CityPoint
Encyclopedia
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
on Ropemaker Street on the northern fringe of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
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Design and construction
Originally named Britannic House, CityPoint was built in 1967 as a 35-storey, 122 metres (400 ft) tall headquarters for British PetroleumBP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
(now BP). The designers were F. Milton Cashmore and H.N.W. Grosvenor.
It was refurbished in 2000, with additional floor space and the height increased to 127 metres (417 ft). The designer for the refurbishment was Sheppard Robson. It was renamed CityPoint after its refurbishment. Its anchor tenant is Simmons & Simmons
Simmons & Simmons
Simmons & Simmons is an international legal practice with over 1,500 people and 19 offices located throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Its largest office is located in London, where almost half its legal staff are based....
, a law firm.
It is currently the fifth tallest building in the City, after Heron Tower
Heron Tower
Heron Tower, also referred to as 110 Bishopsgate, is a skyscraper owned by Heron International in the City of London. It was completed in 2011...
, Tower 42
Tower 42
Tower 42 is the second tallest skyscraper in the City of London and the fifth tallest in London overall. The original name was the National Westminster Tower, having been built to house the National Westminster Bank's International Division. Seen from above, the tower closely resembles the NatWest...
, 30 St Mary Axe
30 St Mary Axe
30 St Mary Axe, the Swiss Re Building , is a skyscraper in London's main financial district, the City of London, completed in December 2003 and opened at the end of May 2004...
, and the Broadgate Tower
Broadgate Tower
The Broadgate Tower is a skyscraper in London's main financial district, the City of London. It was constructed from 2005 to 2009 and is currently the fourth tallest building in the City of London....
, but only the thirteenth tallest in Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
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In August 2005, its owner, Pillar Properties sold the building for more than £500m, one of the largest deals ever seen in the City office market.
In early 2007, the building was again put on the market, this time for £650m, and sold to a private US company, Beacon Capital. At the time, this it was the most expensive building ever sold in the UK. However, 8 Canada Square in Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is a major business district located in London, United Kingdom. It is one of London's two main financial centres, alongside the traditional City of London, and contains many of the UK's tallest buildings, including the second-tallest , One Canada Square...
eclipsed this by some margin in April 2007, when it was sold for over £1 billion.
Redevelopment of the area
A number of other large buildings are being planned on sites nearby. These include a 43-storey, 140 metres (459 ft) residential tower at Milton CourtMilton Court
Milton Court, near Dorking, is a 16th century country house in Surrey, which was substantially rebuilt by the Victorian architect William Burges...
. A 90 metres (295 ft) office tower at Ropemaker Place has also been developed by British Land
British Land
The British Land Company plc is one of the largest property development and investment companies in the United Kingdom. The firm switched to Real Estate Investment Trust status when REITs were introduced in the United Kingdom in January 2007. It is headquartered in London...
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See also
- MoorhouseMoorhouse (building)Moorhouse is a large office building in the City of London.It is located on the Northern edge of the financial district and is one of the largest buildings in the area, standing tall and with 29,000 square metres of floorspace....
- MoorgateMoorgateMoorgate was a postern in the London Wall originally built by the Romans. It was turned into a gate in the 15th century. Though the gate was demolished in 1762, the name survives as a major street in the City of London...
- The Willis BuildingWillis Building (London)The Willis Building at 51 Lime Street, is a large office tower in London's main financial district, the City of London.Designed by architect Norman Foster and developed by British Land, it stands opposite the Lloyd's building and is tall, with 26 storeys...
- Tall buildings in London