One of the most ambitious architectural projects ever to be proposed for London was given a final approval during 2016. We know that this is a description which has been used by others in the past, but we truly believe it’s never been more apt than in this case. 1 Undershaft, or ‘The Trellis’ as it has become colloquially known, will be the tallest building within the Square Mile of the City of London when completed. This will place it second only to The Shard in terms of the entire capital.

Demolition work on the existing building on the grounds, the St Helen’s Tower, is expected to begin early in 2017. It is anticipated that the project will take some six years to complete once that has commenced. With respect to time frames for the project, a point of interest to us as an architect operating in London has been the two years of revisions and design changes which have taken place to reach this point.

Although no outright objections were ever presented in respect of the 1 Undershaft project, a number of architectural changes were required before final approval could be given. These related to vital environmental matters, with avoiding causing interference with flight paths for London City Airport being one of the most well documented concerns. Many of the other changes made related to the logistical practicalities of the limited space for construction available within the Square Mile.

What we’d like to highlight about the 1 Undershaft project is how the review and redesign process helped enable a highly successful architectural plan being created. This is an important consideration to understand.

At times one can get the sense that the need to change plans equates to them being adversely affected. In truth this is seldom the case. By understanding how initial plans would affect the environment and surrounding area, we’re able to take a far more informed approach to altering designs to ensure a positive impact is reached.

The 1 Undershaft project is an ambitious work with several unique features. From an overall perspective, however, the work carried out so far shows just how important it is – and how beneficial it can be – to allow for adaptability and change within architectural plans.

If you would like to work with an architect in London capable of this kind of adaptability whilst keeping focus on the needs of the client Coffey Architects is the company for you.