50-storey residential tower is final piece in City-fringe development

Foster & Partners’ 163m-tall Principal Tower is the final piece in the practice’s City-fringe Principal Place development and the starchitect’s first fully designed residential skyscraper in the capital.

At 50 storeys, the £200m block contains 299 luxury flats and is the tallest element of the scheme which also includes 85,000sq m of commercial space including Amazon’s UK headquarters.

The retail giant occupies Principal Place’s 15-storey Building 1. Principal Tower is Building 2, and Buildings 3 to 5 house shared-ownership and social-housing units in a series of low-rise blocks.

Fosters partner Grant Brooker said the development straddled the divide between the creative, formerly industrial, spirit of the East End and the towers of the City.

Principal Tower by Foster & Partners

Source: Nigel Young / Foster & Partners

Principal Tower by Foster & Partners

“The phenomenal rise of Shoreditch as the new, vibrant part of London marries perfectly with the development of Principal Place and the completion of Principal Tower,” he said.

“We’re delighted that the final project so closely mirrors our original vision, where the tower was designed to create a liveable and distinctive addition to London’s beautiful skyline.”

The commercial element of Principal Place, which is home to Amazon's UK headquarters

Source: Nigel Young / Foster & Partners

The commercial element of Principal Place, which is home to Amazon’s UK headquarters

Project Team

  • Client: Principal Place Residential Development 
  • Architect: Foster & Partners 
  • Main contractor: Multiplex
  • Structural engineer: WSP