A 700-year-old Grade I listed church tower in the City of London has been temporarily raised on steel supports as major construction work continues at the Fifty Fenchurch Street site. The medieval Tower of All Hallows Staining appears to hover some 45 feet above a huge 60,000 sq ft excavation dug out beneath it to make way for a new office development.
Engineering specialists devised the system of underpins and four temporary steel columns so the heritage structure could stay in place while builders remove more than 125,000 tonnes of earth for deep basement works.
A “bottoming-out” ceremony marked this milestone in progress on the 36-storey project designed by Eric Parry Architects, which is due to be completed in 2028. Once finished, the church tower will return to ground level and be integrated into a new public space at the heart of the scheme.
City officials said the unusual preservation effort highlights London’s blend of historic character with modern development.
Cornerstone Construction Fellowship 
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