Columbus Tower (London)

Columbus Tower was a planned high-rise development by Commercial Estates Group approved for construction on a site on the Isle of Dogs, London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The 63-storey, 242 m (794 ft) AOD (Above Ordnance Datum) tower would have been located on a 0.36 hectare site at the western end of the north dock at West India Quay. At 2009 projected cost was £450m to build and reaching 237 metres in height, and projected was taller only by 2m than One Canada Square.

Planning

The mixed used scheme, designed by DMWR Architects LLP, included 30,871 m² (332,290 sq ft) of office space, a 192-room hotel, 74 serviced apartments, a rooftop bar and a restaurant, as well as a large health and fitness club, significant retail space and a publicly accessible Winter Garden at ground level.

Columbus Tower would have joined an existing cluster of high-rise development at Canary Wharf. Located at a high footfall transport interchange hub, the proposed tower’s location was directly above the site earmarked for the approach tunnels to the new Crossrail station at Canary Wharf.

In December 2008, a planning application was submitted to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.^[3] This application was virtually identical to application granted full consent in March 2005.^[4] Tower Hamlets councillors initially rejected the second application, but Conservative Mayor of London Boris Johnson exercised new powers allowing him to intervene and take over the application, and on 7 October 2009 he granted conditional planning permission and conservation area consent for the scheme.^[5]

In March 2011 Commercial Estates Group announced that they had appointed Squire and Partners to review the proposals.^[6] In November 2013 it was reported that Commercial Estates Group had sold the site to Ryan Corporation (UK) Limited for £100m and that a planning application for a new, residential building would be made.^[7]

See also

• Tall buildings in London

References

Canary Wharf Buildings Current One Canada Square (235 m, 1991) 8 Canada Square (200 m, 2002) Citigroup Centre (200 m, 2001) One Churchill Place (156 m, 2004) 25 Bank Street (153 m, 2003) 40 Bank Street (153 m, 2003) 10 Upper Bank Street (151 m, 2003) 1 Cabot Square (89 m, 1991) 5 Canada Square (88 m, 2003) 25 Cabot Square (81 m, 1991) 25 North Colonnade (80 m, 1991) 10 Cabot Square (74 m, 1991) 20 Canada Square (71 m, 2003) 20 Bank Street (68 m, 2003) 20 Cabot Square (65 m, 1991) 50 Bank Street (63 m, 2002) 30 South Colonnade (62 m, 1991) 17 Columbus Courtyard (45 m, 1999) 20 Columbus Courtyard (45 m, 1999) 1 Westferry Circus (45 m, 1992) 11 Westferry Circus (45 m, 1997) 15 Westferry Circus (44.5 m, 2001) 7 Westferry Circus (43.6 m, 1992) Under construction Riverside South 25 Churchill Place Approved Columbus Tower Heron Quays West North Quay Wood Wharf Transport links Current A13 road Canary Wharf DLR Station Canary Wharf Pier Canary Wharf – Rotherhithe Ferry Canary Wharf Underground Station Heron Quays DLR Station London City Airport South Quay DLR Station Under construction Canary Wharf Crossrail Station Other 1996 Docklands bombing Canary Wharf Group Canary Wharf Squash Classic Olympia and York Michael von Clemm The Wharf Category Commons