Row grows over £775m 14-storey ‘cube’ building in Paddington

New: an impression of the cube-shaped project backed by Sir Norman Rosenthal

Art historian and curator Sir Norman Rosenthal has backed a £775 million development in Paddington, saying that plans for a 14-floor cube-shaped building could be “very special”.

The new design by architect Renzo Piano has replaced his previous 72-storey skyscraper project, known as the “Paddington Pole”, following an outcry from locals. The planning application for the 254-metre residential tower next to Paddington Station was withdrawn in January after objections from groups including the Skyline Campaign.

Piano and Irvine Sellar, the property developer behind the Shard, have now revealed their revised plans for a “floating” glass cube at a public consultation.

It comprises a 14-storey office block raised by poles 12 metres above a large public space underneath, and includes underground access to a new Bakerloo line Tube station.

Some critics have attacked the new proposals, but Sir Norman, former director of the Royal Academy, said they were “totally different but also potentially very special” and “need to be celebrated”.

He added that there was “urgent need for improvement” in Paddington because of the “enormous increase in demand that will result when Crossrail finally opens” and said the design would be “elegant, clear and visually striking”.

“We must not once more reject the opportunity to create an iconic edifice that can stand, as does the Shard itself, as a compelling marker,” he said.

The site is owned by Great Western Developments Ltd, a joint venture between two Singapore companies who bought it from Royal Mail for £111 million in 2014. The project will create up to 4,000 jobs and include 80,000 sq ft of retail space and restaurants on five levels, including one on the roof.

A total of £65 million will be spent on public spaces, including the Bakerloo line station and ticket hall. Mr Piano described the current Bakerloo line entrance as a cramped and claustrophobic “kingdom of darkness”.

Mr Sellar told the Standard he was not disappointed that the design had changed, and said the huge investment was a demonstration of his confidence in London.

He said the area would become a “major employment hub” and “a place people will want to spend time in”, with “a stunning building”. The new planning application will be submitted in early autumn, with the project to be completed by 2020.

But the Skyline Campaign said the proposed building is still “massive and much too big for the site”.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in