Reaching a height of 224m, the City of London’s landmark Leadenhall Building was designed as a wedge-shaped structure to minimise its impact on views of St Paul’s Cathedral.

FACT FILE
Architect: Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
Structural engineer: Ove Arup & Partners Ltd
Steelwork contractor: Severfield
Main contractor: Laing O’Rourke
Client: C C LandCommonly referred to as the Cheesegrater, The Leadenhall Building was designed as a wedge-shaped structure in order to meet the client’s aspiration for an outstanding City of London landmark tower

Part of its unique design are the panoramic lifts which have been placed on the vertical north elevation, so they can serve all the office levels. As a result, there is no central core, and stability is provided by a perimeter braced steel mega-frame, placed outside of the building envelope.

“The use of steel is fundamental to the value of this building. It is visibly integrated into the architecture to an extent that is highly unusual for a skyscraper, creating a powerful tectonic quality which enables people to appreciate and take delight in the way that the building is constructed,” says Arup Director Nigel Annereau.

“Steel was chosen because of its high strength-to-weight ratio and tension capacity, making it the obvious choice for a tall braced structure. A concrete alternative would have been much bulkier, more complicated and slower to construct.

“Steel also offered the ability to create large column-free spaces both in the typical floors and at ground level. Transparency was maximised by integrating the steelwork with the cladding.”

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