Plans aiming to create a “beautiful place to live and work” on London’s South Bank have been unveiled after a lengthy period of public consultation.
Joint venture partners the Canary Wharf Group and the Qatari Diar are seeking permission to redevelop the Shell Centre and create some 800,000 sq ft of new London offices. A further 800,000 sq ft of residential space is planned for the site, which sits directly beside the River Thames and on the approach to the London Eye.
A total of eight new buildings will be developed if the plans get the green light while the Shell Centre Tower will be prepared for the purposes of the international energy giant Shell. Architects at Squire and Partners drew up the ambitious plans, on which more than a 1,000 local people, businesses and visitors have already offered an official opinion.
“We’re excited about our future here on the South Bank, and look forward to bringing our London-based staff back to one location once the application is approved and construction is complete,” said Graham van’t Hoff, chairman of Shell UK.
“Shell Centre is our long-term home in London, and we’re confident that Canary Wharf Group and Qatari Diar will deliver a project that will benefit both London and the local community,” he said.
Sir George Iacobescu, chairman and chief executive of the Canary Wharf Group, described the chance to work on such a historic project as a privilege. “We look forward to working with the local authority and the community to ensure that local people get the best possible opportunities from this new development for many years to come,” he said.
If approved, current plans would see the Shell Centre’s new central London offices and homes completed at some point in 2019.