3915
Global
Height rank

The Broadgate Tower

London
Height 161.3 m / 529 ft
Floors 35
Official Name
The current legal building name.

The Broadgate Tower

Type
CTBUH collects data on two major types of tall structures: 'Buildings' and 'Telecommunications / Observation Towers.' A 'Building' is a structure where at least 50% of the height is occupied by usable floor area. A 'Telecommunications / Observation Tower' is a structure where less than 50% of the structure's height is occupied by usable floor area. Only 'Buildings' are eligible for the CTBUH 'Tallest Buildings' lists.

Building

Status
Completed
Architecturally Topped Out
Structurally Topped Out
Under Construction
Proposed
On Hold
Never Completed
Vision
Competition Entry
Canceled
Proposed Renovation
Under Renovation
Renovated
Under Demolition
Demolished

Completed, 2008

Country
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of Country, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

United Kingdom

City
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of City, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

London

Postal Code

EC2

Function
A single-function tall building is defined as one where 85% or more of its usable floor area is dedicated to a single usage. Thus a building with 90% office floor area would be said to be an "office" building, irrespective of other minor functions it may also contain.

A mixed-use tall building contains two or more functions (or uses), where each of the functions occupy a significant proportion of the tower's total space. Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not constitute mixed-use functions. Functions are denoted on CTBUH "Tallest Building" lists in descending order, e.g., "hotel/office" indicates hotel function above office function.

office

Structural Material
Steel
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from steel. Note that a building of steel construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of steel beams is still considered a “steel” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.

Reinforced Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from concrete which has been cast in place and utilizes steel reinforcement bars.

Precast Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning system are constructed from steel reinforced concrete which has been precast as individual components and assembled together on-site.

Mixed-Structure
Utilizes distinct systems (e.g. steel, concrete, timber), one on top of the other. For example, a steel/concrete indicates a steel structural system located on top of a concrete structural system, with the opposite true of concrete/steel.

Composite
A combination of materials (e.g. steel, concrete, timber) are used together in the main structural elements. Examples include buildings which utilize: steel columns with a floor system of reinforced concrete beams; a steel frame system with a concrete core; concrete-encased steel columns; concrete-filled steel tubes; etc. Where known, the CTBUH database breaks out the materials used in a composite building’s core, columns, and floor spanning separately.

steel

Official Website

Broadgate Tower

Height
Architectural
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely utilized and is employed to define the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) rankings of the "World's Tallest Buildings."

161.3 m / 529 ft

To Tip
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element (i.e., including antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment).
161.3 m / 529 ft
Occupied
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest occupied floor within the building.
145.0 m / 476 ft
Floors Above Ground
The number of floors above ground should include the ground floor level and be the number of main floors above ground, including any significant mezzanine floors and major mechanical plant floors. Mechanical mezzanines should not be included if they have a significantly smaller floor area than the major floors below. Similarly, mechanical penthouses or plant rooms protruding above the general roof area should not be counted. Note: CTBUH floor counts may differ from published accounts, as it is common in some regions of the world for certain floor levels not to be included (e.g., the level 4, 14, 24, etc. in Hong Kong).

35

Floors Below Ground
The number of floors below ground should include all major floors located below the ground floor level.

1

# of Elevators
Number of Elevators refers to the total number of elevator cars (not shafts) contained within a particular building (including public, private and freight elevators).

18

Top Elevator Speed
Top Elevator Speed refers to the top speed capable of being achieved by an elevator within a particular building, measured in meters per second.

6 m/s

Tower GFA
Tower GFA refers to the total gross floor area within the tower footprint, not including adjoining podiums, connected buildings or other towers within the development.

56,878 m² / 612,230 ft²

Rankings
#
3915
Tallest in the World
#
147
Tallest in Europe
#
16
Tallest in United Kingdom
#
14
Tallest in London
#
1625
Tallest Office Building in the World
#
64
Tallest Office Building in Europe
#
10
Tallest Office Building in United Kingdom
#
10
Tallest Office Building in London
#
355
Tallest Steel Building in the World
#
10
Tallest Steel Building in Europe
#
5
Tallest Steel Building in United Kingdom
#
5
Tallest Steel Building in London
Construction Schedule
2006

Construction Start

2008

Completed

Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Main Contractor

The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.

Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).

Façade

These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.

Wind
Material Supplier

Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).

