Tower 42 is an unapologetically brutalist engineering feat nestled among a sea of glass-and-steel skyscrapers. Rising 600 feet above the Square Mile, its three leaf-like floorplates branch from a striking dark red marble-clad concrete core. The ongoing refurbishment aims to better reveal and celebrate the tower’s original architecture by reimagining the 17,200 sqft atrium reception, introducing 6,200 sqft of end-of-journey facilities, and delivering ‘ready to go’ CAT A+ office floors for incoming tenants.
- Location
- City of London
- Size
- 23,400 sqft
- Client
- Tower 42 Estate
Historical Photos of Tower 42
Completed in 1980, Tower 42 is a defining example of Richard Seifert’s late-modernist architecture. While its form and structure remain powerful, the experience of entering the building had become fragmented over time. A three-storey glass atrium, added after the 1993 IRA bombing, obscured views of the original core and tower above, while interiors across the building had grown dated, lacking the flexibility and amenity expected by today’s occupiers.
Like many City buildings, Tower 42’s reception was originally positioned at first-floor level to connect with the planned Pedway network of elevated walkways. When this vision was abandoned, arrival was left disconnected from street life. The brief was therefore multifaceted: to reimagine arrival and shared spaces, introduce contemporary CAT A+ office floors delivered as tenants change, and provide best-in-class end-of-journey facilities. These upgrades were enabled by the landlord’s recent energy strategy, which freed up basement space through the removal of a core riser.
The refurbishment is being delivered in phases, allowing Tower 42 to remain operational while gradually evolving its shared spaces and workplace offer. A pioneering energy strategy has already been implemented across the occupied tower, replacing gas-fired systems with electric air-source heat pumps and improving the building’s EPC. This work unlocked new spatial opportunities, enabling the completion of generous end-of-journey facilities and the opening up of previously enclosed lift lobbies within the core.
Before and After
The three-storey entrance atrium is currently being reimagined and is due to complete in 2026. Stripped back to restore a clearer reading of the tower’s geometry, it will be organised as a legible vertical sequence: a lively ground floor with café, flexible meeting and event spaces; a quieter mezzanine level with soft seating and management presence; and a calm, biophilic podium above. CAT A+ office floors are fitted out incrementally as tenants change, allowing Tower 42 to be carefully renewed over time.
Reception Design
