LONDON SKYSCRAPERS: PLANS SCALED BACK, VISION PLAN DRAFTED

Developers of Bishopsgate Goodyards, a multitower development on 4.2 ha around London’s Shoreditch Highstreet Station, have dramatically scaled back their plans as the City of London Corp. drafts its 2036 Vision Plan that encourages construction of new skyscrapers, Architects’ Journal and Construction News report, respectively. Hammerson and Ballymore have removed a row of towers designed by PLP from Bishopsgate Goodyards, reduced the maximum height of proposed towers from 46 to 29 stories and cut the number of homes from 1,356 to 250. The new scheme by BuckleyGrayYeoman, Spacehub and Chris Dyson Architects addresses concerns about the skyscrapers negatively affecting the historic Spitalfields area. In its draft plan, the City of London Corp. says policies will encourage construction of “iconic” new towers and better, more pedestrian-friendly roadways.