Velocity Tower - Velocity Tower

Velocity Tower

In 2007 it was eventually confirmed that Velocity Estates were to take over the project with some design changes from Sheffield based architects AXIS Architecture. The altered design included a high-quality glass cladding façade to replace the previously proposed brickwork skin. A taller ground floor was also introduced, and a roof top wind turbine array was added to improve the buildings green credentials.

Construction started in 2007 under the agreed planning permission of the previous Eclipse building while a further application was submitted to alter the appearance of the tower and meet the City Council's design standards.

An application for the tower to go up to 36 storeys was submitted on 6 March 2008, but this was ultimately rejected by Sheffield Council stating that a 33-36 storey tower "would unacceptably break the city's skyline in important distant views".

A further revision to the plans were submitted limiting the build to a 30 storey tower and also lowering the west-facing wing of the building to 5 floors. To compensate for this reduction however the plans included the design of a second smaller tower at the far end of the wing, which would climb to 17 storeys. These plans were accepted by the council on 9 September 2008.

On 23 November 2008 the construction crane was removed from the Velocity Tower site and structural work halted. The tower now stands at 22 storeys of the 30 storeys planned, with, as of August 2009, the second tower and wing an unfinished concrete frame of two storeys, and the grounds fenced off.