Marble Arch tower redevelopment approved

Westminster Council has approved plans by architect Rafael Viñoly to redevelop Marble Arch tower in London’s West End.

The £450M scheme will see developer Almacantar demolish the 1960s tower block and replace it with an office building and a separate residential tower.

The taller, 18-storey tower will accommodate 49 luxury flats, a multi-screen cinema, as well as a number of retail units. The seven-storey structure will be predominantly commercial and will have 11,500m² of office space.

An affordable housing element of the overall scheme will be built at the nearby 466-490 Edgware Road site.

Development Director of Almacantar Kathrin Hersel, said: “I am delighted that the plans for the Marble Arch Place scheme have been approved. The scheme will deliver much needed additional office floor space and will unlock a very important affordable housing project for the City of Westminster. This gateway location overlooking the finest of the Royal Parks deserves a world class development.”

A project spokesperson said both of the Marble Arch structures would make substantial use of steel construction.

No main contractor has been appointed yet, and the scheme is expected to be completed by 2018.