The development company known as Hammerson has submitted its plans for the EC2 Project, also known as Wall Place, which will be built on the area of the old St Alphage site, providing its plans meet with council approval. The scheme, if approved, is expected to create new executive office space of around 500,000 square feet.
At the moment, the site is occupied by the 1950s St Alphage tower and podium, but if Hammerson has its way, both will soon be a thing of the past, replaced instead by two enormous buildings offering major new commercial property space. The first of these buildings, which will have the address of 121 London Wall, has been designed by MAKE and will, if constructed, comprise 300,000 feet of office space and offer multi-level terraces that have been landscaped in order to provide an adaptable office space environment that could be utilised for everything from individual suites to massive trading floors.
The other building planned, located west of 121 and to be given the address of 123 London Wall, will be an enormous 16 storey tower - the same height as the nearby building located at 4 Aldermanbury Square - and will have of 195 square feet of executive office space.
"This is an extremely complex site in a prime city location," says the Managing Director of the London Group of the Hammerson development company, Mr Martin Jepson. "MAKE has delivered an outstanding scheme that respects its surroundings and will change the perception of a traditional city office building... We will be able to offer occupiers grade-a office space providing flexibility through a variety of floor plates. We are confident that the scale and stature of the scheme means it will become a well-recognised city landmark."
His enthusiasm for the project is matched by that of Ian Lomas from MAKE, who says: "The team has developed a bespoke building that is designed to adapt and evolve to changing tenant needs and environmental challenges. Externally, the materials, form and gardens deliberately create a unique sense of place in this pivotal city location."
A decision on planning permission for the project should be made by the summer of next year. If it is granted, as the companies involved are confident that it will be, the buildings will begin construction immediately for a completion date of 2014, and will be available for occupation by tenants the year after.
More than 50 percent of the overall site is intended to be used to create "open space", a destination area for local residents that will create new gardens set among historic monuments such as the City Wall and the remains of the old St Alphage Church Tower. The current high-walk system will also be kept on, meaning that there will still be easy access to all parts of London, with new north-south and east-west bridges also set to be constructed as part of the scheme.
