Developers behind the proposed 1 Silk Street office scheme have reduced the height of the project in a renewed effort to secure planning approval from the City of London Corporation and address concerns raised by Barbican residents.
Lipton Rogers and LaSalle Investment Management have submitted revised plans for the Skidmore, Owings & Merrill-designed building, trimming more than 10 metres from the western side of the block. Three storeys have been removed from the section facing Cromwell Tower, following criticism over daylight loss, massing and the impact on the neighbouring Barbican Estate.
Under the updated proposals, the western portion of the building will now rise only three storeys above the existing Linklaters headquarters it is set to replace, rather than six as previously planned. The eastern side of the scheme will retain its original height, maintaining alignment with the taller commercial buildings nearby.
The design team says the revisions significantly reduce visual and daylight impacts. External terraces have been removed to prevent overlooking, while measures including obscured glazing, façade fins and automated blinds have been incorporated to address privacy concerns.
Despite the reduction in scale, the scheme will still provide 91,142 sq m of Grade A office accommodation, approximately five per cent less than initially proposed. The development is aimed at large trading-floor occupiers, with market forecasts suggesting a potential shortfall of prime office space in the City by 2028.
Public realm and cultural elements have also been strengthened. Plans include a new plaza on Silk Street to create a clearer gateway to the Barbican Centre, alongside a redesigned 2,282 sq m public realm and a pedestrian arcade linking Moorgate and Liverpool Street directly to the Barbican.
In addition, nearly 1,300 sq m of retail and restaurant space is proposed, together with a new performance venue, Silk Street Hall, and a community-focused Creative Community Lab, reinforcing the scheme’s ambition to blend commercial development with cultural and civic benefit.
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