Conor Riordan, Architectural Assistant at LOM architecture and design reflects on the NLA’s annual Tall Buildings conference, which explored evolving occupier demands, market trends, and how skyscrapers are adapting to changing business and public realm needs.

On March 17th, I attended the NLA’s Tall Buildings Conference at the London Centre, housed in the beautifully designed West Wing by Richard Gilbert Scott. It was my first time at the NLA and the Guildhall, and what stood out wasn’t just the space itself but the wide cross-section of experts from across the built environment.

London’s skyline is evolving, but it’s a tale of two cities. On one side, commercial real estate-especially Grade A office space-continues to rise, signalling confidence in London’s role as a global business hub. Yet, the open panel discussion highlighted that residential high-rises are facing mounting challenges emanating from the changes to The Building Safety Act and prolonged approval periods creating a bureaucratic bottleneck, doubling approval times.

The appetite for tall buildings isn’t fading; it’s shifting. Planning applications have risen, yet approvals have collapsed—from 21 in 2023 to just six last year—as construction costs, interest rates, and stricter regulations stall projects. However, mixed-use developments, now 76% of applications, offer a way forward, blending residential, commercial, and public spaces to create more adaptable, tenant-focused urban environments.

A key theme was heritage through densification. The argument: taller, denser buildings can help preserve historic landmarks by reducing development pressure elsewhere while funding critical preservation efforts, especially when archaeological discoveries emerge, as seen at 85 Gracechurch Street by Woods Bagot. Rather than a clash between past and future, the speakers framed density as a tool for safeguarding London’s architectural legacy while accommodating its growth.

At LOM, I am currently working on the design and planning for a new mixed-use tower in Malta consisting of retail, office, hotel and residential uses. Malta is made up of one of the densest urban environments in the EU and has experienced a recent wave of high-rise developments. While not on the scale of London’s skyline, similar urban challenges are shared with the opportunity to address both commercial and community needs in an urban setting.

Situated at a busy intersection, the design prioritises urban integration. A new public piazza at the base of the tower will provide new pedestrian links and a quality public realm in an area currently lacking. Accessible podium floors will be activated by commercial space with new retail and F+B creating a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly environment to encourage movement and interaction. Jo Bacon of Allies and Morrison appropriately alluded to these as ‘the in-between spaces’, which are critical to the success of tall buildings.

The public realm and amenity in our design also extend, vertically, with three terrace levels offering shared amenity and panoramic views for both tenants and the wider public. These terraces visually cap each of the building's uses and help unify the whole, which is further accentuated by a vertical ‘green spine’ that connects the base of the tower to the top roof terrace.

This Tall Buildings conference underlined the necessity of tall buildings; as cities get denser, the future of urban living depends on building up—but doing it right. Lessons learnt from London can be applied worldwide. A new generation of blended tall buildings is needed, integrating residential, commercial, and community spaces to foster inclusive neighbourhoods. These multifunctional developments have the capacity to address housing shortages, drive economic growth, and encourage social interaction. As important as the buildings are, the spaces between them strengthen the urban realm and how we experience our cities.