List of tallest buildings in the United Kingdom facts for kids

The United Kingdom is home to many impressive tall buildings, especially in recent years. As of early 2024, there are 155 buildings that people can live or work in that are at least 100 meters (about 328 feet) tall. Most of these are in London, with 118 buildings. Other cities like Greater Manchester (20), Birmingham (6), and Leeds (3) also have several tall structures. Swansea has the only one outside of England.
The very tallest building in the UK is The Shard in London. It stands at a huge 310 meters (1,016 feet) tall! It was finished in 2012 and opened to the public in 2013. Before 2020, it was also the tallest building in the European Union.
Historically, the UK wasn't known for its many skyscrapers. Taller structures used to be mostly cathedrals, church spires, or industrial chimneys. In London, there were even rules to protect views of famous buildings like St Paul's Cathedral. However, since the early 2000s, many new tall buildings have been built, especially in London.
The tallest office buildings are mainly in London's financial areas, like the City of London and Canary Wharf. Some of these include 22 Bishopsgate (278m) and One Canada Square (235m). For homes, the tallest residential buildings are also in London, like Landmark Pinnacle (233m), and one in Manchester, Deansgate Square South Tower (201m).
Only London, Manchester, and Salford have skyscrapers taller than 150 meters (about 492 feet). Birmingham is expected to join this group soon with new buildings like Octagon and One Eastside under construction. Many other UK cities are also planning or building tall structures.
As of May 2023, there are 45 buildings over 100 meters tall being built across the UK. London has 25 of these, Greater Manchester has 12, and Birmingham has 7.
Contents
Tallest Existing Buildings in the UK
This section lists the tallest buildings that are already finished in the UK. We measure their architectural height, which means we don't count things like antennas added after the building is done.
Rank | Name | City | Height (m) | Floors | Year Completed |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Shard | London | 310 | 95 | 2012 |
2 | 22 Bishopsgate | London | 278 | 62 | 2019 |
3 | One Canada Square | London | 235 | 50 | 1990 |
4 | The Landmark Pinnacle | London | 233 | 75 | 2020 |
5 | 110 Bishopsgate | London | 230 | 47 | 2010 |
6 | The Leadenhall Building | London | 225 | 48 | 2013 |
7 | Newfoundland | London | 218 | 59 | 2020 |
8 | Hampton Tower | London | 215 | 68 | 2021 |
9 | One Park Drive | London | 205 | 57 | 2021 |
10 | 8 Bishopsgate | London | 204 | 51 | 2022 |
11 | Deansgate Square South Tower | Manchester | 201 | 64 | 2018 |
Tallest Buildings Under Construction
This list shows buildings currently being built in the UK that will be at least 100 meters tall.
Rank | Name | City | Height (m) | Floors | Estimated Completion |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Aspen at Consort Place | London | 216 | 64 | 2023 |
2 | South Quay Plaza 4 Residential | London | 192 | 57 | 2023 |
3 | 40 Charter Street | London | 187 | 53 | 2024 |
4 | Vista River Garden Tower 1 | Manchester | 183 | 60 | 2026 |
5 | Vista River Garden Tower 2 | Manchester | 169 | 55 | 2026 |
6 | Two Station Hill | Reading | 163 | ||
2026 | |||||
7 | 50 Charter Street, Tower 2 | London | 161 | 49 | 2024 |
8 | Halcyon London | London | 158 | 49 | 2025 |
8 | One Leadenhall | London | 158 | 36 | 2025 |
9 | Octagon | Birmingham | 155 | 49 | 2025 |
10 | One Eastside | Birmingham | 155 | 51 | 2025 |
Tallest Approved Buildings
This list includes buildings that have been approved for construction and will be at least 100 meters tall.
Rank | Name | City | Height (m) | Floors | Year Approved |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 Undershaft | London | 290 | 73 | 2016 |
2 | 55 Bishopsgate | London | 269 | 63 | 2022 |
3 | 100 Leadenhall Street | London | 247 | 56 | 2018 |
4 | Spire London | London | 235 | 67 | 2016 |
5 | One Lansdowne, East Tower | London | 228 | 68 | 2017 |
6 | Ensign House | London | 225 | 56 | 2022 |
7 | 4 Portal Way South Tower | London | 203 | 55 | 2020 |
8 | Vauxhall Cross South Tower | London | 186 | 54 | 2020 |
9 | 18 Blackfriars Road Residential Tower | London | 179 | 53 | 2017 |
10 | One Heritage | Salford | 173 | 55 | 2020 |
Tallest Proposed Buildings
This list shows some buildings that are planned but not yet approved for construction. If built, they would be at least 100 meters tall.
Rank | Name | City | Height (m) | Floors | Planning status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Viadux 2 | Manchester | 241 | 76 | PA submitted April 2024 |
2 | Regent Park Tower 1 | Salford | 232 | 70–75 | Awaiting PA |
3 | Plot D | Manchester | 213 | 71 | PA submitted July 2023 |
4 | One Park Place | London | 190 | 60 | Revised PA submitted 2022 |
5 | SBQ 2 | Birmingham | 180 | 56 | Hybrid PA submitted 2022 |
6 | Boulton Tower | Birmingham | 172 | 53 | PA submitted 2021 |
6 | Park Place East Tower | Manchester | 172 | 56 | PA submitted 2021 |
6 | Park Place West Tower | Manchester | 172 | 56 | PA submitted 2021 |
9 | Act One. Chung Ying Plaza | Birmingham | 170 | 52 | PA submitted 2022 |
9 | One East Point | London | 170 | 52 | PA submitted 2022 |
Timeline of Tallest Buildings
This section shows which building was the tallest in the UK throughout history.
Name | City | Height (m) | Years as tallest |
---|---|---|---|
Victoria Tower | London | 98.5 | 1860–1961 (102 years) |
Shell Centre | London | 107 | 1961–1962 (1 year) |
CIS Tower | Manchester | 118 | 1962–1963 (1 year) |
Millbank Tower | London | 118 | 1962–1964 (2 years) |
BT Tower | London | 177 | 1964–1977 (13 years) |
Tower 42 | London | 183 | 1977–1990 (13 years) |
One Canada Square | London | 235 | 1990–2012 (22 years) |
The Shard | London | 310 | 2012– |
Tallest Buildings by City
Here are some of the tallest buildings in different cities across the UK.
Cities with Many Tall Buildings
This table shows how many buildings over 100 meters tall each city has.
County | City/Borough | Total Buildings ≥100m |
---|---|---|
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City of London | 26 |
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Tower Hamlets | 33 |
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Wandsworth | 7 |
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Lambeth | 6 |
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Southwark | 9 |
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Other London Boroughs | 36 |
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Manchester | 15 |
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Salford | 5 |
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Birmingham | 6 |
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Leeds | 3 |
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Liverpool | 2 |
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Woking | 2 |
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Brighton | 1 |
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Portsmouth | 1 |
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Sheffield | 1 |
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Swansea | 1 |