Construction progress celebrated at landmark London development
One Blackfriars, the landmark development on London's Southbank by developer St George, is rising out of the ground on its way to becoming a striking feature of the capital's skyline.
The main core of the 50-storey tower has reached level two, and a quarter of the feature columns have been cast from levels one to three.
One Blackfriars will regenerate a 0.67 hectare vacant site directly south of Blackfriars Bridge that had been vacant and unoccupied for more than a decade.
Ross Faragher, Managing Director of St George, said: "Now that work on the superstructure is well underway, London will be able to watch as this iconic tower begins to take shape on the city skyline."
"One Blackfriars will also make a significant contribution to the Southwark economy. By this time next year over 1,000 people will be working on the construction site, and we are also making considerable investments in local training initiatives."
In February 2015, St George celebrated a construction milestone, as Laing O'Rourke completed a 3,200 sq m concrete pour at the site. This was the largest continuous concrete pour ever completed by the contractor in the UK
The form of the tower, designed by Simpson Haugh and Partners, presents a range of challenges in construction. The unusual geometry of the building means that each floor plate is different, and the smoothly curving façade with its double envelope structure is painstakingly crafted so that each pane of glass is unique.
The tower structure comprises 9,126 individual panels of glass arranged as two distinct layers, with the outer façade of 5,467 panels amounting to the area of three football pitches.
The building's unusual double skin façade provides residents with winter gardens.
On Thursday 18 June 2015, One Blackfriars participated in the London Festival of Architecture, welcoming visitors to the site in the London borough of Southwark. The London Festival of Architecture is a public event held each year at multiple venues across the city.
Once complete the One Blackfriars tower will provide 273 new homes, a boutique-style 161-bedroom hotel, retail outlets and a viewing lounge on the 32nd floor for the local community. At the heart of the development will be a new 641 sq m public piazza with gentle landscaping, water features and locally commissioned artwork.
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Notes to the Editor:
About St George PLC:
St George is proud to be a member of the Berkeley Group and is London's leading mixed use developer, regenerating brownfield land to create thriving new communities in attractive landscaped environments.
Since 2000 St George has delivered over 8,730 new homes; over 2,400 of which are affordable; 836,000 sq ft of commercial floor space and 83,000 sq ft of community space, as well as 30 acres of open space.
In 2002, St George was the first residential developer to be granted the Queen's Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development. The Berkeley Group as a whole received this prestigious accolade in 2008 and again in 2014.
Each home St George delivers creates or sustains 5.6 jobs.
About One Blackfriars:
One Blackfriars is an iconic 170m / 50 storey high tower on London's Southbank by residential developer St George.
Currently under construction, it will provide 273 new homes, a boutique-style 161-bedroom hotel by joint venture Realstart Group and Amerimar, landscaped piazza and retail, café and restaurant outlets.
At the heart of the development will be a new 641 sq m public square with gentle landscaping, seating areas, water features and a locally commissioned artwork. This easily accessible square will be open to residents and the wider public alike, offering relaxing spaces for informal meetings and social gatherings.
The development will provide £29 million for affordable housing in accordance with local planning policy; half has already been paid.
One Blackfriars will deliver regeneration of a key vacant site on Blackfriars Road, a priority area for the council, which has been empty for over a decade after the former Sainsburys HQ was demolished.
St George is a founder member of the council's Blackfriars Road landowners' Group which is working to improve the area.
Local employment and training opportunities will be offered through construction and with the commercial occupiers including 25 apprenticeships. There are already two apprentices working on the site. There will be approximately 200 permanent jobs on completion.