Artist views give first glimpse of 'Monstrous' Shoreditch Towers

Elder Street

Blossom Street

Spital Square

SAVE Britain's Heritage is calling on the Mayor of London to intervene to block proposals for a forest of tall blocks which will overshadow one of London's most historic districts and sweep away 18th and 19th-century buildings in a vulnerable and unique district on the fringe of the City.

The views, obtained by SAVE Britain's Heritage and compiled from a variety of sources, give an impression of the overwhelming impact of the cluster of tall buildings proposed on a series of sites outside the north east boundary of the City. The plans represent a brazen incursion by the City's commercial district into this fringe area. If realised, it will result in a virtual wall of steel and glass rising high above the surrounding historic terraces and warehouses.

The 35 storey tower of 201 Bishopsgate, now nearing completion, is the only building of the new cluster inside the City boundary. If the Corporation of London and its developer partners are successful, it will be followed by a clutch of towers on sites in the neighbouring boroughs of Hackney and Tower Hamlets. Proposals for the adjacent site, in Hackney, are for the construction of 3 towers including one of 51 storeys. This will involve the demolition of a local landmark - the Light Bar, a handsome Edwardian generator building, converted to a bar and restaurant in the 1990s and since then mysteriously excluded from the South Shoreditch conservation area.

On the site opposite, local groups, including SAVE, the Spitalfields Society and the Spitalfields Trust, are fighting the against another massive scheme which will see the gutting of an excellent range of 19th-century warehouses and the insertion of a 12 storey office block. North of here, there are plans are for a 50 storey tower, designed by KPF architects, in place of a characterful group Victorian shops and houses.

On the site of the largely demolished Bishopsgate Goodsyard, 3 more massive towers of 50 storeys plus by Foster and Partners and Allies and Morrison are planned. These proposals are still under wraps although some views are available on the website of Hammerson, the lead developer on the project. The proposed arc of buildings is completed by a controversial 25 storey residential tower on the eastern side of the Goodsyard, recently granted planning consent by Tower Hamlets despite local protests.

William Palin, Secretary of SAVE Britain's Heritage, described the proposals as 'chilling in the extreme'. 'In the orgy of commercial redevelopment encouraged by the previous Mayor, developers seem to have lost touch with reality. These proposals represent a monstrous assault both on the special character of this unique district and the skyline of the Capital. We call on the Mayor to stop this madness.'