Reach for the stars: Spire London to be the tallest residential building in Western Europe

London is not short of ambitious new buildings – from the Shard, to the Cheesegrater and the Walkie Talkie, to the whole chunks of the city currently being regenerated, such as the 195-hectares Nine Elms and the Greenwich Peninsula, set to create 15,000 new homes. Yet there is always space for more, and the capital is about to welcome its skyline’s latest addition: Spire London.
Heralded by the team behind it as ‘the tallest residential tower in Western Europe’, the Spire is the newest member of the Docklands’ rapidly growing family of buildings. Reaching 235,145 m in height and spanning 67 storeys, the scheme is the brainchild of the Greenland Group, one of China’s largest premium residential developers, and architects Larry Malcic and Christopher Colosimo of award-winning architectural practice HOK.
The glass- and bronze-clad structure will contain 851 apartments, including luxurious suites and duplex penthouses. It will also include five-star lifestyle amenities such as a spa and club bar, concierge, retailing and private gardens; interiors created by Nicola Fontanella of Argent Design.
The building was designed to provide the best panoramic views of London, explain the architects, influenced by the site’s nautical history as well as the orchid flower – ergo, its top, which is shaped to look like the constellation of three ‘petals’ or ‘sails’.
The tower’s launch has only just been announced but the team is not wasting time; construction is already underway, with full completion scheduled for 2020. In the meantime, an exhibition suite created by Argent Design is housed in Warehouse Number One, right next to the development site on Hertsmere Road.
The slim, glass- and bronze-clad building is the brainchild of the Greenland Group and award-winning architectural practice HOK
The structure will contain 851 apartments, including luxurious suites and state-of-the-art duplex penthouses
The Spire was designed to capture some of London's best panoramic views
The residential units' interiors were created by Nicola Fontanella of Argent Design
Apart from its set of contemporary residential spaces, the tower will also include five-star lifestyle amenities
Residents will be treated to a 35th floor spa and club bar, concierge, retailing and private gardens
Construction on the tower is already underway, with full completion scheduled for 2020
INFORMATION
For more information visit the HOK website
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Naim Audio builds out-of-this-world music systems. Wallpaper* has had a listen
British manufacturer Naim is renowned for its hand-built systems and extreme commitment to quality, as well as its long-standing partnership with Bentley. We visited Naim’s Wiltshire factory to see where the magic is made
-
Paris Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2026: live updates from the Wallpaper* team
From 24-29 June, Paris Fashion Week Men’s arrives in the French capital. Follow along for a first look at the shows, presentations and other fashion happenings, as seen by the Wallpaper* editors
-
Kengo Kuma’s ‘Paper Clouds’ in London is a ‘poem’ celebrating washi paper in construction
‘Paper Clouds’, an installation by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, is a poetic design that furthers research into the use of washi paper in construction
-
Kengo Kuma’s ‘Paper Clouds’ in London is a ‘poem’ celebrating washi paper in construction
‘Paper Clouds’, an installation by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, is a poetic design that furthers research into the use of washi paper in construction
-
Foster + Partners to design the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II
For the Queen Elizabeth II memorial, Foster + Partners designs proposal includes a new bridge, gates, gardens and figurative sculptures in St James’ Park
-
Wolves Lane Centre brings greenery, growing and grass roots together
Wolves Lane Centre, a new, green community hub in north London by Material Cultures and Studio Gil, brings to the fore natural materials and a spirit of togetherness
-
This ingenious London office expansion was built in an on-site workshop
New Wave London and Thomas-McBrien Architects make a splash with this glulam extension built in the very studio it sought to transform. Here's how they did it
-
Once vacant, London's grand department stores are getting a new lease on life
Thanks to imaginative redevelopment, these historic landmarks are being reborn as residences, offices, gyms and restaurants. Here's what's behind the trend
-
Lego and Serpentine celebrate World Play Day with a new pavilion
Lego and Serpentine have just unveiled their Play Pavilion; a colourful new structure in Kensington Gardens in London and a gesture that celebrates World Play Day (11 June)
-
Inside Abbey Road's refresh: touring the legendary studio's new interior
Abbey Road gets an interior refresh by Threefold Architects, bringing the legendary London recording studio in tune with the 21st century
-
The Serpentine Pavilion 2025 is ready to visit, ‘an exhibition you can use’
The Serpentine Pavilion 2025 is ready for its public opening on 6 June; we toured the structure and spoke to its architect, Marina Tabassum