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The owner of a skyscraper designed by renowned British architects Foster + Partners has launched a lawsuit over one of the City of London’s biggest developments, saying the 36-storey tower will obstruct the light.
Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund, which owns the freehold to the Willis Building in the heart of London’s financial district, is bringing the case against plans for the nearby development of 50 Fenchurch Street by Axa Investment Managers.
The High Court action is the latest dispute arising from a spate of projects in the area that have transformed the City’s skyline.
The Willis Building, headquarters of insurance broker Willis Towers Watson, was a striking addition when it was completed in 2008. Foster + Partners, founded by Lord Norman Foster, won an architectural award for the building, whose “stepped” design is intended to resemble a crustacean shell.
But it has since been eclipsed by a series of larger buildings. Developments since its completion include the “Cheesegrater” at 122 Leadenhall Street, the “Walkie-Talkie” at 20 Fenchurch Street and the hulking 22 Bishopsgate.
The lawsuit was filed by the UK real estate investment vehicle of the state of Kuwait against a special purpose vehicle controlled by Axa IM that holds the long leasehold at 50 Fenchurch Street.
In the lawsuit, which was brought in November but has not been previously reported, the claimant contends that although planning permission has already been secured for development, the plans will interfere with its rights to light.
The legal claim states that the development would “materially reduce the light enjoyed by the Willis Building” through some of the windows, “so as to amount to substantial interference with the ordinary enjoyment of the Willis Building and constitute a nuisance”.
The claimant is seeking an injunction to prevent the development from being completed in a way that infringes on those rights. Alternatively, it has demanded damages, which have not been specified.
A defence to the claim has not yet been filed with the court.
A spokesperson for 50 Fenchurch Street said: “We believe these claims are without merit but as a policy we do not comment on potential or ongoing legal proceedings and therefore have nothing further to say.”
The Kuwait Investment Authority did not respond to a request for comment, while lawyers for the claimant in the case in London declined to comment.
The 50 Fenchurch Street development is set to provide about 62,000 sq m of flexible office space, as well as a new livery hall for the Clothworkers’ Company, a City livery group that has occupied the site since 1528.
The plans include public indoor and outdoor gardens and a restaurant on the 10th floor with views across the City.
Other recent disputes over developments in the area include a row about a plan to demolish the former Museum of London to make way for new offices.
