Developer Endurance Land has secured a resolution to grant planning permission by London Borough of Islington for the retrofit and extension of the outdated office building at 99 City Road near Old Street Roundabout.

Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, the new 35-storey building will provide 64,873m2 of adaptable, high-quality workspace.

The design scheme overhaul outlines a plan to modernise the existing infrastructure, bolster its interaction with adjacent developments, and amplify its green credentials. The design targets high-level industry standards, including BREEAM Outstanding and NABERS 5*.

A publicly accessible, permeable ground floor has been designed for public benefit, including a community makerspace, exhibition space, and a triple-height ceiling great room for curated events.

A significant part (4,320m2) of the office space will be affordable, doubling the existing provision in Islington.

Jonathan Fletcher, CEO at Endurance Land commented: “The redevelopment will deliver a landmark, Net Zero scheme that’s tailored to Islington and Old Street, drastically improve the building’s sustainability credentials, offer generous community benefits, and unlock the potential of the site. It’s an incredible achievement to design a tower of this calibre. We are delighted to have been granted a resolution for planning approval. Our congratulations to the entire project team. We would also like to thank Islington Council and the planning officers for their close collaboration throughout the entire planning process.”

John Bushell, Principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates said:

“From the earliest stages of the design process we were looking for the best way to retain as much of the existing structure as possible, to improve the public realm, and to create a landmark building for London’s Tech City on this important site. The project delivers much-needed office space to suit different occupiers’ budgets, alongside many benefits to the wider community. The committee’s decision reflects the collaborative achievement of the whole team and we’re incredibly pleased with the outcome.”

Elie Gamburg, Principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates added:

“The design for 99 City Road transforms an unattractive building and almost triples the public realm at a key London location. Our design’s innovative approach to ‘folding’ as a formal concept responds to the site’s diverse contexts at multiple scales, and elegant structural solutions achieve ambitious embodied carbon targets. A careful emphasis has been placed on detail and material craft to create a building that is sensitively scaled with an appearance that changes with peoples viewing position.”

Read also: Endurance Land submits plans for the redevelopment of 99 City Road.