London already has an Eye, a Gherkin, and a Cheese Grater. Now, the City of London has approved plans for The Tulip.
Designed by Foster + Partners (designers of the Gherkin), the Tulip will rise 1,001 feet in the air and be a new cultural and tourist attraction meant to build public engagement within the City and enhance The Gherkin’s public offering.
Viewing galleries at the top of the Tulip will include sky bridges, internal glass slides, and gondola pod rides (think the gyrospheres from the Jurassic World movies) on the building’s façade. Interactive materials and expert guides will enhance the experience for visitors and provide information about the history of London.
See Also: SOM-designed 100 Leadenhall Street will be one of the tallest buildings in the U.K.
A sky bar and restaurants with 360-degree views will give visitors a place to eat and drink high above the city. Another key feature at the top of the Tulip will be an education facility that offers 20,000 free places per year for London’s state school children.
At the ground level, there will be a pocket park alongside a two-story pavilion with a publicly accessible rooftop garden. Half of the perimeter walls around the already completed Gherkin will be removed to improve public access to the revamped site.
Construction is expected to begin in 2020 with completion in 2025.
Update
It seems as though the tulip will not bloom after all. According to the BBC.com, London's Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has rejected plans for the new tower. According to the BBC, the reasons behind the rejection were as follows:
– The design did not constitute the very highest quality of design required for a building in the location
– The proximity, height and material would have a negative impact on the Tower of London World Heritage site
– The space around the proposed building was insufficient to be safe and to prevent overcrowding
– A lack of new cycle parking spaces failed to comply with the London Plan for transport
The Foster + Partners team described themselves as "disappointed" by the Mayor's decision and will "take time to consider potential next steps for The Tulip Project."
DBOX for Foster + Partners
DBOX for Foster + Partners
DBOX for Foster + Partners
DBOX for Foster + Partners
DBOX for Foster + Partners
Related Stories
| Oct 6, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: NEXT Living EcoSuite showcased
Tridel teams up with Cisco and Control4 to unveil the future of green condo living in Canada.
| Oct 5, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Johnson Controls announces Panoptix, a new approach to building efficiency
Panoptix combines latest technology, new business model and industry-leading expertise to make building efficiency easier and more accessible to a broader market.
| Oct 5, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Sustainable construction should stress durability as well as energy efficiency
There is now a call for making enhanced resilience of a building’s structure to natural and man-made disasters the first consideration of a green building.
| Oct 4, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Methods, impacts, and opportunities in the concrete building life cycle
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Concrete Sustainability Hub conducted a life-cycle assessment (LCA) study to evaluate and improve the environmental impact and study how the “dual use” aspect of concrete.
| Sep 20, 2011
Jeanne Gang wins MacArthur Fellowship
Jeanne Gang, a 2011 MacArthur Fellowship winner described by the foundation as "an architect challenging the aesthetic and technical possibilities of the art form in a wide range of structures."
| Sep 14, 2011
Lend Lease’s role in 9/11 Memorial & Museum
Lend Lease is honored to be the general contractor for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum project at the World Trade Center site in New York City.
| Sep 14, 2011
Thornton Tomasetti’s Poon named to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s Board of Trustees
During his 30-plus years of experience, Poon has been responsible for the design and construction of super high-rise structures, mixed-used buildings, hotels, airports, arenas and residential buildings worldwide.
| Sep 6, 2011
Construction on Beijing's tallest building starts next week
The 108 floor mixed-use skyscraper consists of offices, apartments, hotels and shopping malls on the lower floors.
| May 25, 2011
World’s tallest building now available in smaller size
Emaar Properties teamed up with LEGO to create a miniature version of the Burj Khalifa as part of the LEGO Architecture series. Currently, the LEGO Burj Khalifa is available only in Dubai, but come June 1, 2011, it will be available worldwide.
| May 17, 2011
Should Washington, D.C., allow taller buildings?
Suggestions are being made that Washington revise its restrictions on building heights. Architect Roger Lewis, who raised the topic in the Washington Post a few weeks ago, argues for a modest relaxation of the height limits, and thinks that concerns about ruining the city’s aesthetics are unfounded.
