We all remember when the cool building gets topped off, the one that becomes a statement on the skyline and wandering tourists look into the air to find it as a beacon of direction. London’s had lots of these sorts of buildings before from the Gherkin Tower to the BT Tower to St. Pauls even. The Bankside neighborhood south of the Thames, though, is about to top off one of the city’s best new marvels of design, dubbed The Vase for its shape, in One Blackfriars.
The building has gone though a tumultuous fight to get to this near-completed stage. After rigorous zoning battles, scaling down its initial lofty goals in height, and tenant issues, the building is in the right shape now to be one of the best new additions to the city’s architecture. The mixed-use building will serve as luxury residences for Londoners, though the Dubai-based Jumeirah hotel recently signed a lease to be one of the anchoring tenants of the tower.
The building has also undergone a good deal of criticism on social media, after its first advertising video blew up in owner St. George’s face for being sexist and nearly pornographic in style. While the marketing team has since rehashed the messaging behind the building it seems, the structure and amenities offered in the space are nothing to be ridiculed.
The building features a 20-meter pool, ice fountain, snow cabin, sauna, and spa for tenants. Units in the residences also boast bespoke kitchens, large sky gardens, and automated systems throughout the space. The various styles available range from 1-3 bedrooms, with some incredible views in any direction, despite which floor the units on. Depending on the floor of the unit though, prices can range anywhere from 4 million to 23 million pounds.
The building is also near some of London’s most historic landmarks from Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, to the OXO Tower Wharf, to St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tate Modern Art Museum. While there is still work to be done on the behemoth of Bankside, it seems that this will be one of many properties soon to open in London that will be bringing new life into the city as an international marketplace for real estate both as investments and residential luxury.
