50 Fenchurch Street, City of London

The Challenge

The Clothworkers’ Company is a 500-year-old philanthropic membership organisation which has been on the site of 50 Fenchurch Street since 1528. The current Clothworkers’ Hall is the sixth hall on the site but it is now not fit for purpose and the other buildings that occupy the site do not maximise its potential. The two listed structures onsite are also in a poor state of repair and the site lacks pedestrian permeability. The redevelopment of 50 Fenchurch Street would unlock one of the last remaining sites in the City with potential for a tall building and provide a windfall of capital to help endow the Clothworkers’ Foundation for generations, expanding its philanthropic work.

The Solution

Working with Eric Parry Architects, we led discussions on bringing forward this office-led development. Featuring extensive vertical screening, this new 36 storey building is highly sustainable and will create a distinctive addition to the City’s skyline and a highly sustainable development. Location of the Clothworkers new livery hall and accommodation primarily underground allows for the creation of a significant new area of public realm at grade, increasing pedestrian permeability through the site. A new public terrace at Level 10 provides 360-degree views over London and was considered as a key benefit of the scheme. The Tower of All Hallows Staining (listed Grade I) is proposed to be temporarily propped during construction to allow the Clothworkers Hall to be built underneath and the Lambe’s Chapel Crypt (listed Grade I)is to be dismantled and reconstructed in the basement of the new development. These significant interventions to heritage assets required close collaboration with both the City of London and Historic England.

The Results

An iconic new tower in the City, maximising the potential of the site, providing circa 88,000 sq m of new high quality office floorspace alongside flexible retail uses, a significant area of public open space, upgrading of heritage assets and a modern new Hall fit for future generations of Clothworkers.