Chinese developer to build Western Europe’s tallest residential tower in London

Shanghai-based Greenland Group has won planning permission to build what it says will be Western Europe’s tallest residential tower in London.

Designed by US-based architect HOK, the petal-shaped Hertsmere House will rise 240.5m (67-storeys) over West India Quay in London’s Canary Wharf.

The tower will have 861 homes, of which 96 will be "affordable", the company said. A linked development in nearby Limehouse will see a further 60 affordable homes built.

Hertsmere House will rise 240.5m over West India Quay in London’s Canary Wharf (Greenland Group)

Greenland Group is also giving the local authority, the borough of Tower Hamlets, $26.8m (£19m) for affordable housing and a further $29.6m (£21m) under a community infrastructure levy required by UK planning regulations.

Construction on both sites is expected to begin later this year with completion scheduled for 2020.

WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff is the structural engineer, Aecom is the project manager and Gillespies is the landscape architect.

"This is Greenland Group’s most important project in Europe," said Setareh Neshati, senior planning manager at Greenland Group.

Elsewhere in London, Greenland is also redeveloping the historic Ram Brewery in Wandsworth, Britain’s oldest brewery, and has said it is searching for more opportunities in the capital.

The developer, founded in 1992, has 82.33m sq m under construction around the globe and has already built three of the world’s ten tallest buildings since 2005.

Photograph: Artist’s render of Hertsmere House at ground level (Greenland Group)