Medieval London church suspended 45 feet above ground during 50 Fenchurch Street redevelopment

A 700-year-old church tower in central London has been suspended 45 feet above the ground as part of a major redevelopment at 50 Fenchurch Street, a feat developers describe as a "never before seen feat of engineering." The Grade I listed tower of All Hallows Staining sits on stilts above a 60,000-square-foot excavation as a 36-storey block rises on the site.

A bottoming-out ceremony was held on Tuesday after more than 125,000 tonnes of earth were removed from beneath the tower to enable the construction of a 650,000-square-foot office tower. The move is intended to reunite the church tower with ground level to form part of a new green public space that will accompany the basement levels of the development.

The 50 Fenchurch Street project, developed by AXA IM Alts, the investment arm of the French insurer, will comprise a 36-storey tower replacing a seven-storey block historically occupied by the Clothworkers Livery Company for almost five centuries. The scheme encompasses underground levels, ground-floor retail, and a public garden roof, with office space described in the plan as about 62,000 square metres in total. The tenth floor is pitched as a public realm experience offering a 360-degree view of the City, while an underground livery hall will be housed on site as part of the overall transformation.

Completion is slated for 2028, with the basement levels designed to bring the tower back to ground level and integrate green space into what developers say will be a more environmentally sustainable version of the Square Mile. The project’s scale also includes a substantial public interface, including a new green public space that will link to surrounding streets and historic sites.

Historically, All Hallows Staining dates to the early 14th century. The church survived the Great Fire of London in 1666 but much of its structure collapsed in the years that followed, leaving only the tower and a smaller segment. The remainder of the church was rebuilt and later demolished in the late 19th century when the parish was merged with the nearby St Olave Hart Street. In the current redevelopment, other buildings on the site—the historic Clothworkers’ Hall and the St Olave Hart Street church hall—have already been demolished to make way for the project.

The project has drawn scrutiny from heritage and property stakeholders. Historic Royal Palaces, which manages the Tower of London, argued the development would obstruct protected views of the Tower, while Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund opposed the scheme. The fund pursued an injunction to halt the project in a manner it believed infringed rights, and it asked for unspecified damages if the injunction did not succeed. The City of London Corporation, however, approved the development in 2020, contending that it would not cause unacceptable environmental impacts in terms of noise, air quality, wind, daylight, sunlight, or overshadowing.

The bottoming-out ceremony was attended by city officials, including Howard Dawber, deputy mayor of London for business and growth, who noted the significance of the milestone. Dawber said the project underscores London’s status as a global hub for business and innovation and highlighted the city’s commitment to sustainable development while preserving its historic fabric.

The development’s footprint extends beyond the tower itself. The 650,000-square-foot office block is designed to attract high-profile tenants and integrate advanced technologies and amenities that align with a greener city agenda. The underground components, the public garden roof, and the new green spaces are part of a broader urban design strategy to reimagine the area as a more walkable, visually open zone that connects with historic precedents and modern commerce alike.

As the City of London proceeds with the final phases of construction, planners emphasize that the project will deliver a reimagined streetscape, improved daylighting for adjacent structures, and a more accessible public realm. While the tower’s suspended phase has captured attention, the broader aim remains the creation of a flagship, mixed-use development that balances historic preservation with contemporary design and sustainability goals.