Demand for high-rise buildings remains strong

According to the latest construction report from AMA Research, the pipeline of high-rise buildings across the UK remains strong, with around 549 projects currently in development, of which 58% are in London.

The construction of high-rise buildings has increased considerably in recent years, with a rise in both the number and height of buildings being constructed.

Across the UK in July 2021, there were 1,277 existing high-rise buildings and structures that are at least 50m-tall and 266 that are over 75m-tall. The UK has 31 buildings over 150m-tall and just one structure – the Shard – over 300m-tall.

AMA Research Analyst Alex Blagden said: “Historically, high-rise construction has been driven by demand for offices in the City of London, London Docklands and central Manchester. Since 2010, however, there has been a marked shift towards high-rise residential schemes, mainly driven by speculative investments.”

Although London, and to a lesser extent Manchester, Salford and Birmingham, will remain important locations for high-rise construction, the report says other cities are emerging as major centres – especially Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow and Sheffield.