One London tower plans: structural and construction phasing notes for engineers
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
Plans for One London, a £1bn, 309.6‑metre tower at 1 Undershaft, set out a 1.2 million sq ft office‑led skyscraper that will be the City of London’s tallest building and joint‑tallest in Western Europe on completion in 2033. The scheme, by Aroland Holdings with Stanhope and Eric Parry Architects, is located at the junction of Leadenhall Street and St Mary Axe within a six‑minute walk of six Underground lines and the Elizabeth line. Deconstruction of St Helen’s Tower is under way, with a main contractor due to be appointed this year and construction targeted from 2028.
Technical Brief
- Capex is stated at £1bn for delivery of the One London scheme.
- Total office-led gross internal area is specified as 1.2 million sq ft.
- Full planning consent is programmed for December 2025 with City of London Corporation.
- Deconstruction of the existing St Helen’s Tower is already in progress as an enabling phase.
- Main contractor appointment is targeted “later this year”, ahead of a long lead-in to construction.
- Start on main construction is scheduled for 2028, contingent on completion of deconstruction and financing.
- Site lies within walking distance of six Underground lines, the Elizabeth line and ~1,000 hospitality venues, supporting high-intensity commercial occupation.
Our Take
Stanhope’s role at One London follows its appointment of Mace Construct on the smaller Red Lion Court scheme, suggesting it is building a pipeline of complex central London office projects that could give it leverage with tier‑one contractors and consultants.
With construction not due to start until 2028 and completion targeted for 2033, One London will span at least one full commercial property cycle, so contractors and funders will likely structure packages and risk allocation to allow for phasing or design flexibility as market conditions shift.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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