The Pinnacle

Arab Investments' 63-storey, 288m high Pinnacle will be the tallest building in the City of London and the centrepiece of a growing cluster of tall buildings that includes 30 St Mary Axe and 122 Leadenhall Street. The building, designed by KPF, is highly sculptural in form and replaces a 1980s bank building. The site is close to the Grade I listed church of St Helen, a rare medieval survival – the parish had to be reassured about the environmental impact of the development. There were extended discussions too with English Heritage about the impact of the building on distant views from the west, though its request for the scheme to be called in to public inquiry was later withdrawn after the height of the tower, increased from earlier versions of the scheme, was reduced. The Civil Aviation Authority also requested a reduction in height.

The City of London was supportive of the project and a further endorsement came from CABE, while Historic Royal Palaces accepted that its effects on views of the Tower of London were not unduly detrimental. Given the scale of the development, its passage through the planning process was surprisingly uncontentious. The skilful modelling of the tower, which minimizes its perceived skyline impact, was certainly a factor here, as were the gains in terms of public space at street level, where a covered route, lined with shops and restaurants, will provide access from Bishopsgate to Crosby Square. The Pinnacle, which will finally overtop the 1970s Tower 42, is a vivid expression of the continuing dynamism of the City.