Plans for a new super skyscraper in London have moved a step closer after contractor Bovis signed a £385 million deal to build a 36-storey office tower at 60 Gracechurch Street in the City of London, next to the Walkie Talkie building. The tower will replace the existing nine-storey building, currently home to insurance company Allianz, with completion targeted for 2029.
Design and public access
Designed by Danish architects 3XN, the tower will stand 147 metres tall, just behind the nearby Gherkin and Cheesegrater, both at 180 metres. It will provide 430,000 sq ft of office space alongside publicly accessible areas, including a street-level café courtyard, a free roof garden, and an indoor viewing gallery on level 35.
The scheme was approved by the City of London Corporation in 2024, with developers arguing it would help meet demand for modern, energy-efficient office space in the Square Mile. The building is expected to target some of the highest environmental standards in the sector, as companies continue to seek premium office space despite wider questions over the future of working patterns.
Pedestrian routes and design features
Architects have said the tower has been designed to improve public access through the site, with new pedestrian routes linking Gracechurch Street with Leadenhall Market and surrounding streets. The project will also feature new public spaces, retail units, and extensive planting at ground and upper levels.
The tower's distinctive stepped design is intended to reduce its visual impact on key views across the capital while maximising natural light at street level. Developers say the public viewing gallery will offer panoramic views across London, including landmarks such as Tower Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral and the Thames.
Broader development wave
The area in the City of London will be transformed over the coming years as more sky-reaching developments have been given the green light by planners. At 70 Gracechurch Street, a 33-level tower will be built to provide even more office space. At 85 Gracechurch Street, a 30-storey scheme was also approved in 2025 after it was resubmitted to city planners following an unusual discovery: the Museum of London Archaeology found well-preserved Roman remains underneath the site dating back to around 70 AD.
The development is part of a new wave of office construction reshaping the eastern side of the Square Mile. City leaders have repeatedly argued that the cluster of new towers is needed to maintain London's competitiveness against international financial centres including New York, Paris and Frankfurt.
Critics, however, have questioned the continued expansion of office space following the rise of hybrid working, while heritage campaigners have previously raised concerns about the impact of tall buildings on historic views across the capital.
The Gracechurch Street scheme is just one of several major projects set to alter the City's skyline over the next decade. Alongside 70 and 85 Gracechurch Street, planners have also approved proposals for a skyscraper nearly as tall as The Shard, at almost 300 metres, which would rank among the tallest buildings in Western Europe.
