Croydon Vocational Tower
Encyclopedia
Croydon Vocational Tower (or the Croydon College Vocational Tower) is a proposed mixed-use skyscraper to be built in Croydon
. The high-rise building which will be built on the former low rise Fairfield Building which was built in the 1950s as part of Croydon College
. Planning permission was approved by Croydon Council in February 2007, but building work has since been slow to come forward. It will be used for both educational purposes on the lower 10 floors by the college and private use as a residential tower on the rest of the 29 floors. There will also be a floor of leisure use which will be used by students of the college and residents of the tower.
If the building is built before the proposed Croydon Gateway Landmark Tower
it will officially become Croydon's tallest tower and one of London's tallest 20 skyscrapers. This will take over the reign from No.1 Croydon
which as of Spring 2008 is Croydon's tallest tower and Britain's 88th tallest skyscraper.
The development is intended to regenerate a brownfield site just a minutes' walk away from East Croydon station
. The building, once finished, will have 29 floors of apartments, and a structural height of 134 m (439 ft). The tower measures 119.8m in height to the top of the lift motor room, with an architectural spire protruding above this to a height of 133.8m. The architecture and design of the building has comparisons with the Trump International Hotel and Tower
currently underconstructon in Chicago
.
In recent years, the development of tall buildings has been encouraged in the London Plan
, which will lead to the erection of new skyscrapers over the next few years as London goes through a high-rise boom. Unlike other building projects currently being built in the town, including 100 George Street, the Vocational Tower is not part of the Croydon Vision 2020
regeneration plan of the borough.
The tower is located in Central Croydon
, close to Croydon town centre and has various transport links nearby. East Croydon station
, the main railway station in the borough, is the closest transport interchange. The station provides mainline services from Southern
, Southeastern
, First Capital Connect
and CrossCountry
, formerly Virgin Trains
. These train operating companies provide services to the South Coast
, Bedford
, Manchester
, Luton
and Luton Airport
, Gatwick Airport
, and fast services to London Victoria and London Bridge
. There are also tram services from East Croydon eastbound to New Addington
, Elmers End
and Beckenham
. It is also the closest Tramlink
stop for westbound services. From here there are trams to Wimbledon station
on route 3
for connections to the London Underground
, and on route 1
and 2
services terminate at West Croydon station
for trains to Sutton
and slow trains to Central London
as well as London Overground
services from 2010. There is also a bus station at West Croydon with buses on the northbound corridor and the rest of the borough.
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
. The high-rise building which will be built on the former low rise Fairfield Building which was built in the 1950s as part of Croydon College
Croydon College
Croydon College, established in 1895, is a Further Education and Higher Education institution in the London Borough of Croydon.Located in East Croydon, it is made up of a Further Education College and a Higher Education College.- Further Education :...
. Planning permission was approved by Croydon Council in February 2007, but building work has since been slow to come forward. It will be used for both educational purposes on the lower 10 floors by the college and private use as a residential tower on the rest of the 29 floors. There will also be a floor of leisure use which will be used by students of the college and residents of the tower.
If the building is built before the proposed Croydon Gateway Landmark Tower
Croydon Gateway
Ruskin Square is the name given to a project to redevelop a block of land between East Croydon railway station and the existing town centre of Croydon in South London. It is part of the major Croydon Vision 2020 regeneration scheme...
it will officially become Croydon's tallest tower and one of London's tallest 20 skyscrapers. This will take over the reign from No.1 Croydon
No.1 Croydon
No.1 Croydon is a skyscraper at 12-16 Addiscombe Road, Croydon, London, next to East Croydon station. It was designed by R. Seifert & Partners and completed in 1970. It has 24 storeys and is high. 'NLA' stood for 'Noble Lowndes Annuities'...
which as of Spring 2008 is Croydon's tallest tower and Britain's 88th tallest skyscraper.
The development is intended to regenerate a brownfield site just a minutes' walk away from East Croydon station
East Croydon station
East Croydon station is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, 10.35 miles south of London Bridge in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the busiest in London outside Travelcard Zone 1 in terms of the number of passengers entering and exiting...
