houses the Sky Garden at 525ft up and the group of towers around the building.

There are currently around a further six applications for tall buildings of over 246ft being discussed by City of London Corporation planners.

Alastair Moss, chair of the Planning and Transportation Committee at the City of London Corporation, said despite the coronavirus pandemic meaning more people are working from home, offices will still be needed in the City for years to come.

He added: “These new CGI images clearly illustrate that the City office is here to stay, and the future of the Square Mile remains bright.

“The support shown from developers and investors who remain committed to providing world-leading office space in the City of London has been phenomenal.

“These developers have embraced trends - such as flexible workspace, world-class additions to the public realm and including an array of wellness practices such as greening - to ensure office buildings in the City remain fit for the future.

“As we look towards the recovery from the pandemic, our planning pipeline is extremely busy with the anticipation of a swift return to the City as the leading place for business in a world-class environment.

“We have every confidence in a thriving and sustainable Square Mile, and these new images give a glimpse into the next chapter of the City of London.”

These protected views were first introduced in 1938 and in 2018 developers voiced concerns they stood in the way of building homes in the capital, but no amendments were never introduced and these views remain protected.