A survey by New London Architecture (NLA) describes 2019 as the "year of the tall building" in the UK capital after its annual survey found 76 will be completed in the period, a threefold increase on the previous year.
According to NLA’s findings, 541 towers have been awarded planning permission in London, and 121 are currently under construction.
Some 90% of tall building – classed as those over 20 storeys – are residential projects, or are mainly residential, and will create 110,000 homes. Altogether, 23 of London’s 33 boroughs have tall buildings under construction, with Barnet, Camden and Hounslow joining the list this year.
London’s Skyline (JasonHawkes/NLA)
However, the survey also showed a 4% decrease in the number of applications and a 2% fall in the number of starts on site in 2018, which the NLA says could be due to Brexit.
Peter Murray, chairman of the NLA, said: "After six years of undertaking this review, I think we can finally declare 2019 the year of the tall building. Tall buildings are becoming increasingly accepted as a necessary form of urban development, not just in commercial centres like the City or Canary Wharf, but to provide much needed homes right across the capital."
Top image: Proposed towers in Greenwich Peninsula and Isle of Dogs (VuCity/NLA)