. The building, once finished, will have 29 floors of apartments, and a structural height of 134 m (439 ft). The tower measures 119.8m in height to the top of the lift motor room, with an architectural spire protruding above this to a height of 133.8m. The architecture and design of the building has comparisons with the Trump International Hotel and Tower
Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)
The Trump International Hotel and Tower, also known as Trump Tower Chicago and locally as the Trump Tower, is a skyscraper condo-hotel in downtown Chicago, Illinois. The building, named after real estate developer Donald Trump, was designed by architect Adrian Smith of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill...
currently underconstructon in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
In recent years, the development of tall buildings has been encouraged in the London Plan
London Plan
The London Plan is a planning document written by the Mayor of London, England in the United Kingdom and published by the Greater London Authority. The plan was first published in final form on 10 February 2004 and has since been amended. The current version was published in February 2008...
, which will lead to the erection of new skyscrapers over the next few years as London goes through a high-rise boom. Unlike other building projects currently being built in the town, including 100 George Street, the Vocational Tower is not part of the Croydon Vision 2020
Croydon Vision 2020
Croydon Vision 2020 is a regeneration programme by the London Borough of Croydon for the centre of Croydon in South London. The original study was carried out in 1999 by EDAW and is being taken forward through the Local Development Framework process...
regeneration plan of the borough.
The tower is located in Central Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, close to Croydon town centre and has various transport links nearby. East Croydon station
East Croydon station
East Croydon station is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, 10.35 miles south of London Bridge in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the busiest in London outside Travelcard Zone 1 in terms of the number of passengers entering and exiting...
, the main railway station in the borough, is the closest transport interchange. The station provides mainline services from Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
, Southeastern
Southeastern (train operating company)
London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
, First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
and CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
, formerly Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
. These train operating companies provide services to the South Coast
Southern England
Southern England, the South and the South of England are imprecise terms used to refer to the southern counties of England bordering the English Midlands. It has a number of different interpretations of its geographic extents. The South is considered by many to be a cultural region with a distinct...
, Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
and Luton Airport
London Luton Airport
London Luton Airport is an international airport located east of the town centre in the Borough of Luton in Bedfordshire, England and is north of Central London. The airport is from Junction 10a of the M1 motorway...
, Gatwick Airport
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
, and fast services to London Victoria and London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
. There are also tram services from East Croydon eastbound to New Addington
New Addington tram stop
New Addington is a terminal tram stop serving New Addington, in the London Borough of Croydon, in the southern suburbs of London. The tram stop is served by Tramlink route 3, which connects New Addington with Wimbledon via central Croydon.-Connections:...
, Elmers End
Elmers End station
Elmers End station is a railway station and tram terminus in Elmers End, South London, England. It is in the London Borough of Bromley, and Travelcard Zone 4 south of London Charing Cross....
and Beckenham
Beckenham Junction station
Beckenham Junction is a railway station and a tram terminus in Beckenham, south east London. It is in the London Borough of Bromley and Travelcard Zone 4, 8.6 miles from London Victoria....
. It is also the closest Tramlink
Tramlink
Tramlink is a tramway system in south London in the United Kingdom which began operation in May 2000...
stop for westbound services. From here there are trams to Wimbledon station
Wimbledon station
Wimbledon station is a National Rail, London Underground, and Tramlink station located in Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton, and is the only London station that provides an interchange between rail, Underground, and Tramlink services...
on route 3
Tramlink route 3
Tramlink route 3 is one of three tram routes operated as part of the Tramlink network in south London. The route is owned and operated by Transport for London ....
for connections to the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
, and on route 1
Tramlink route 1
Tramlink route 1 is one of three tram routes operated as part of the Tramlink network in south London. The route is operated by London Tramlink, part of Transport for London .- History :...
and 2
Tramlink route 2
Tramlink route 2 is one of three tram routes operated as part of the Tramlink network in south London. The route is operated by London Tramlink, part of Transport for London under the Tramlink brand.- History :...
services terminate at West Croydon station
West Croydon station
West Croydon station is a transport interchange for National Rail and Tramlink services, as well as London Buses. It is in the London Borough of Croydon and Travelcard Zone 5...
for trains to Sutton
Sutton, London
Sutton is a large suburban town in southwest London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Sutton. It is located south-southwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. The town was connected to central London by...
and slow trains to Central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
as well as London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
services from 2010. There is also a bus station at West Croydon with buses on the northbound corridor and the rest of the borough.