Located in London’s Nine Elms district, this landmark development comprises two towers (57 and 42 storeys), delivering over 1.2 million sq. ft. and is the UK’s tallest residential scheme.
The project includes 82,000 sq.m. of residential space (with affordable housing provision), 30,000 sq.m. of hotel accommodation marking Park Hyatt’s return to London. In addition to a £20m contribution to the Northern Line extension and local housing initiatives, the scheme reflects a major urban regeneration effort. Gleeds has been the leading cost consultant since the project began 2014.
As the focal point for the evolving Nine Elms district, One Nine Elms is a landmark mixed-use development at a prime riverfront location between Battersea and Vauxhall. The scheme is made up of two slender towers, the 57-storey City Tower and the 42-storey River Tower, connected by a glazed bridge at first floor level. Together, they deliver over 1.2 million sq. ft. of residential, hotel and amenity space, including 437 high-end apartments, 57 affordable housing, and the luxury 203-room Park Hyatt London River Thames, marking the brand’s first hotel in the UK.
Designed with elegant materials, minimalist detailing and a neutral colour palette, the towers provide contemporary living enhanced by winter gardens and panoramic views across London.
The design deliberately frames cityscapes including the River Thames, Battersea Power Station and the Houses of Parliament, while the facades use texture and vertical frames to play with scale and light. At ground level, a central plaza, retail, dining, and activated frontage bring vibrancy to the wider Nine Elms regeneration, creating a destination that blends living, working, and leisure. The observation deck at level 56 offers a spectacular view of the London and beyond to the public.
Challenges and solutions
The site’s history and complexity posed several significant engineering challenges. It previously accommodated two towers with reinforced concrete raft foundations, requiring demolition and complex foundation strategies, including reusing existing piles or stitching new piles around them. A large Victorian trunk sewer, still in use, intersected the site, demanding careful design to transfer loads safely.
Delivering the foundations required a 4,985m3 concrete pour, the second largest in history. Structural stability was a further challenge, with the potential for the two towers to move differently under wind loads. To mitigate this, a concrete frame construction was selected for its acoustic and performance benefits, supported by embedded steelwork, post-tensioning for thinner slabs, and an outrigger system to enhance stability without compromising internal layouts. The implementation of an innovative top-down construction method of this project allowed the team to work simultaneously on both the superstructure and substructure. This saved valuable time within the lifecycle of the project.
The project coincided with a number of unexpected geopolitical events that the delivery team had to navigate including Brexit, the Covid pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine War. Gleeds supported the client in mitigating the impact of these events on the project, minimising cost impacts.
ONE received a number of awards in the International Property Awards 2023:
- Best Residential High Rise Development London
- Best Residential High Rise Development United Kingdom
- Best Residential High Rise Development Europe
- Best Mixed Use Development London
- Best Mixed Use Development United Kingdom.
In addition, ONE has been honoured in the 2025 RESI Awards in the ‘Excellence in Prime Residential‘ category.
The future
One Nine Elms has set a new benchmark in London’s residential and mixed-use development. At completion, the City Tower became the tallest residential building in Western Europe, symbolising the ambition of the Nine Elms regeneration. With the Park Hyatt brand reintroduced to the UK, new affordable housing provision, and a dynamic public realm, the project enhances London’s global reputation as a city of modern, sustainable, and aspirational living.
