8 Bishopsgate on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
8 Bishopsgate (sometimes referred to as 'the Jenga') is a 51-storey, tall commercial
The current skyscraper replaced 6–8 Bishopsgate, a tall office building that was the headquarters of Barings Bank up until the bank collapsed in 1995. Barings Bank had been based at 8 Bishopsgate since 1806, the building undergoing several expansions and refurbishments up until it was replaced by a high-rise. Designed by GMW Architects, construction started in 1977 and took four years. The building opened in 1981 and was in use until 2019.
File:8 Bishopsgate.jpg, 8 Bishopsgate in 2021
File:8 Bishopsgate 2022.jpg, 8 Bishopsgate in 2022
File:Southeastern view from The Look Out, the 50th floor of 8 Bishopsgate, London.jpg, Southeastern view from 50th floor of 8 Bishopsgate, with The Scalpel (left)
skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...
located in the City of London financial district. When it opened in 2023, it was the 11th-tallest building in London. Situated on the corner of Bishopsgate and Leadenhall Street, it neighbours two taller skyscrapers, 122 Leadenhall Street
122 Leadenhall Street, which is also known as the Leadenhall Building, is a skyscraper in central London. It opened in July 2014 and was designed by the Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners; it is known informally as The Cheesegrater because of its ...
and 22 Bishopsgate
22 Bishopsgate, also known as Twentytwo, is a commercial skyscraper in London, England. Completed in 2020, it occupies a prominent site in Bishopsgate, in the City of London financial district, and stands at tall with 62 storeys. The project r ...
. It has a free viewing gallery on the 50th floor.
History
Previous building
The current skyscraper replaced 6–8 Bishopsgate, a tall office building that was the headquarters of Barings Bank up until the bank collapsed in 1995. Barings Bank had been based at 8 Bishopsgate since 1806, the building undergoing several expansions and refurbishments up until it was replaced by a high-rise. Designed by GMW Architects, construction started in 1977 and took four years. The building opened in 1981 and was in use until 2019.
Planning
The original contested scheme for 8 Bishopsgate was submitted in 2015. The skyscraper was designed to be 'visually striking', incorporating high-quality warm building materials such as wood and marble to welcome visitors inside. The building was constructed as part of a wave of high-rise development in the Bishopsgate area, caused by growing demand for office space in the City of London. Demolition work on the previous buildings began in mid-2018, with construction work beginning on the new building in 2019. The skyscraper, sometimes called "the Jenga" due to its jumble of boxes, opened in 2023, and includes a free viewing platform, The Look Out, located on the 50th floor.Gallery
See also
* City of London landmarks * List of tallest buildings and structures in LondonReferences
{{UK tallest buildings lists London Skyscraper office buildings in England