Could London ever turn into Dubai, with skyscrapers looming over ancient landmarks like Trafalgar Square, the Houses of Parliament or the Tower of London?
Not if the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) has its way. The UK government’s advisor on architecture, urban design and public space, has just rejected a plan submitted a 68-storey tower in Blackfriars — on the edge of London’s financial “square mile” — that includes a luxury hotel from Dubai government-owned hotel group, Jumeirah.
But the owner of iconic Dubai hotel, the Burj Al Arab, should not be too disappointed. CABE has approved a revised planning application for a 51-storey tower, by coincidence, the exact height of Emirates Towers, Jumeirah’s most successful hotel in Dubai.
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