Elevator
Fire Proofing
Sealants
Developer
The British Land Company PLC
Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Main Contractor

The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.

Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).

Façade

These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.

Façade Maintenance
Lerch Bates Europe
Marketing
Wordsearch
Planning
DP9 Ltd
Quantity Surveyor
AECOM
Wind
Material Supplier

Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).

Elevator
Fire Proofing
Sealants

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

Best Tall Building Europe 2009 Winner

2009 CTBUH Awards

CTBUH Initiatives

Seven Cities Winter Spaces Walking Tour

29 January 2015 - Event

Activity at the CTBUH London Conference: Day Three

13 June 2013 - Conference

Videos

03 November 2011 | London

Lynn S. Beedle Lifetime Achievement Award: 40 Years of Designing the Supertall

As one of the world’s foremost experts on supertall buildings, Adrian has contributed greatly to the development of this highly specialized building type. Adrian will...

Research

05 November 2007

The Economics of Supertall Towers

Watts, Steve; Kalita, Neal & Maclean, Michael, Davis Langdon

This paper addresses global economic factors infl uencing the decisions leading to the development of super-tall towers, including population growth and urbanization, economic cycles and...

About The Broadgate Tower

The Broadgate Tower is the first developer-led speculative office tower to be built in the City of London and is part of the latest addition to the Broadgate development in the City. The building creates a landmark for the northern gateway to the City and offers high quality office accommodation at an important location close to the key transportation hub at of Liverpool Street Station.

The Broadgate Tower, along with its neighbor, 201 Bishopsgate, occupies a newly created air rights site above the active rail tracks that service Liverpool Street station. The massing of the overall development was informed both by the structural complexities of the raft on which it is constructed, and by the height restrictions that affect the majority of the site.

The eastern portion of the site lies within a viewing corridor which protects views of St. Paul’s Cathedral from King Henry’s Mound. Development of the majority of the site was thus limited to 13-stories, except for a small area at the northwest corner of the site that lies outside of this view corridor. This enabled the design team to develop a solution whereby a separate tower building could be constructed on the western edge of the site, facilitating the inclusion of a public galleria between The Broadgate Tower and 201 Bishopsgate without reducing the overall density of the development. The vertical massing of The Broadgate Tower enabled almost one third of the site to be dedicated to public space. The tower solution was also in line with changes in the office market leasing conditions, with a desire for views and with increased concern for sustainability, as smaller floor plates allow greater use of natural light.

The existing raft that formed the site had been designed and constructed years earlier to support a 13-story building in response to the restrictions imposed by the view corridor and to previous market conditions which required large floor plates for trading activities. However, as the building designs for the site evolved, it became necessary to plan raft modifications to facilitate construction of a different building tower. The western edge of the area available for the tower fell beyond the boundary of the rail tracks, thus allowing for additional foundations to be constructed to help support the increased load of a tall structure and its related cores. The eastern boundary was more problematic, as it fell on the mid-span of the existing raft structure. The design team responded by adopting a light weight steel framing system and a unique “A-frame” support which allowed the loads of the east wall of the tower to be transferred directly to the existing foundation system either side of the rail lines and avoid overstressing the existing raft structure.

The tower’s placement, floor plate width and height were directly related to the necessary balancing of the new loading criteria of a tall building with the loading patterns available in the existing raft and foundation design. The resulting design minimized the need for additional piles, and made full use of the existing raft structure with the need for only minor modifications.

The internal layout of the building was also influenced by the existing raft conditions and site constraints. The small floor plates of the tower meant that lift cores areas needed to be kept to a minimum. Double deck lifts were thus employed to achieve this, but as the raft structure was not deep enough to accommodate lift pits, the design team developed a multi-story lobby arrangement within the 5-story high lobby space that results from the “A-frame” structure. From entry level, escalators transport people to first and second floor lift lobbies from where they can use either high-rise or low-rise double deck lift banks to reach their destination.

The Broadgate Tower’s striking structural form, which is expressed by its major façades, is of a similar architectural vernacular to Exchange House, which is located on the opposite side of Primrose Street. The perimeter steel structure and related wind bracing are reflected in the exterior façade through a unitized stainless steel cladding of beams, columns and bracings. These cladding panels typically measure 13 meters (43ft) in length to replicate the appearance of an exposed stainless steel structure. Unitized aluminum frames and monolithic high performance insulated window panels, measuring 1.5 meters (5ft) in width and one-story in height (4.15m/13.6ft), complete the exterior façade. To the east of the tower, the “A-frame” support columns and their bracing are left exposed and clad in stainless steel as an architectural feature of the building. The “A-frame” support columns also form the skeleton of a new pedestrian galleria between The Broadgate Tower and 201 Bishopsgate.

