All Hallows Staining tower suspended as Fifty Fenchurch Street rises in City of London

London's 700-year-old All Hallows Staining tower is being balanced on stilts above a vast excavation as Fifty Fenchurch Street advances in the City of London. The 36-storey office project, led by AXA IM Alts, is taking shape around the surviving medieval tower, which sits about 45 feet above ground. To preserve the structure, engineers underpin the base and excavate around it, forming a reinforced concrete slab that anchors the tower. Four plunge columns extend deep into the ground to stabilize the slab and allow the building to rise around the historic relic. The tower’s dramatic isolation from the surrounding site has become a visible symbol of how London blends heritage with new development in the post-pandemic era.

Archaeologists from the Museum of London excavated the graveyard before construction began and recovered more than 2,800 burials dating from the 12th to the 19th centuries, alongside Roman-era pottery and other artifacts. The work situates All Hallows Staining in a broader medieval landscape that Cambridge University's Murder Map identifies as the scene of notable crime in the 14th century — including two killings recorded near the church: in 1322, a woman was battered by a couple seeking her clothes; in 1336, a fishmonger was killed by his mistress who fled the scene. The discoveries underscore the density of London’s historic burial grounds and the way modern development repeatedly tests fragile archaeological layers.

All Hallows Staining survived the Great Fire of London in 1666, which destroyed thousands of homes and dozens of churches. Yet the volume of burials around the church and the digging required to reach them in later centuries are believed to have weakened its foundations. In 1671, just six years after the fire, the tower and parts of the church collapsed. A rebuild followed, but by 1870 most of the parish’s buildings were demolished as the church’s functions migrated to St Olave Hart Street. The tower remained a landmark as wartime bombing erased surrounding streets and later urban planning reshaped the area. After the war, Clothworkers' Hall and other historic buildings faced removal or relocation as new blocks rose on the site.

The current Fifty Fenchurch Street project envisions a 650,000-square-foot office block spread over 60,000 square meters, with a basement that required extensive underpinning and excavation. The tower sits atop a 60,000-square-foot excavation, with more than 125,000 tonnes of earth removed to create space for the new building. The design includes an underground livery hall, ground-floor shops, and a public garden roof that will bring greenery back to the heart of the Square Mile. The development’s footprint also integrates the historic Clothworkers' Hall and other retained structures while delivering modern amenities and technology intended to attract international business tenants. The building aims to be a showcase for greener, more environmentally sustainable urban design and is positioned to offer a tenth-floor public realm with 360-degree views of the surrounding skyline.

The project has drawn scrutiny from preservation advocates, including Historic Royal Palaces, which manages the Tower of London. Critics say the development could block protected views of the Tower, though supporters emphasize the site’s economic and environmental benefits and the preservation of the central tower as a focal point amid new architecture. The plan aligns with London’s aspiration to maintain its status as a global business hub while balancing heritage with modernization.

A bottoming-out ceremony marking a major construction milestone took place on Tuesday, with city officials in attendance. Howard Dawber, deputy mayor of London for business and growth, described Fifty Fenchurch Street as a landmark project that demonstrates the capital’s ongoing leadership in attracting investment. He noted that the project reflects London’s role as a world-class destination for business, underscoring the City’s push to integrate large-scale development with historic preservation and public space. The developers expect completion in 2028, a target that aligns with a broader wave of post-recovery construction across central London. Until then, All Hallows Staining will remain a visible reminder of the city’s layered past, as steel, concrete and glass rise around a medieval relic that has endured for seven centuries.