Cucumber Tower 'to rival Gherkin'

Office design news from Morgan Lovell

Published on 23-11-2010

A new 41-storey office tower has been unveiled and is presently seeking planning consent for construction in London.

Officially named 1 Merchant Square, the property has already been nicknamed the Cucumber due to its distinctive shape and - if planning is consented to - the building will deliver office space and up 220 flats, rivalling the nearby Gherkin.

The Cucumber will become the 17th tallest structure in the London area at 460-feet and office construction work at the site could be completed by as soon as 2016.

Previous plans for the delivery of up to 500 flats at the project have been scaled back by developers Simon and David Rueben.

Meanwhile, head of British Land Chris Grigg recently stated that he is not fond of the nickname given to his firm's new £290 million Leadenhall office tower - the Cheesegrater.

He claimed the unusual design of the office building should be celebrated and the nickname actually takes away from the property's grandeur.

Posted by Paul Kelly