Key Details

Overview

18 Blackfriars Road is a planned new development in Southwark, London SE1.

Hines has submitted plans designed by Foster + Partners for a mixed-use development that includes two residential buildings and one office building. The development will offer over 400 homes, with 40% being on-site affordable homes. The office building's design isn't all-glass and changes in shape as it ascends. It incorporates colour, terraces, and natural light. The offices will cater to the need for premium spaces supporting employee wellbeing. They will also offer 20,000 sq ft of affordable workspace for local and socially minded enterprises.

The site previously had consent for two towers, the tallest being 184.2m. The new proposal has three buildings, with the heights being 45, 40, and 22 storeys above a podium. The office building will be the tallest at 199.28m.

The public space, named the Rotunda, aims to improve the Blackfriars area. The base of these buildings will have retail and food outlets, amenities, cultural and performance spaces, and educational areas. On the ground, the Rotunda, Hatters Yard, and a playground will create a social space for London. The Rotunda will host events and connect to Hatters Yard, which leads to the Mad Hatter public house and will feature food stalls and public art.

Sustainability

The design targets a 20% to 30% improvement in embodied carbon against the GLA benchmark. It aims for zero on-site emissions using an all-electric approach with ground and air source heating and cooling. The operations target net-zero emissions, and the project emphasizes health and well-being.

History

Paper Moon Public House and a variety of rather low-rise office buildings were located at 18 Blackfriars Road. 18 Blackfriars Road, Rennie House, Wakefield House, and 19–23 Blackfriars Road were the prior structures. For more than a century, the location housed Sainsbury's supermarkets' corporate offices.

In 2021, Hines acquires the site and appoints Foster + Partners as the architect.

2017 Summer - Planning permission granted. The consented design from 2017 comprised two towers. The 53-storey 178.5m high residential tower designed by Wilkinson Eyre with 227 new homes, a 550-bed hotel, 96 affordable housing units (35 off-site). The office tower by Brisac Gonzalez was 136m tall and 34-storeys. The building will have a rooftop terrace.