Developers shrink Silk Street plans to dodge objections
Plans for a huge new office development in the heart of the City have been shrunk in a bid to dodge objections raised by furious locals.
The plans to redevelop the existing western building, located next door to the Barbican estate, will now see it stand ten metres shorter than initially planned, in response to concerns it would block sunlight from reaching nearby homes and a local primary school.
The western section of the development will now add three storeys to the existing building, rather than the six initially planned.
Lipton Rogers, who are behind the plans, have rethought the proposals after they faced more than 1,000 objections and criticism from well-known architect Sir Antony Gormley.
One Barbican resident claimed the initial plans were “simply horrific” and said “the cultural heritage of the Barbican will be eroded by this scheme”.
Another resident of the estate claimed the scale of the new building would offend their “claustrophobia”.
“It will feel almost as if we are cowering in the new building’s shadow, unable to see the sky,” they said.
Other changes to the design include a new facade to improve “visual coherence” and a 2,282 sqm public space at the Barbican Art Centre’s main entrance.
The redesigned plans, submitted to the City of London Corporation, also include more than 300 metres of new store frontage which developers say will offer ten times the current number of retail units.
The design rethink comes at the expense of a five per cent loss in office floorspace, the developers said.
Along with Lipton, the redevelopment is being managed by La Salle investment management and architect firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM).
The plans include a new pedestrian route from the Barbican to Liverpool Street and Moorgate stations.
Earlier this month, the City of London Corporation gave the green light to Liverpool Street’s own redevelopment plans, which had faced significant opposition.
New plans ‘enrich the Square Mile’
Gary Moore, head of international accounts at investor La Salle, said the new plans show developers are listening to residents.
He said: “While the scheme has evolved in response to feedback, our ambition remains unchanged – to deliver a high-quality, future-focused commercial building that reinforces the City’s position as a globally competitive financial district, whilst strengthening culture and the public experience in the Square Mile.”
Sir Stuart Lipton, founding partner at Lipton Rogers, said: “In listening carefully to feedback received, the revised scheme designed by SOM is more modest in scale, while more ambitious in public benefits.
“It opens itself to the community, enriches the cultural fabric of the Square Mile, and delivers clear improvements for Silk Street and its surroundings.”