Broadgate Tower

The Broadgate Tower is a skyscraper in London's main financial district, the City of London. It was constructed from 2005 to 2009.

Background
Built at an estimated cost of £240 million, it marked the next major phase of construction in the Broadgate estate that began in the 1980s to provide high-specification office space for the Square Mile. The tower is situated in the northeast corner of the City of London, north of Liverpool Street station.

The Broadgate Tower was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and developed by British Land. It utilises air rights in the form of sitting on a large construction raft that has been built over the entrance to Liverpool Street station.

As the tower lies over major railway lines heading into Liverpool Street, groundwork took longer than would normally be expected for a tower of this size, as all work had to be stopped whenever a train was in the vicinity of the station. However, the steel core has the advantage of a quicker finish than a concrete core. It was the first skyscraper to be built in London since One Churchill Place at Canary Wharf.

The skyscraper was completed in early 2009, and became a significant addition to the London skyline, as well as setting precedent for future developments in the area.

Ancient artefacts were found during the building of the skyscraper, holding up its construction for several years.

Planning
In February 2005 Broadgate Plaza Ltd, a subsidiary of The British Land Company plc, submitted a planning application to the City of London for the construction of two buildings of 33 stories and 13 stories respectively.

Architecture
The tower has a criss-cross style steel beaming over the windows making it have a very strong appearance. The beaming is similar to the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong.