London's ever burgeoning skyline is set to be graced with another new 224m skyscraper tower. The £286m Leadenhall Building, designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners and nicknamed 'The Cheesegrater' due to its wedge shape, will nestle between the Lloyd's of London building and the landmark Swiss Re Tower, better known as 'The Gherkin'.

Tony Gee has been retained by McGee Group to design the specialist temporary works required to enable the complex demolition of the original building situated at 122 Leadenhall Street. Together, Tony Gee and McGee have developed a process which allows piling for the replacement building to begin while the upper floors are demolished, thus giving significant programme benefits.

Built in the late 1960s, the original building comprises three basement levels and 15 storeys above ground level. The top 10 storeys are hung from prestressed trusses in the plant room situated at the top of the tower. Construction typically comprises a reinforced concrete core, steel beams and lightweight concrete floor slab.
The principal temporary works comprise a 40m x 40m steel platform used to support the top hung floors to allow conventional top down demolition. The platform also supports the external scaffolding to allow access to the external façade of the tower and to encapsulate the works. The platform is designed to be assembled at low level after the lower floors are demolished and then be raised to its working level. 

The new building is due to be completion by early 2011.