Norman Foster’s new building will provide panoramic views of London while remaking the city skyline—but the floral-inspired structure also has its fair share of critics.
In an 18-7 vote on April 2, the City of London Corporation granted planning approval for the so-called Tulip, a 1,000-foot-tall tower designed by Foster + Partners. Having cleared this major hurdle, the decision now moves to the office of the Mayor of London. Directly adjacent to the so-called Gherkin, also designed by Foster + Partners, the Tulip would work as a kind of companion tower (the Gherkin and the Tulip are both developed by the same company, J. Safra Group). First envisioned as a way to enhance the public offerings of the Gherkin, the Tulip will provide panoramic views of London, complete with restaurants, exhibitions spaces, conference centers, and an educational environment that can be used by local school groups studying the city.
As part of the approvals process, Deloitte prepared an economic impact assessment for the Tulip, and its economists estimate the project would yield economic benefits to London amounting to nearly £1 billion (approx. $1.3 billion) in totally monetized value by 2045, along with 600 additional permanent full-time jobs during 20 years of operations.
To be expected, not everyone saw the proposed tower based on this economic argument. Vocal opposition pointed to its unorthodox shape and soaring height, which would risk encroaching on view shed from nearby historic sites. The Tower of London, for example, is a short ten-minute walk away.
Historic Royal Palaces claimed “the Tulip’s design would make it the most visually intrusive element” in London’s Culture Mile district, and that “its effect would be both major and adverse.” Historic England warned it would cause “harm to the significance of the Tower of London.”
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