Tulip Tower Gains Planning Approval

Unveiled in November 2018, The Tulip would have an observation deck, restaurant, an educational facility, and a gondola ride on the building's facade. J. Safra Group, which also owns The Gherkin, is the developer behind The Tulip whose height would make it the second-tallest tower in London behind The Shard, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop and completed in 2012.

The approval by the City of London Corporation's Planning and Transportation Committee does not make The Tulip a done deal. London Mayor Sadiq Khan would provide the final approval, while the Greater London Authority has two weeks to respond to today's approval before it hits the mayor's desk. Before the project was submitted to the City of London, both the mayor and the GLA (among other groups) were vocal opponents to The Tulip, indicating it does not meet the London Plan guidelines, in terms of free public access and its impact on views from the nearby Tower of London.