New Images of London’s Lowest Whole-Life Carbon High-Rise Development

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19 February 2025

Foster + Partners have published new CGIs of The Round at 18 Blackfriars Road, set to be London’s lowest whole-life carbon high-rise development.

 

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The Round, at 18 Blackfriars Road, is designed to be fossil fuel-free, 100 per cent electric and net-zero carbon in operation, with 95 per cent of the site’s heat demand served by ground source heat pumps. It also aims to be the first high-rise scheme in the UK to achieve the WELL Community Gold Standard, which certifies developments that support health and wellbeing.

 

Picture: a CGI showing the full heigh of one of the towers, showing a balcony with a garden. Image Credit: Foster + Partners

 

The brownfield site has been sitting undeveloped for 20 years. Sainsbury’s occupied the premises for more than a century, dating back to 1890. The supermarket chain moved out in 2001 and the building was demolished between 2016 and 2017. The building was London’s first mass concrete framed building. Hines purchased the land in 2021 for an undisclosed sum but it was one of the largest land transactions of that year, according to CBRE. Hines is also the Development Manager and Asset Manager for the site.

The Round will consist of two skyscrapers and a smaller 22-storey building with a public plaza, modern office space with a garden every three floors and around 440 new homes.

 

Picture: a CGI showing the public plaza with outdoor seating areas and a water fountain. Image Credit: Foster + Partners

 

Nigel Dancey, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners, said: “Working closely with Hines, we have designed a healthy mixed-use development that plugs into – and significantly enhances – the existing urban fabric. The Round provides new homes, offices, retail and a wide range of cultural and community facilities, to bring this dormant site back to life. Vibrant new public spaces are central to design concept – connecting with a cycle highway and a number of public transport interchanges – to encourage car-free travel. Our proposal aspires to define the office of the future, with flexible floorplates for longevity and cascading green terraces, which bring a social dimension to the workplace. We are proud to be part of this pioneering vision for Southwark and look forward to commencing the next phase of the project on site.”

Ross Blair, Senior Managing Director and Country Head, Hines UK, said: “Our goal for the redevelopment of this long empty but strategically important central London site at The Round is to widen our approach beyond standard measures and facilities in homes and workplaces and to set new standards for wellness in design for development, with a scheme that is sustainable and also, which complements the spirit and character of the Bankside area. Hines has a long history in developing and operating places that put customer experience first, but this site with its cultural and riverside location presented an opportunity to take our ambitions a step further to create a place where people can truly thrive and do their best work.”

Picture: a CGI showing the London skyline at night with the three new buildings included. Image Credit: Foster + Partners

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 19 February 2025

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