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Renzo Piano designs a tree-topped, cylindrical skyscraper for Paddington in London's West End

Renzo Piano designs a tree-topped, cylindrical skyscraper for Paddington in London's West End

Renzo Piano aims to punctuate London‘s skyline once again. The architect behind the Shard has now designed a cylinder of glass adjacent to Paddington Station. Contrasting his Southwark skyscraper, Piano has proposed a seemingly crystalline, uneven facade wrapping the cylinder that looks to reflect its surroundings with ripple-like qualities.

Topping out at 734 feet and 65 floors, the building will rub shoulders with the Cheesegrater (The Leadenhall Building by Richard Rogers standing 738 feet high). Touted for a mixed-use program housing offices, shops, restaurants, cafes, roof garden, hotel, and 200 apartments in London’s already pricey West End, residents will be in line for one of (if not the) best views over Hyde Park and maybe even catch a glimpse of the cricket over at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

Developer Sellar Property Group, which also worked with Piano on the Shard skyscraper, claims the cylindrical tower will change the way Paddington is viewed, with the public no longer seeing the area as a place to catch a train to the west country or visit someone at St. Mary’s Hospital.

“We believe this exciting proposal will tap into the potential of Paddington and will prove to be a major catalyst for the continuing enhancement of the area,” Sellar chairman Irvine Sellar told BDOnline. “This site shares much of the same DNA [as London Bridge] with its proximity to a major transport hub with tube, railway lines and bus routes, a neighbouring leading teaching hospital and the potential to provide much needed quality public realm.”

Planning application is expected to be submitted by the end of the year with the building being complete by 2020. Meanwhile Pringle Richards Sharratt, BDP, TP Bennett, and MSMR have all been enlisted on the projects team.

“The current public realm in Paddington is poor, with congestion in and around the entrance to the Bakerloo line leading to frequent closures,” Piano told BD. “This scheme looks to remedy those issues, while creating a wonderful sense of place which Paddington greatly needs.”

 

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