Eric Parry Architects Designs One London Tower for the City Cluster

Eric Parry Architects recently revealed One London, a commercial skyscraper planned for the center of the Eastern City Cluster. The consented scheme provides approximately 154,000 square meters of office space while introducing significant public realm enhancements and high-density commercial infrastructure to the district.

The building reaches a height of 309.6 meters AOD, establishing it as the tallest structure in the City of London. This height matches The Shard, positioning the tower as one of the two tallest buildings in Western Europe. The project addresses the City Plan 2040 by providing nearly 13% of the identified office space requirements for the district.

Public levels and educational integration

The design incorporates several publicly accessible tiers throughout the vertical volume. At the summit, the tower houses a viewing gallery that currently ranks as the highest in Europe. This space offers visitors 360-degree panoramic views across the London metropolitan area.

In addition to the viewing area, the program includes a specialized educational facility. The London Museum curates this space to provide immersive learning experiences for families and children. The curriculum focuses on the geography and history of London, utilizing the building’s height to contextualize the city’s urban development.

Landscape strategy and ground level connectivity

The architectural strategy emphasizes outdoor space at multiple elevations. On the 11th floor, a free-to-access elevated garden provides a mid-rise viewpoint. SLA collaborated on the landscape design, which frames specific views toward St Paul’s Cathedral, 30 St Mary Axe, and the Lloyd’s building.

At the base, the project reconfigures the ground-level experience around St Helen’s Square. The design introduces biodiverse landscaping and flexible event spaces to the public realm. A large public screen and the creation of a quieter, landscaped square improve pedestrian movement and provide community infrastructure at the building’s threshold.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

One London represents a deliberate vertical expansion of the City Cluster, leveraging extreme height to fulfill dense office mandates while attempting to soften its urban impact through civic programming. By integrating museum-curated educational tiers and elevated gardens into a 309.6-meter architecture project, the design seeks to justify its massive footprint through a verticalized public realm that prioritizes viewing and learning.

However, these civic inclusions may function merely as a vertical “amenity tax” to secure planning consent for immense commercial volume. While the project enhances cities at the pedestrian level, the reliance on high-altitude public galleries risks privatizing the city’s visual identity behind a corporate gate. The tower ultimately reinforces a sky-high hierarchy where genuine public space remains subordinate to the primary economic engine of global finance.