Paddington Tower
It was recently announced a new Renzo Piano’s tower is going to be built in London, where his previous work, the Shard skyscraper – London’s highest tower, was completed back in 2012. The proposal is expected to be presented to the Westminster council sometime next month. The building site is in Paddington, a poorly represented area in terms of architecture. As one of the investors has stated “The only reasons to go to Paddington today are to catch a train or to meet someone in hospital. It’s a 50s time warp but it’s an unbelievably good location.” so it’s time to change that.
Hufton + Crow
The 65-story building will have mixed function. It will host more than 200 homes, about 14,000 sq m of office spaces, and 4,645 sq m of restaurants and shops – on the 60th, 61st and 62nd floors, along with the inside and outside public spaces. With the height of 224 m it will get directly into the top five tallest London buildings.
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A main concern for the planners was the design of the public spaces surrounding the new building. It aims at creating links between the important locations near the site, while providing spaces for people to enjoy. A beautiful view other the city will be possible from the top floor, where a 465 sq m roof garden is going to be built.
Hufton + Crow
The new Paddington Tower has already been nicknamed as the “skinny Shard” due to its simple and elegant approach, that reminds of Renzo Piano’s earlier work near the London Bridge. The new skyscraper has a slim cylindrical shape, with a delicate facade structure, that offers the illusion of transparency, while at the same time creating a visual anchor point for the neighborhood. If the project is getting approved, it is expected to be completed in 2020.
Hufton + Crow
Project Info:
Architecture: Renzo Piano Building Workshop.
Location: London
Photographs: Hufton + Crow
Cristina Juc is passionate about the intersection of technology, design, and architecture. A former Assistant Editor and Writing Intern at Arch2O, she contributed insightful content exploring innovation in the built environment. Her involvement in events like the Transylvania Biennial of Architecture reflects her ongoing commitment to architectural discourse. Currently the Executive Director at Spherik Accelerator, Cristina supports startups driving change across creative and tech industries. With a background in community building and educational tech, she continues to champion forward-thinking solutions that shape how we design, build, and experience space.