A 700-year-old church tower has been suspended 45 feet above ground as part of a major City of London building project.

The Grade I listed tower of All Hallows Staining Church stood elevated on stilts over a 60,000 square foot excavation site at 50 Fenchurch Street, which developers described as an unprecedented engineering achievement.

A ‘bottoming out’ ceremony on Tuesday marked the removal of over 125,000 tonnes of earth below the tower, paving the way for a 650,000 square foot office building.

Building the basement levels of the 50 Fenchurch Street project will reconnect the church tower with ground level, incorporating it into a new green public area.

The new 36-storey tower, replacing a seven-storey office block historically used by the Clothworkers Livery Company for nearly 500 years, is part of a vision for a more environmentally sustainable and greener Square Mile.

It will contain state-of-the-art technology and amenities, with its tenth floor providing a 360-degree ‘public realm experience’.

The plans also include an underground livery hall, ground-floor shops, 62,000 square metres of office space and a public garden roof. 

The project is being undertaken by Axa IM Alts, the investment arm of the French insurance company. 

The 700-year-old tower of All Hallows Staining church in central London has been suspended 45 feet above ground as part of a major re-development

The church was balanced on stilts above a 60,000 square foot excavation site at 50 Fenchurch Street

All that remains of All Hallows Staining is the tower that is being protected. It dates back to the early 14th century.

The church withstood the Great Fire of London in 1666, but much of it collapsed a few years later, leaving just the tower and a smaller section.

The rest of the church was subsequently rebuilt, only to be demolished again in the late 19th century when All Hallows’s parish merged with the nearby St Olave Hart Street.

As part of the current redevelopment, other buildings on the site – including the historic Clothworkers’ Hall and the church hall of St Olave Hart Street – have already been demolished. 

The project was opposed by Historic Royal Palaces, which manages the Tower of London.

They argued the project would block protected views of the Tower.

The sovereign wealth fund of Kuwait also opposed the project. 

More than 125,000 tonnes of earth was removed from underneath the tower to make way for a 650,000 square foot office

Construction of the 50 Fenchurch Street development’s basement levels will reunite the church tower with ground level to form part of a new green public space

The development is due to be completed in 2028. Above: The view from underneath the church

An aerial view of the construction site at 50 Fenchurch Street

The ‘bottoming out’ ceremony is undertaken at the lowest structural point

Looking up from the excavation towards the top of the church

The historic church tower is seen on stilts above the construction site 

They took their concerns to the High Court earlier this year, arguing the new skyscraper would obstruct light into the nearby Willis Building, which it owns.

The fund sought an injunction to stop the development being completed in a way that infringes its rights. Unspecified damages were demanded as an alternative. 

However, the City of London Corporation previously concluded when it approved the development in 2020 that it would not ‘result in unacceptable environmental impacts in terms of noise, air quality, wind, daylight and sunlight and overshadowing’.   

The development is due to be completed in 2028.

Howard Dawber, deputy mayor of London for business and growth, who attended the bottoming out ceremony, said: ‘Fifty Fenchurch Street is a remarkable project and I am delighted to attend this unique ceremony that marks a significant construction milestone for this 36-storey flagship development.

‘Development projects like this one in the City of London highlight our capital’s position as a world-leading destination for leading businesses to invest.’