Medieval church tower suspended 45ft above ground in 'never seen before' feat

A medieval church tower has been suspended 45ft (14 metres) above the ground as part of a building project in the City of London.

The tower of the 700-year-old All Hallows Staining Church was balanced on stilts in what developers called a "never seen before feat of engineering".

It was raised above a 60,000 square foot (5,574 square metre) excavation site as part of the redevelopment of 50 Fenchurch Street.

On Tuesday, a "bottoming out" ceremony was held, after more than 125,000 tonnes of earth were removed from underneath the tower to make way for a 650,000 square foot (60,387 square metre) office tower.

The tower will return to ground level as the development's basement levels are completed, including a new green public space, of which the church will form a part.

The development is due to be completed in 2028.

Howard Dawber, deputy mayor of London for business and growth, who attended the ceremony, said: "50 Fenchurch Street is a remarkable project and I am delighted to attend this unique ceremony that marks a significant construction milestone for this 36-storey flagship development.

"Development projects like this one in the City of London highlight our capital's position as a world-leading destination for leading businesses to invest."

The building is set to become one of the lowest-carbon and most biodiverse high-rise towers in the UK, builder Multiplex said on its website.

Read more from Sky News:
Boris Becker on UK's prisons
Kimmel back on the air
Ukraine 'can retake all lost land'

The 36-floor, all-electric commercial tower will dramatically increase biodiversity in the City of London.

The church is one of two listed buildings the project will work around, the other being Lambe's Chapel Crypt.

(c) Sky News 2025: Medieval church tower suspended 45ft above ground in 'never seen before' feat