Tulip, the controversial Foster + Partners project, has been approved by the City of London. At the meeting of the planning committee, 18 people voted for the skyscraper (seven were against). Chairman Chris Hayworth said the committee came to its decision "after a long and active debate," nevertheless, its members believe that Tulip has every chance of becoming a "real attraction." Norman Foster's bureau project also claims the title of the second tallest building in Western Europe: the record holder here is The Shard by Renzo Piano.
For "Tulip" there is a plot next to another building by the same architects -
tower 30 St Mary Ax, nicknamed "Cucumber" because of its characteristic shape. Foster told reporters that one of the leaders of the Safra Group, which has owned the skyscraper since 2014, Brazilian billionaire Jacob J. Safra first wanted to expand public spaces at 30 St Mary Ax, but it was not possible to complete the tower for this purpose. Therefore, we decided to build a new structure - accessible to everyone.
The concrete "stem" of the tower is crowned with a glass "head": a restaurant, a bar and promenade terraces will be placed under its glass dome on 12 levels. There are also moving cabins, like a Ferris wheel. At the foot of the skyscraper there is a place for a bicycle parking and a park. One floor is planned to be used for special classes for students of public schools and members of local community groups. The building is expected to have 1.2 million visitors annually.
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Historical Society Duncan Wilson reacted with hostility to the construction of the new skyscraper. He said that it would harm the historical panorama of London (in particular, the view of the Tower) and the tourist destination in general. “It [the view] has already been spoiled by Walkie-Toki [in 2015, the building received the Carbuncle Cup architectural anti-award - approx. author], and it will be awful if it happens again,”says Duncan Wilson. Critics also warn that the project will violate key city planning principles and disrupt the airport's radar systems.
Now the documents will be sent to the mayor's office for consideration. If the project is approved, construction will begin in 2020. The work is planned to be completed by 2025.