The outdoor galleria creates a new pedestrian route across the site, which is sheltered by a five-story high glass canopy that is suspended from the tower. The galleria landscaping provides quality urban spaces and amenities for shops and outdoor dining. Twenty-three silver maple trees planted inside and outside the galleria will enhance the space, making it an even more appealing venue in which to relax. Up to 13 meters (43ft) tall, these trees sit in special grated pits sunk into the surface of the galleria. A “green” wall to the southwest of the plaza screens the three-story wall of the adjacent Broadwalk House.

A strong focus on integrating sustainable features throughout the design and construction of The Broadgate Tower has resulted in a highly efficient building without compromising operational performance. To reduce energy consumption, several provisions were incorporated into the design, such as: water cooled chillers with centrifugal variable speed drives and associated cooling towers for heat rejection; high efficiency chillers with a low turn down ratio to enable benefits of chillers to be passed onto the tenants in all operating conditions; heat recovery from office ventilation plant using thermal wheels, taking advantage of the heat gains in the office space and reducing the requirement for heating air from the outside; variable speed drives fitted to all pumps and fans;fan coil units fitted with EDC motors and providing variable speed control matched to cooling load; office lighting to have dimming, presence and daylight control; energy metering of chilled water, hot water and electrical services to each floor; and a comprehensive building management and monitoring system.

The low-E coated glass (low emission glass with a microscopically thin coating of metal oxide) used for the external façades reduces solar gain and keeps cool air inside, thus decreasing the need for cooling and almost eradicating heating requirements. Further energy savings are achieved through the use of double deck lifts, which require a single, larger, more efficient lift motor to carry two cars of passengers simultan-eously, thus halving the number of motors required.

A building user guide is provided to ensure that occupiers operate in the building as efficiently as envisaged. Features such as local lighting zones, water metering and electricity sub-metering allow occupiers to take control of their own work environments.

The development marks a new era for Broadgate, creating an important addition to London’s skyline. Flexible and efficient occupier space, combined with high-caliber public spaces, offer a welcome expansion to the flourishing district. The Broadgate Tower provides an innovative and elegant response to complex site constraints while delivering buildings that reflect the commitment of both client and architect to a sustainable and environmentally sound future.

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

Best Tall Building Europe 2009 Winner

2009 CTBUH Awards

03 November 2011 | London

Lynn S. Beedle Lifetime Achievement Award: 40 Years of Designing the Supertall

As one of the world’s foremost experts on supertall buildings, Adrian has contributed greatly to the development of this highly specialized building type. Adrian will...

23 October 2009 | London

Interview: Broadgate Tower

Timothy Poell of SOM is interviewed by Jeff Herzer during the 2009 CTBUH Chicago Conference at Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. Timothy discusses The Broadgate...

22 October 2009 | London

2009 Best Tall Building Award Winners: Broadgate Tower, London, UK

Timothy Poell, SOM presents at the CTBUH 2009 Chicago Conference. Each year the CTBUH recognizes excellence in tall building design and construction by conferring international...

22 October 2009 | London

CTBUH 8th Annual Awards

The CTBUH named the Linked Hybrid building as the 2009 Best Tall Building Overall at the 8th Annual Awards Dinner, held at Crown Hall in...

29 January 2015

Seven Cities Winter Spaces Walking Tour

The new CTBUH Urban Habitat / Urban Design Committee organized a highly successful Winter Spaces Walking Tour in seven cities around the world.

13 June 2013

Activity at the CTBUH London Conference: Day Three

Tall Building Industry Gathers in London See the highlights from the tall building event of the year…

13 June 2013

Broadgate Tower Technical Tour Report

The Broadgate Tower was the first tower building in the City designed specifically for the speculative market.

1 June 2013

The Broadgate Tower Chosen as Featured Building

The dramatic and highly visible structural system employed on Broadgate Tower is an innovative solution to the challenge of spanning the pre-existing railways that run under the site.

17 July 2011

London Report: Bucking a Western Trend?

Executive Director Antony Wood visited the UK in July for the inaugural meeting of a future CTBUH UK Chapter and other endeavors.