With the exception of flying in an aircraft, the upcoming Horizon 22 viewing gallery is about as high a view of London as the general public is likely to enjoy. Situated within the UK's second-tallest skyscraper, 22 Bishopsgate, it opens free-of-charge in September.
22 Bishopsgate was designed by PLP Architecture and is the tallest skyscraper in the City of London at 278.2 m (almost 913 ft) – however, to be clear, it's not the tallest in the whole of London. That honor remains with the 306-m (1,004-ft) Shard.
The viewing gallery is situated on floor 58 at a height of 254 m (833 ft), which beats the Shard's own viewing point at 243 m (800 ft) and also edges out the tallest hill in Greater London, which rises to 251 m (823 ft). It's accessed using its own entrance on ground level and a pair of high-speed elevators travel at 8 m (26 ft) per second, whisking visitors up to the gallery in just 41 seconds.
On arrival, the viewing gallery has an 8.4-m (27.8-ft)-high ceiling and generous triple-glazed windows to show off views of the city's famous landmarks, including the Shard, the Scalpel and the Walkie-Talkie.
"As the highest free public viewing gallery in London, we hope Horizon 22 will become a must-see destination for anyone visiting, living or working in this great city," said Phillip Shalless, Senior Asset Manager at AXA IM Alts, which owns 22 Bishopsgate.
"Whether you're a first-time visitor to the city, a local worker wanting to do something different in your lunch hour, or someone looking for that memorable place to propose, the soaring views from Horizon 22 provide the perfect backdrop. We very much look forward to welcoming our first visitors in September."
As well as being London's highest viewing point, it's the highest free viewing point in Europe. However, if you'd like to visit you'll still need to book online. Pre-bookings are available from September 20 and it officially opens a week later.
Source: 22 Bishopsgate
