City Hall building's glass exterior to be removed

Formal plans have not yet been handed into Southwark Council

Plans have been unveiled to revamp the old City Hall building which include replacing its glass exterior to create balconies.

The building's landlord, St Martins, says the refurbishment also proposes using the ground floor to house cafes, shops and restaurants.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) moved from the building to Newham in 2021, due to rising costs.

Designed by Sir Norman Foster, the striking feature of City Hall was its glass shell aimed to imply transparency in political decision-making.

City Hall was designed by Lord Norman Foster in 2002

Former London mayor Ken Livingstone and his successor, Boris Johnson, famously referred to the glass exterior as a "glass testicle" and "glass gonad", respectively.

Kuwaiti-owned St Martins said it wanted to "improve the building’s environmental performance by replacing outdated extensive glazing with a greater balance of sustainable materials".

The building was in 2020 reported to cost the GLA £11.1m a year, including rent to St Martins, plus service charges and rates.

This was due to rise to £12.6m a year after Christmas 2021.

At the time, London mayor Sadiq Khan had claimed the move would save £61m over the next five years, but the GLA's Oversight Committee found the true figure was closer to £37m.

A formal planning application for the building, which has been renamed as 110 Queen's Walk, has not yet been submitted to Southwark Council, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Two exhibitions have been planned for 7 December and 9 December at Hay's Galleria where people can submit their feedback .