Plans unveiled for 70-storey City office tower
Exchequer Court proposals include over 100,000 sq m of offices and a free public garden
28 October 2026
US insurer AmTrust is developing proposals for a 70-storey, 300-metre office tower at Exchequer Court in the City of London. Architect WilkinsonEyre has opened consultation on the emerging scheme, which would provide more than 100,000 sq m of Grade A office space near the Gherkin.
The plans include approximately 3,500 sq m of additional publicly accessible space and public uses within the first seven floors. A landscaped garden on the seventh floor would be free to access, while a ground-level courtyard and new pedestrian connections would form part of the public realm.
The proposals are at an early stage, with feedback being sought from local stakeholders, workers and the community before more detailed plans are developed.
Exchequer Court occupies a site bounded by St Mary Axe, Clerks Place, St Helen’s Place and Undershaft, beside St Helen’s Bishopsgate Church. It sits within the St Helen’s Place Conservation Area and the Eastern City Cluster of tall buildings.
Much of the existing building dates from the 1970s. It underwent extensive renovation in the early 1990s following the Baltic Exchange bombing. Between the 12th and 16th centuries, the site formed part of a nunnery connected to St Helen’s Church.
The project team identifies the existing building’s inefficient layout and poor operational sustainability as reasons for redevelopment. It also points to narrow, congested pavements and an underused sunken plant area as shortcomings in the site’s current relationship with the surrounding streets.
The proposed tower would offer office floorplates of approximately 1,950–2,100 sq m. Ground-floor uses, including spaces on the southern side of the site, are intended to increase street-level activity.
According to the consultation material, the City Plan identifies a need for at least 1.2 million sq m of additional commercial workspace by 2040. The project team estimates that Exchequer Court could contribute approximately 8% to 10% of that requirement.
Operational sustainability is identified as a priority for the new building, although the emerging proposals do not specify performance targets or certification standards.
Upper Brook is development manager for the scheme, with WSP appointed as multidisciplinary engineer and Bidwells as planning consultant. WilkinsonEyre is seeking views on the initial vision to inform the next stage of design.
