London’s Newest Skyscraper Gets Green Light

London’s Paddington will soon be home to a new 20-storey hotel tower, dubbed The Gateway Building, after planning permission was granted by Westminster council planners.

The Sheldon Square site will house the 113-metre-high hotel designed by architects Carmody Groarke for developer British Land. The hotel will provide access to the area's new Crossrail station, with the third basement level expected to provide access to the Elizabeth Line -- connecting Reading with London and Heathrow.

In a statement, British Land said that the development “introduce[s] a new high-quality hotel which will act as a ‘Gateway’ and offer a range of facilities to the Paddington area.”

The opening of a new Crossrail station in 2018 will see additional visitors to the Paddington area and increased demand for retail and places to stay. The first basement level will provide access to the adjacent canal and towpath.

The hotel will be 19-storeys above the Bishop’s Bridge Road level, offer up to 200 bedrooms and create approximately 500 jobs. A cafe, restaurant, retail, bar and leisure uses will add to the vibrancy of the Paddington area and activate the under-utilised spaces beneath the Bishop’s Bridge Road.

The hotel will be predominantly masonry in appearance -- offering a contrast to the predominantly glass and steel building designs typical of Paddington Central.

The proposal had been met with considerable objections to the scheme's "excessive height".

The Royal Parks, which manages London’s eight inner city parks objecting to the tower’s height and its impact on Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Regent's Park and Primrose Hill.

The Canal and Rivers Trust has concerns for the overshadowing of the adjacent waterway. In addition to height concerns local residents had objected on grounds of loss of light, views and privacy.

 The hotel will be predominantly masonry in appearance -- offering a contrast to the predominantly glass and steel building designs typical of Paddington Central. The developers had modified their proposed development in response to feedback.

Construction of the hotel is expected to commence later in 2018.

The British Land Company is one of the largest property development companies in the UK. It owns, manages, develops and finances a portfolio of commercial, retail and residential properties.