25 Old Broad Street facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tower 42 |
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Tower 42 is the third-tallest building in the City of London
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| Former names | National Westminster Tower; International Financial Centre |
| General information | |
| Type | Commercial |
| Location | 25 Old Broad Street, London |
| Construction started | 1971 |
| Completed | 1980 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 183 metres (600 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 47 |
| Lifts/elevators | 21 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | R Siefert & Partners |
| Structural engineer | Pell Frischmann |
| Main contractor | John Mowlem & Co Ltd |
Tower 42 is a very tall building, known as a skyscraper, located in the City of London. It is the third-tallest building in the City of London and the eighth tallest in Greater London.
This famous tower was first called the National Westminster Tower. It was built for the National Westminster Bank to be home to their international business. If you look at the tower from above, its shape looks like the old NatWest bank logo. This logo had three V-shapes, called chevrons, arranged in a hexagon.
Contents
Building a Giant: Tower 42's Story
The design for Tower 42 was created by Richard Seifert. The engineering work was done by Pell Frischmann. The building stands at 25 Old Broad Street in London.
How Tower 42 Was Built
Construction of the tower began in 1971 and finished in 1980. The company that built it was John Mowlem & Co. People started working in the building in 1980.
The tower was officially opened on June 11, 1981. Queen Elizabeth II herself opened the building. It cost about £72 million to build.
Tower 42's Impressive Height
Tower 42 is 183 metres (600 ft) tall. For a long time, it was the tallest building in the United Kingdom. This changed in 1990 when One Canada Square in Canary Wharf was completed.
Tower 42 also held the title of the tallest building in the City of London for 30 years. However, in December 2009, the Heron Tower became even taller.
What's Inside Tower 42 Today?
Today, Tower 42 is home to many different businesses. It has modern office spaces. There are also two restaurants inside the tower.
One restaurant is on the 24th floor. The other is a special champagne and seafood bar on the 42nd floor. In 2011, a businessman from South Africa, Nathan Kirsh, bought the tower for £282.5 million.
Images for kids
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NatWest Tower during construction, viewed from Bank junction, around 1974
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A model of the NatWest Tower before it was built, showing early ideas. This model is at the London Science Museum.
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The entrance area of the National Westminster Tower in 1981.
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The viewing area on Level 42 of the NatWest Tower in 1981. This space is now the Vertigo 42 champagne bar.
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A view looking east from Vertigo 42, showing other London landmarks.
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A night view of Tower 42, showing its lights.
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A close-up view of the lighting system on Tower 42.
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Tower 42 seen from directly below.
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An advertisement for a charity event held at Tower 42 in January 2020.
See also
In Spanish: Tower 42 para niños
