Foster + Partners' design for a Tulip-shaped tourist attraction is being recommended for approval by City of London officials, reports Building Design.
Sited next door to Norman Foster's Gherkin, the proposed viewing platform has received considerable pushback. Examples include opposition from local residents, concerns about its impact on air traffic control systems, worries it would detract from the Tower of London, and considerable objection from the city's mayor Sadiq Khan.
Despite a host of criticisms, the City's planning commission is looking to wave through the designs, arguing that the project would cause "less than substantial harm."
In the commission's 152-page report, officers concluded that "taking all material matters into consideration...the public benefits of the proposal nevertheless outweigh the priority given to the development plan and other material considerations against the proposals."
The 305-meter tower, which will hold educational facilities, viewing galleries, and bars and restaurants, would become the city's tallest building. If approved, the project would begin construction on site as early as 2020, opening to visitors in 2025.
5 Comments
It will not fit London's city concept.
Batteries not included.
And what can be seen from atop the, uh, flower?
The London skyline is just cluttered and funky. I'm curious about all the design decisions. They had the chance to remake one of the world's oldest and greatest cities.
+++
Zeitgeist:
Compare contemporary design with the tulip bubble (1636-37):
looks like a weird sex device
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