London has several skyscrapers where visitors can go up for free. Three such buildings currently offer free public access to their top floors, another is under construction, and further projects are expected. The arrangement stems from planning rules that link approval of tall buildings to public benefit. The rules have changed over the past two decades, and the requirement is set to become stricter.

The London Plan and the Public Access Clause

The London Plan is the planning policy for all of Greater London. Policy D9 covers tall buildings and mainly regulates where and how they can be built. At the end of the policy, a clause addresses public access. It states that free-to-enter publicly accessible areas should be incorporated into tall buildings where appropriate.

The clause is not a strict requirement. A version of this policy has been in place since 2004.

Origins: The Shard

The Shard received planning approval in 2003, before the clause existed. The original proposal for the site was an office block. It received a poor response. In the early 2000s, London had far fewer tall buildings, and building them was more controversial.

Several months later, the developers submitted a new plan for a mixed-use building. It included apartments, a hotel, and a viewing gallery, which became known as the View from The Shard. A publicly usable component made the construction of the tallest building in Western Europe more acceptable.

The City of London and Protected Sight Lines

The City of London, the historic core of Greater London, is now primarily a financial district. In the 1990s, it ran short of space for companies seeking headquarters there. Taller buildings were the usual solution, but the City contains significant historic sites.

St Paul's Cathedral is protected by sight lines that new buildings must not block. Even buildings outside these sight lines can alter views of historic sites. To receive planning permission, a development had to demonstrate that the resulting harm was outweighed by a strong public benefit.

The City did not always make the final decision. Applications of this scale were often decided at the Greater London level or by the UK government.

The Walkie-Talkie and the Origin of the Sky Garden

In 2006, the developers proposed a building that was not yet called the Walkie-Talkie. The initial press release described a sky room at the top for receptions, product launches, and private dining.

The proposal did not block any protected sight lines. However, a location on a pavement about 300 metres from St Paul's revealed a problem. From that point, the building would be visible behind the cathedral.

Several months later, the developers amended the application in two ways:

• They lowered the height of the building.
• They converted the sky room into a free, publicly accessible Sky Garden.

The change increased the public benefit and shifted the balance between harm and benefit in favour of approval.

The Sky Garden now receives more than one million visitors each year. It is one of the main reasons tourists visit the City.

Subsequent Free Viewing Galleries

Since the Sky Garden opened, two more tall buildings with free public viewing galleries have been built. At least one additional building is planned.

The city is also incorporating free public access into its planning policy as a formal requirement. The clause that was previously optional is becoming mandatory.

Visiting the Sky Garden: Section 106 and Opening Hours

Planning approvals often include a section 106 agreement. This is a legally binding deal between the developer and the local council.

The section 106 agreement for the Sky Garden requires free access during specific daily hours. The Sky Garden also opens outside those hours, when visitors must pay for entry. A visitor who checked Google Maps opening times and arrived without a ticket was charged £11.50 as a walk-in. Walk-in visitors receive a free hot drink.

This arrangement is legal. Access is free for the hours required by the agreement, and the operator charges for entry outside those hours.

The Lookout at 8 Bishopsgate

The Lookout, at 8 Bishopsgate, opened in 2023 and is free to enter. Compared with the Sky Garden, it had fewer visitors during the presenters' visit. The presenters described its view as covering roughly 180 degrees rather than a full 360 degrees. They also noted its music and the informal atmosphere, with visitors able to enter directly from the street.

Horizon 22 at 22 Bishopsgate

Horizon 22, at 22 Bishopsgate, opened a few weeks after the Lookout. It is currently the highest viewing gallery in London. Its top floor is slightly higher than the viewing gallery at The Shard, even though the building is shorter than The Shard.

The presenters observed the following features:

• The lift rises to the top, and visitors then walk down two full floors to the viewing deck.
• The roof resembles the logo of the former NatWest Tower, the building's previous name.
• The space is sparse and has large windows, which the presenters described as optimised for the view.
• The deck offers a view of Tower Bridge. The presenters watched the bridge open for a ship.

According to the presenters, Tower Bridge's walkways were once open to pedestrians during the Victorian era. They were closed because of muggings, as the enclosed route made robbery easier.

The View from The Shard

The View from The Shard charges an admission fee of £28. The operator recently reduced its ticket prices in response to increased competition from free viewing galleries.

During the presenters' visit, parts of the attraction were closed for maintenance. The presenters reported the following:

• A substantial part of the view was blocked by a bar.
• The outdoor area offered a strong view.
• The attraction includes a large gift shop, which visitors pass through on entry and exit.
• The toilets offer what the presenters described as one of the best views in London.

The presenters concluded that the admission fee is not justified, given the free alternatives.

The Orbit at the Olympic Park

The presenters recommended the Orbit, located in the Olympic Park, as an alternative to The Shard. The structure includes a slide that descends from the viewing platform. The presenters said the slide was the highlight of their visit and considered it better than any of the viewing platforms in London. They rated the view at 10 out of 10 and noted that it covers the parts of London they most wanted to see.

The Tulip: A Rejected Observation Tower

The presenters visited the site beside the Gherkin, where a proposed observation tower called the Tulip would have stood. According to the presenters, the design included rotating cabins at the top and a restaurant. The structure would have consisted of five or six storeys of facilities at the summit of a large concrete lift shaft. The footprint was small, and the project would not have demolished any existing buildings.

According to the presenters' research, the proposal was not approved because it offered no public benefit. Access would have been fully paid, including the restaurants, attractions, and viewing decks.