One Blackfriars

One Blackfriars stands on Blackfriars Road in Bankside, London. Its fifty-storey tower rises to 166 metres and is shaped like a glass vase or boomerang. Two lower buildings flank the tower, one six storeys and one four storeys high. The site once housed the headquarters of Sainsbury’s supermarket. The development mixes homes, a hotel and shops around a new public space. Its unusual form was inspired by a 1952 Finnish glass vase designed by Timo Sarpaneva. The tower’s height and shape drew objections from English Heritage, Royal Parks and local councils. Southwark Council approved the plan in 2007 despite the objections. The Mayor of London supported it, and Lambeth Council sought compensation. The Dubai hotel group Jumeirah agreed to run the hotel. After a public inquiry in 2008 the scheme was allowed to proceed. Visitors find a curved glass tower rising above the Thames. The lower buildings contain shops and the hotel entrance. Inside the tower are 274 private flats of different sizes. A viewing lounge on the thirty-second floor offers views across the city. The public space at the base links to nearby streets and the river.