List of tallest buildings and structures in London
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Skyline of the City of London in December 2009, showing the large number of projects currently in development.

Skyline of Canary Wharf in April 2010

This list of the tallest buildings and structures in London ranks skyscrapers and towers in London, United Kingdom by height. Since November 2010 the tallest structure in London is the Shard London Bridge, still under construction and due to reach 310m by 2012, when it will become the tallest building in the European Union. The tallest completed structure is the 50-storey One Canada Square, which rises 235 metres (771 ft) in Canary Wharf and was completed in 1991.[1] It also stands as the tallest building in the United Kingdom and the 15th-tallest building in Europe. The second-tallest building in London is Heron Tower in the City of London which was topped out in 2010, and stands at a height of 230 metres.

The history of tall structures in London began with the completion of the 27-metre (90 ft) White Tower, a part of the Tower of London, in 1098.[2][3] The first structure to surpass a height of 100 metres (328 ft) was Old St Paul's Cathedral. Completed in 1310, the cathedral stood at a height of 150 metres (493 ft).[4] It was the world's tallest structure until 1311, when its height was surpassed by Lincoln Cathedral in Lincoln, England.[4] It regained the title when the spire of the Lincoln Cathedral fell in 1549.[5] Although the spire of the Old St Paul's Cathedral was destroyed by lightning on 4 June 1561, it still stood as the tallest structure in London,[5] while the world's tallest structure became Strasbourg Cathedral in Strasbourg, France.[5] The Old St Paul's Cathedral was destroyed by the Great Fire of London in September 1666.[4] The title of tallest structure in London passed to Southwark Cathedral, which stands at a height of 50 metres (163 ft)[6] and no structure in London again rose above 100 metres (328 ft) until 1710, when the current St Paul's Cathedral was completed.[7] At 111 metres (365 ft), the cathedral remained the tallest building in London until overtaken by the BT Tower, completed in 1962.

Despite its long history and constant rebuilding, London does not have a large number of skyscrapers. This is due to restrictions on building heights originally imposed by the London Building Act of 1894, which followed the construction of the fourteen-storey Queen Anne's Mansions. Though restrictions have long since been eased, strict regulations remain to preserve protected views, especially those of St Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London and Westminster Palace, as well as to comply with the requirements of the Civil Aviation Authority.

The lifting of height restrictions caused a boom in the construction of tall buildings during the 1960s. One of London's first notable tall buildings was the 117-metre (384 ft) Centre Point, completed in 1966. The NatWest Tower followed in 1980, which at 183 metres (600 ft) became London's first genuine "skyscraper" by international standards. It was followed in 1991 by the 235-metre (771 ft) One Canada Square, which formed the centrepiece of the Canary Wharf development. Following a 10-year gap, several new skyscrapers appeared on London's skyline: 8 Canada Square, 25 Canada Square, the Heron Quays buildings, the Barclays headquarters, the Broadgate Tower and the award-winning 30 St Mary Axe. Some of the awards given to 30 St Mary Axe include the Emporis Skyscraper Award in 2003[8] and the RIBA Stirling Prize for Architecture in 2004.[9]

With the precedent set by the towers of Canary Wharf and with the encouragement of former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, a renewed trend for building tall has been established in recent years. There are 9 structures actively under construction in London that will rise at least 100 metres (328 ft) in height. The tallest of these at 310 m (1,017 ft) is Shard London Bridge, which began construction in February 2009. The next tallest is the 288-metre "Pinnacle" which will form the centrepiece of the City skyscraper cluster.