236 New High-Rise Buildings Planned for London’s Skyline

A new study published, by the New London Architecture think tank on Wednesday, found that there are currently 236 towers proposed, approved, or under construction in London.  The report defines a tower as a building with 20 or more stories. Of the new buildings, 80 percent will be residential and the rest will either be office space, hotels, or mixed-use. Also, 33 of the 236 new buildings are between 40 and 49 floors, and 22 are taller than 50 stories. Peter Murray, Director of New London Architecture, believes the skyscraper boom is the result of increased pressure on the Greater London Assembly to build more housing. London Mayor Boris Johnson announced last year, as part of his housing plan, that London would need to add 42,000 new houses each year to meet the country's housing demands. 

The boom is responsible for creating skyscrapers in areas that are not used to seeing them. Instead of being located in the Canary Warf along the River Thames, the new buildings are planned for Tower Hamlets, Lambeth, and Greenwich. A similar rapid increase in construction occurred in London in the 1960s. It was also the result of housing shortages, but this time the buildings will be built much taller. The main difference between the current boom and the one 50 years ago is that today’s towers are private residential projects instead of social housing and commercial buildings. City officials hope that there will be less resistance from the public towards skyscrapers than there was in the 1960s. They would like to protect the city’s skyline and control the way development takes place while also providing necessary housing options.

Of these new towers, 48 percent have already been approved and 18 percent are under construction. The full report from New London Architecture will be released in early April.