St Helen’s Building London photos, Commercial Union City skyscraper design, Location, Date, British capital architecture images
St Helen’s Building London
Tall Structure in the City of London design by GMW Architects, England, UK
post updated 17 February 2024
Former Aviva Tower
Date built: 1969
Design: GMW Architects
Location: City of London
St Helen’s Building and the Gherkin tower:
photo © Nick Weall, taken on 9 June 2009
post updated 27 Feb 2021 ; page updated 3 Jul 2014
St Helen’s Building
Previously known as the Commercial Union building
Damaged in the Bishopsgate bombings by Irish terrorists
Design Influence: Mies van der Rohe
St Helen’s Building + Gherkin tower:
photo © Nick Weall, 9 Jun 2009
Height: 118m / 387 ft (34m higher than Lloyds Building)
Storeys: 23
Address: 1 Undershaft, City of London, London EC3
St Helen’s was previously known as the Aviva Tower or the Commercial Union building. It is a commercial skyscraper in the City of London, standing 118 metres (387 ft) tall and has 23 floors.
The postal address is No. 1, Undershaft, though the main entrance fronts onto Leadenhall Street, in the City of London financial district. The building was designed by the Gollins Melvin Ward Partnership in the international style.
photographs © Adrian Welch
The stark rectilinear geometry and detailing of the building was influenced by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and is reminiscent of his Seagram Building in New York City. It was built by Taylor Woodrow Construction as one of only four high-rise buildings in London using a top-down engineering design where the lower office floors are suspended from above rather than supported from below.
In 1992, the building was heavily damaged in the Baltic Exchange bombing carried out by the Provisional IRA, as a result of which it was substantially renovated.
Location: 1 Undershaft, London EC3 , England, UK
London Buildings
Contemporary London Architecture
London Architecture Designs – chronological list
Architecture Tours in London by e-architect
St Helens Square – news
Gillespies submits plans for redesign of St Helen’s Square in the City of London
image from Gillespies
Plans for a redesigned St Helen’s Square in the heart of the City of London. This key public space lies at the historic junction of Leadenhall Street and St Mary Axe, and offers the third largest open space in the City of London (3,325 sqm).
St Helen’s Building London o wikipedia.
Ciy of London Property Design
Contemporary Ciy of London Property Designs – recent architectural selection from e-architect below:
Key Buildings close by to St Helen’s Building:
60-70 St Mary Axe
Design: Foggo Associates Architects
image courtesy of the architects
60-70 St Mary Axe Building
This large City property is being developed by TIAA Henderson Real Estate, and is expected to comprise more than 277,570 sqft of offices across 24 floors, with the ground floor earmarked for retail space.
1 Undershaft Tower
Design: Eric Parry Architects
image : DBOX, courtesy Eric Parry Architects
1 Undershaft Tower City of London
This tower building is due to become the second tallest building in western Europe after the Shard. It will include a free public viewing gallery and ‘London’s highest restaurant’. The development is for Singaporea developers Aroland Holdings.
The Scalpel
Design: Kohn Pederson Fox – KPF
image courtesy of the architects
The Scalpel City of London Skyscraper
122 Leadenhall Street
Design: Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners – RSHP
image © Adrian Welch
122 Leadenhall Street
Lloyds Building
Design: Richard Rogers and Partners (since renamed RSHP – see above building)
photo © Nick Weall
Lloyds Building
30 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin)
Swiss Re Building
Tower 42
Tower 42
Willis Building
Willis Building
Bank of England, Threadneedle Street
Bank of England
Comments / photos for the St Helen’s Building London – Aviva Tower design by GMW Architects in the City page welcome.