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 was balanced on stilts above a 60,000 square foot excavation site at 50 Fenchurch Street in what developers called a 'never seen before feat of engineering'.
A 'bottoming out' ceremony on Tuesday came after the removal of more than 125,000 tonnes of earth underneath the tower to make way for a 650,000 square foot office tower.
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 36-storey tower, which is replacing a seven-storey office block that has been occupied by the Clothworkers Livery Company for almost 500 years, aims to realise a goal for 'a greener, more environmentally sustainable Square Mile'.
