Reach for the stars: Spire London to be the tallest residential building in Western Europe

London is not short of ambitious new buildings – from the Shard, to the Cheesegrater and the Walkie Talkie, to the whole chunks of the city currently being regenerated, such as the 195-hectares Nine Elms and the Greenwich Peninsula, set to create 15,000 new homes. Yet there is always space for more, and the capital is about to welcome its skyline’s latest addition: Spire London.
Heralded by the team behind it as ‘the tallest residential tower in Western Europe’, the Spire is the newest member of the Docklands’ rapidly growing family of buildings. Reaching 235,145 m in height and spanning 67 storeys, the scheme is the brainchild of the Greenland Group, one of China’s largest premium residential developers, and architects Larry Malcic and Christopher Colosimo of award-winning architectural practice HOK.
The glass- and bronze-clad structure will contain 851 apartments, including luxurious suites and duplex penthouses. It will also include five-star lifestyle amenities such as a spa and club bar, concierge, retailing and private gardens; interiors created by Nicola Fontanella of Argent Design.
The building was designed to provide the best panoramic views of London, explain the architects, influenced by the site’s nautical history as well as the orchid flower – ergo, its top, which is shaped to look like the constellation of three ‘petals’ or ‘sails’.
The tower’s launch has only just been announced but the team is not wasting time; construction is already underway, with full completion scheduled for 2020. In the meantime, an exhibition suite created by Argent Design is housed in Warehouse Number One, right next to the development site on Hertsmere Road.
The slim, glass- and bronze-clad building is the brainchild of the Greenland Group and award-winning architectural practice HOK
The structure will contain 851 apartments, including luxurious suites and state-of-the-art duplex penthouses
The Spire was designed to capture some of London's best panoramic views
The residential units' interiors were created by Nicola Fontanella of Argent Design
Apart from its set of contemporary residential spaces, the tower will also include five-star lifestyle amenities
Residents will be treated to a 35th floor spa and club bar, concierge, retailing and private gardens
Construction on the tower is already underway, with full completion scheduled for 2020
INFORMATION
For more information visit the HOK website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
All-In is the Paris-based label making full-force fashion for main character dressing
Part of our monthly Uprising series, Wallpaper* meets Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø of All-In, the LVMH Prize-nominated label which bases its collections on a riotous cast of characters – real and imagined
By Orla Brennan
-
Maserati joins forces with Giorgetti for a turbo-charged relationship
Announcing their marriage during Milan Design Week, the brands unveiled a collection, a car and a long term commitment
By Hugo Macdonald
-
Through an innovative new training program, Poltrona Frau aims to safeguard Italian craft
The heritage furniture manufacturer is training a new generation of leather artisans
By Cristina Kiran Piotti
-
A new London house delights in robust brutalist detailing and diffused light
London's House in a Walled Garden by Henley Halebrown was designed to dovetail in its historic context
By Jonathan Bell
-
A Sussex beach house boldly reimagines its seaside typology
A bold and uncompromising Sussex beach house reconfigures the vernacular to maximise coastal views but maintain privacy
By Jonathan Bell
-
This 19th-century Hampstead house has a raw concrete staircase at its heart
This Hampstead house, designed by Pinzauer and titled Maresfield Gardens, is a London home blending new design and traditional details
By Tianna Williams
-
An octogenarian’s north London home is bold with utilitarian authenticity
Woodbury residence is a north London home by Of Architecture, inspired by 20th-century design and rooted in functionality
By Tianna Williams
-
What is DeafSpace and how can it enhance architecture for everyone?
DeafSpace learnings can help create profoundly sense-centric architecture; why shouldn't groundbreaking designs also be inclusive?
By Teshome Douglas-Campbell
-
The dream of the flat-pack home continues with this elegant modular cabin design from Koto
The Niwa modular cabin series by UK-based Koto architects offers a range of elegant retreats, designed for easy installation and a variety of uses
By Jonathan Bell
-
Are Derwent London's new lounges the future of workspace?
Property developer Derwent London’s new lounges – created for tenants of its offices – work harder to promote community and connection for their users
By Emily Wright
-
Showing off its gargoyles and curves, The Gradel Quadrangles opens in Oxford
The Gradel Quadrangles, designed by David Kohn Architects, brings a touch of playfulness to Oxford through a modern interpretation of historical architecture
By Shawn Adams