Plans are in place to alter the London skyline with a new building called The Tulip.

If The Tulip is built it will be the tallest building in the City of London, at almost double the height of its neighbouring 30 St Mary Axe, which is also known as The Gherkin.

Anyone else spotting a weird name trend here?

Plans for the building have been submitted to the City Corporation. If it is approved, the steel and glass skyscraper will rise up 1 000 feet (304 metres), making it the second highest in the capital behind The Shard.

Here’s The Telegraph:

The Tulip will be one foot taller than One Undershaft, which is currently under construction. When it was designed, this skyscraper was at the upper limit of how high a building could be in this area of London due to planes coming in to land at City airport.

However, improvements to its runway since One Undershaft was designed means that The Tulip can beat it and become the tallest tower in the City.

The building is being described as follows: “The Tulip will appear like a sleek silver lollipop among a forest of skyscrapers”.

Someone has to say it – the building looks like a dildo. Check out this history of vibrators if you need confirmation.

It is designed as a cultural and tourist attraction, with viewing areas, bars and restaurants. On the outlandish design, there are gondola pods which will revolve slowly around the outside The Tulip’s glass petals. From here, visitors can have panoramic views across London.

Inside the The Tulip’s bud there will be 12 floors, and it will also house a glass “Sky Bridge” for visitors to walk along. It will be the first purpose-built viewing tower in the capital, and those building it expect there to be one million visitors per year.

The building will generate its own energy, and construction materials have been specifically chosen to reduce energy consumption.

It has been designed to host cultural, educational, business and technology events, and it will also have an education space where 20,000 state school pupils a year will for free learn about London’s history.

The plans are part of a general effort to make the Square Mile more appealing as a cultural destination. Suggestions have also been made to build a new concert hall and museum in the area.

If approved, construction of the Tulip will begin in 2020, and is expected to be complete in 2025.

Goodbye, London skyline as we currently know it.

[source:telegraph]