Tower Power

To coincide with the Architects' Journal's 'Tall Storeys' conference at the RIBA on 15th of May 2001, the AF hosted this exhibition in the RIBA gallery before officially launching, and transposing, the show at the AF Gallery on 31st of May. The exhibition continued the debate about tall buildings with CABE and English Heritage, who announced their joint policy on 12th of June in the light of the GLA's London Plan.

The exhibition displayed some of the current proposals for tall buildings in London, illustrating the issues of skyline and density, explaining the long term effects of different planning policies, legislation, economics and sustainability. People were encouraged to add their comments.

The proposals on display were:

- London Bridge Tower (309m/1016 ft) (Architects: Renzo Piano/Broadway Malyan)
- Heron Bishopsgate Tower, Houndsditch (183m/600 feet) (Architects: Kohn Pederson Fox)
- Swiss Re, St Mary Axe (179m/585 feet) (Architects: Foster and Partners)
- Grand Union Building, Paddington Basin (183/600 feet) (Architects: Richard Rogers Partnership)
- Canary Wharf (upto 200m/656ft)(Architects: Foster and Partners; Cesar Pelli, Kohn Pederson Fox)
- Elephant & Castle, Bioclimatic Skyscraper (150m/492ft) (Architects: Ken Yeang / HTA)
- Skyhouse, East London (150m/492ft) (Architects: Marks Barfield)
- 'The Pinnacle', Chiswick Roundabout (118m/387ft) (Architects: Livsey O'Malley)?
- Old Seager Distillery, Deptford (77m/253ft) (Architects: John McAslan)
- 168 Fenchurch Street (144m/472ft) (Architects: Wilkinson Eyre)

"The skyscraper is the ghetto blaster of architecture. It dominates all that surrounds it. To build high is therefore the best subject for the debate on planning strategy that London was promised when the Mayor and Greater London Assembly were set up."
– Simon Jenkins in The Evening Standard