A landmark 31-storey skyscraper will be built in Islington after the Dutch firm planning it was given the all-clear by the council.
Work on the residential tower block at City Road Basin is due to start later this year and will include 190 flats, a shop on the ground floor and a restaurant.
The building, designed by the Amsterdam-based company UNStudio and British firm PLP Architecture, will stand next to the 100 affordable housing flats which have already been built.
Araf Lahhan of Orion Capital Managers UK, which owns the land, promised that the tower will be a “landmark” for Islington and a “highlight” of the wider regeneration of the canal basin.
He said: “We are pleased with the progress being made to redevelop the site, which is surrounded by popular communities.
“The canal basin is being transformed into one of London’s most stylish waterside residential quarters with galleries, restaurants and what will be a superb retail environment.”
“With such an exciting design, 257 City Road will be a highlight of this regeneration effort and a landmark for the area.”
The architects will be working alongside property developers Groveworld on the tower, who have already started work on residential housing in the basin.
Mr Lahhan added: “Groveworld, a very experienced developer in this part of London, is the perfect partner to ensure this innovative and challenging development will breathe new life into the City Road Basin area.”
UNStudio had previously drawn up plans for improvements to Birmingham New Street station, and for a scheme at Battersea power station, however both remain unbuilt. This means the tower block could be the company’s first completed project in the UK.
Ben van Berkel, co-founder of UNStudio and the principle architect, said: “The detailing and contrasting materials on the façade and the balconies of the City Road Tower play a key role in the identity of the building and are borrowed from furniture design.
“This is an approach which we more typically apply to designs for smaller private houses. However, following extensive research into the potential for extending durability and maintenance we were able to create unexpected material variations on a larger scale.” The plans replace a previousl residential scheme that won planning permission in 2006, but the land was sold to Orion Capital for £150m before building started.
Looks amazing, will certainly be a ‘Landmark’ development and change the city skyline.
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