Waterloo tower gets green light

AHMM’s plan to redevelop Elizabeth House next door to Waterloo station has been given the green light.

Lambeth council’s planning applications last night unanimously voted in favour of developer HB Reavis’ scheme to replace the huge post-war office building with a 31-storey tower.

AHMM is the third architect to work on the project in the past 10 years, after David Chipperfield and before that Allies & Morrison were both appointed and ultimately ditched.

The 29- and 10-storey Chipperfield scheme has planning consent but when the site was bought by HB Reavis in 2017 the firm conducted a review and decided to replace the proposed flats with offices.

It said flats would be too expensive to help London’s housing crisis and offices would be more appropriate given its location.

It held a competition to rethink the site featuring Chipperfield, BIG, Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners and Wilkinson Eyre which was won by AHMM.

Historic England and Westminster council launched legal challenges against previous proposals, claiming they would ruin the protected view from Parliament Square.

AHMM’s plan, which was also worked on by structural engineer Robert Bird Group, will provide around 1.2 million ft2 of office and retail space as well as substantial public realm. This includes a garden promenade, directly connected to the Waterloo Station concourse.

A public route called Waterloo Curve, will provide a new pedestrian street and will be lined with shops and cafes.

Work is set to start next year.