Columbus Tower (London) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Columbus Tower |
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Artist's impression with Columbus Tower on left and three existing tall buildings on right
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| General information | |
| Status | Never built |
| Location | London, E14 United Kingdom |
| Address | 2 Hertsmere Road |
| Client | Commercial Estates Group for and on behalf of GMV Ten Ltd |
| Height | |
| Roof | 237 metres (778 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 65 |
| Floor area | 93,423 m2 (1,005,600 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Concept: DMWR Architects Design: Mark Weintraub Architecture & Design |
The Columbus Tower was a very tall building that was planned for London, in the Isle of Dogs area. It was designed to be 63 storeys high, reaching 237 metres (778 feet) into the sky. This would have made it one of the tallest buildings in London.
The company Commercial Estates Group planned to build it. The project was expected to cost around £450 million. However, the Columbus Tower was never built.
What Was the Plan?
The Columbus Tower was designed by DMWR Architects. It was meant to be a building with many different uses. The plans included:
- Over 30,000 square metres of office space.
- A hotel with 192 rooms.
- 74 apartments where people could live.
- A special bar and restaurant on the very top floor.
- A large health and fitness club.
- Shops for people to visit.
- A public "Winter Garden" on the ground floor.
The tower would have been built near other tall buildings in Canary Wharf. Its location was also right above where new tunnels for the Crossrail train line were planned. This made it a very busy and important spot.
Why Was It Not Built?
The process of getting permission to build the Columbus Tower was quite long.
Getting Permission
In December 2008, the building plans were sent to the local council in Tower Hamlets. These plans were almost the same as ones that had already been approved in 2005.
However, the local councillors initially said no to the new application. Then, the Mayor of London at the time, Boris Johnson, used his special powers. He decided to take over the decision for the building. On 7 October 2009, he gave permission for the tower to be built. This permission came with certain rules that had to be followed.
Changes and New Plans
In March 2011, the company planning the tower, Commercial Estates Group (CEG), hired another company called Squire and Partners. They wanted them to look at the building plans again.
Later, in November 2013, news came out that CEG had sold the building site for £100 million. It was reported that Ryan Corporation (UK) Limited bought it. They were said to be planning a new building, mainly for homes. But it was later found out that this sale didn't actually happen.
Finally, in September 2014, CEG really did sell the site. A big building company from China called Greenland Group bought it for about £100 million. They made new plans for the site. The new building is now called Spire London.
