You may have seen our latest video on the tallest buildings in London.

We have decided to take a deeper look into the great buildings that make up our top three.

The capital is famous for many buildings, but these three stand out amongst the famous London skyline for their height.

So, the next time you’re in London, take a walk by and enjoy these iconic places.

But in the meantime, why not learn a bit more about them, starting at number 3.

Number 3: 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, E14

Standing at 235 metres tall, 1 Canada Square takes our bronze medal.

This stunning office building stands tall among the hustle and bustle of Canary Wharf and is a hotspot of activity due to the high number of offices that take up its fifty floors.

Beginning construction in 1988 and completed in 1991, this building was designed by Cesar Pelli, who has found fame as one of the world’s leading architects after working on buildings such as Wells Fargo Centre and the Petronas Twin Towers (the world’s tallest twin skyscrapers).

It is a monumental building that offers incredible views over the City of London for anyone lucky enough to work inside it.

Self-proclaimed as ‘The Home of Progress’, this is a stunning place. Take a walk inside and the sheer scale of the reception area is sure to take your breath away. Designed in a post-modern style inside and out, it’s a truly delightful place to work.

This building is so tall, there is a flashing light on top of the famous pyramid that finished off the structure to let aircraft know it’s there.

With plenty of lifts available to take you up and down the building (unless you want to climb the 4388 steps), this is a really accessible place to work, and when you’re in the heart of Canary Wharf, surrounded by the iconic HSBC and Barclays offices, it’s impossible not to feel inspired.

Just under 10,000 people currently work in this building, including some major established brands such as Revolut, HSBC, and Daihatsu.

If you want to work here, there’s plenty of opportunity, with over 200,000 sq.ft. of office space available, including these spaces that would cost £408 or £600 per desk per month.

Canada Square office space
One Canada Square Office Space

Number 2: 22 Bishopgate, The City of London, EC2

One Canada Square may be known as the UK’s original high rise, but it was knocked down to the third-place spot in 2020 as 22 Bishopsgate (known as Twentytwo) was opened.

Standing at 278 metres and consisting of 62 stories, this development has been hugely successful and in the small time it has been open, it has been rapidly filled by businesses eager to work from this location.

Deep in the City of London, it’s impossible to miss Twentytwo, with its stylish design lending it the nickname ‘Helter Skelter’.

All you need to realise the sheer scale of this building is to look through the many floors. Packed with amenities such as gyms, a restaurant, a bar, a viewing platform, and even a market, it has all the hallmarks of a great place to work.

The design was made by PLP Architecture for AXA IM. They focussed heavily on making the interior the perfect working environment, including features to boost the daylight that comes in, as well as high ceilings and fresh air.

The exterior is a real eye-catcher. It’s 23 sides glisten in the light of the City of London that surrounds it, and the sloping segments at the top add a lovely finishing touch.

The City of London is the ideal place to operate a business. There’s a reason this area is often seen to be competing with Downtown Manhattan as the financial capital of the world. With neighbouring buildings such as the world-famous Gherkin and Leadenhall Building (known as the Cheese Grater), it’s certainly in good company among London’s famous architecture.

Number 1: The Shard, Southwark, SE1

Onto our winner, and this building is not just famous for its size, but also for its design.

The Shard is known across the world as an immense architectural feat, and there are plenty of reasons why.

All you need to do is take a look at this building, made up of 11,000 glass panels, to understand the sheer brilliance of the build.

Standing at 309 metres tall, The Shard is not only the tallest building in London, it’s the tallest in the whole of Western Europe.

More than just office space, this building is home to hotels (such as the famous Shangri-La), restaurants, apartments, and so much more.

The history of the Shard was said to have begun over a lunch in Berlin. When developer Irvine Sellar discussed his ideas for a vertical city to architect Renzo Piano, the latter quickly turned over his menu and began to draw.

The result was a sketch that bears a remarkable likeness to the building we see today.

Construction was approved in 2003 and a decade later, on February 1st, The Shard was open.

Such is the sheer scale of The Shard, it contains its own business centre, which was designed by world-renowned architects Archer Humphreys.

This stunning centre contains stylish and modern offices with unbelievable views over London. And the best thing is you can move your business in right now, with some stunning office space available through One One One.

With limited availability every year (in 2017 it was completely full) it is vital you act quickly to get yourself a spot in one of the most iconic buildings this country has to offer.

The Shard office space
The Shard Office Space

London Skyscrapers Compared to the Tallest Buildings in the World

When it comes to size, you may think these London landmarks will stand high amongst the rest of the world, but you may be in for a shock.

The Shard may be the 7th tallest building in Europe, but it doesn’t even make the top 100 tallest buildings in the world.

In the current number one position is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which stands at a huge 828 metres, which makes it nearly as big as three Shards stood on top of each other.

This building stands clear above the rest, with second place being the Shanghai Tower at 632 metres.

The tallest building in Europe is the Lakhta Center in St. Petersburg which stands 153 metres higher than The Shard at 462 metres.

While these London buildings may not be comparable when it comes to size, their design and the way they blend into the stunning London skyline certainly puts them high up on our list of our favourite places to visit and work in.

One One One: Every London Office

At One One One, we have access to every London office. Right across the capital, you can find your new office with us, whether it is in one of these iconic skyscrapers, or somewhere completely different.

If you would like to know more about how we can help you find your ideal office space, then get in touch today.

We look forward to hearing from you.