The Strata, London's Tallest Residential Tower

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Jul 20th 2010 at 12:01AM

London's tallest residential tower isn't just big, it's also the world's first skyscraper with built-in wind turbines. The Guardian's Jonathan Glancey took a look at the Strata, a newly built tower which is located in the Elephant and Castle area of the city and stands at 485 feet. There are 310 private units between levels 11 and 42 in the 43-story Strata SE1 with a choice of studios, one, two and three bedroom duplex apartments. The flats on levels 2-10 of the building have been sold as part of a shared-ownership deal and offer affordable housing while the higher floors are being sold to investors and others with deep pockets. The 39th floor is home to the Sky Lounge which has views of the city. The top of the building's unique profile is crowned by three wind turbines. If the turbines work as they are supposed to and aren't too noisy, they could supply around eight percent of the building's energy needs, enough to run the electrical and mechanical services and lighting, heating and ventilation in the building's public spaces.

Want to test it out? Units are available for let. A 36th floor three-bedroom apartment is listed at £840 per week.

Tags: london, strata london, the strata, wind power, wind turbines