Heron Tower

A ministerial decision to call in the Heron Tower project to public inquiry followed intensive lobbying by English Heritage and other groups, with objections to its impact on views east from the Thames. The support of the City of London for the scheme, designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, was significant and this was persuasive in ensuring that it received the final go-ahead from the government. This was in many respects a landmark decision, which opened the way for other high-rise projects in the eastern quarter of the City. Conceived in the late 1990s and currently under construction, the tower is intended to provide '7 star' quality offices in vertical 'villages' punctuated by sky gardens. The design of the building is highly innovative, not least in its services strategy, using ventilated facades for low-energy cooling.

The site on Bishopsgate was occupied by poor-quality 1970s blocks. On the edge of a conservation area, it is opposite the Grade I listed church of St Botolph. There were also significant archaeological issues, given the proximity of the line of the City wall, and scheduled monument consent had also to be obtained. The provision of a new square and retail space at street level, plus a public viewing gallery at the top of the tower, were significant community gains. The final approval for the scheme was an acknowledgement of the client's commitment to quality. DP9 subsequently sought, and obtained, consent for extra storeys, giving the building an even more satisfying profile.