Located at the prominent junction of Leadenhall Street and Bishopsgate, One Leadenhall replaces the GMW Partnership-designed 1988 Postmodern Leadenhall Court.
Make Architects’ 40,000m2 office tower incorporates 743m2 of retail and hospitality space and a publicly accessible terrace at level 4, overlooking Leadenhall Market.
It sits south-west of RSHP’s landmark Cheesegrater skyscraper, which completed in 2015.
The new building, for Brookfield Properties, aims to respond to its historic setting, including the Grade II*-listed market and nearby Grade I-listed landmarks. The tower steps down in height to complement the surrounding high-rise skyline while accommodating protected views of St Paul’s Cathedral.
At street level, a colonnade is formed by sculptural columns and metal fins. Above this sits a three-storey Portland stone street block that, in turn, supports the tower’s three staggered slender glazed volumes.
A double-height reception on Leadenhall Street is finished in limestone and features two commissioned artworks by London-based designer Brodie Neill.
Public realm improvements, such as widened pavements and extended cobbled surfaces, help strengthen connections to the market.
The office floors are arranged around a central core providing column-free flexible floorplates with panoramic views across the City of London and the Thames.
Landscaped terraces at levels 29 and 32 have also been designed to mitigate wind and support year-round use.
The building is already fully let, with global law firm Latham & Watkins taking a large proportion of the building, alongside tech and flexible workspace tenants.
The scheme, first given the go-ahead in 2017, was revised in 2018, shrinking the tower down from 166m to 158m as well as adding more public realm around its base, while a proposed viewing platform moved 8m higher.
Other changes included increased space for shops on the ground floor, alterations to the façade of the ‘street block’, reduction in basement depth, wider pavements on Gracechurch Street and Whittingham Avenue, and refining the tower’s massing.
Both the Victorian Society and independent charity Historic Royal Palaces had objected to the previous proposal, the latter expressing concerns about its impact on ‘iconic views’ of the Tower of London, when seen from the east.
Architect’s view
Leadenhall Market is an incredible place, steeped in deep history. We kept that in mind when designing One Leadenhall, a building that cuts a strikingly elegant silhouette against the skyline in a bold, contemporary fusion of glass and steel.
Ken Shuttleworth, founder, Make Architects
Client’s view
One Leadenhall is a celebration of London’s architectural heritage and future – an office destination knitted into the fabric of the City, where the public are welcome, and businesses can thrive. It’s a building that was shaped in collaboration with our future occupiers, understanding how their businesses are evolving and embedding those needs into the design.
Dan Scanlon, UK president, Brookfield Properties
Project data
Location 1 Leadenhall Street, London EC3V
Start on site April 2020
Completion date January 2026
Gross internal floor area 40,000m2
Form of contract or procurement route Construction management
Construction cost Confidential
Architect Make Architects
Executive architect Adamsons Associates
Client Brookfield Properties
Structural engineer Robert Bird Group
M&E consultant Hurley Palmer Flatt, HDR
Quantity surveyor Turner & Townscape alinea
Townscape consultant Richard Coleman City Designer
Planning consultant DP9
Landscape consultant Townshends
Acoustic consultant Sandy Brown
Project manager Avison Young, Gardner & Theobald
CDM co-ordinator ORSA
Approved building inspector City of London Building Control
Fire consultant BB7
Façade consultant FMDC
Access consultant David Bonnett Associates
Main contractor Multiplex
CAD software used REVIT
Environmental performance data
Energy performance certificate rating A
BREEAM 2014 Office: Outstanding (86.8%), 2018 Office: Excellent (75.8%)