Croydon Tower Croydon is the largest town in South London and to date lacks the authority to be seen as “a place on the map to be” or to have something to be remembered and be identified. Our proposal to the competition tendered by the London Borough of Croydon was to create a memorable tower with a strong form and personality to be easily recognisable as not only as an iconic building for Croydon but one of the tallest landmark for London. More than 50 floors high, the tower will have at the very top the entire floor which will form the largest landscape in London, with mature 15 metre trees and a 20 metre high glass ceiling. This will give an interrupted view across London and the surrounding area. On two sides of the building the tower will have three floors high hanging gardens at different levels and different heights and will provide the largest ecological environment in Europe. Every tall building should add something of interest to the view. It should improve the public realm at its feet. It should respect important vistas, though that doesn’t mean that the horizon should never change. Towers also have to show that they meet the challenge to reduce carbon emissions. What we want above all is first class architecture to be the distinguishing feature of London’s changing skyline, with distinctive buildings that ensure our capital’s identity is instantly recognisable and universally admired. That’s been the City’s way for centuries.