<p>A twin-tower residential development by Foster + Partners is set to become the most cycle-friendly high-rise in London, with one bike parking space per bedroom. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The 250 City Road development, which was launched at the end of January, features 1,486 bike parking spaces – one-and-a-half for each of the 930 apartments – but only 200 car parking spaces. It also provides for dedicated bike lifts and a bike workshop for residents located beneath the 32- and 46-storey twin towers, which will occupy the site of a 1980s business park.<br /><br />“The project has a dedicated cycle lift from ground to basement level, where the cycle storage areas are located,” said Giles Robinson, partner at Foster + Partners and the project architect for the scheme. “At the basement level, there is a dedicated cycle maintenance workshop that enables cycles to be cleaned and maintained.”<br /><br />The high level of cycling provision exceeds Transport for London’s latest cycle design guidelines for new developments, which were published earlier in January. Under the guidelines, the 130,600 sq m project would be expected to provide 1,223 spaces. However, Islington Council’s planners insisted on an even higher provision.<br /><br />One-quarter of the spaces will be provided in stackable storage racks. “It’s a figure that spectacularly reflects changing attitudes to cycling in London,” said Peter Murray, a member of the London Mayor’s Design Advisory Group and a keen cyclist. “It represents a big shift in London. All new developments have to meet the (cycle provision) requirements, but since this is a tall and dense project, the impact and scale is impressive.”<br /><br />The twin-tower development also includes space for restaurants and cafes, retail units, three floors of office space and a 190-bedroom hotel. <br /><br /></p>
<p>A twin-tower residential development by Foster + Partners is set to become the most cycle-friendly high-rise in London, with one bike parking space per bedroom. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The 250 City Road development, which was launched at the end of January, features 1,486 bike parking spaces – one-and-a-half for each of the 930 apartments – but only 200 car parking spaces. It also provides for dedicated bike lifts and a bike workshop for residents located beneath the 32- and 46-storey twin towers, which will occupy the site of a 1980s business park.<br /><br />“The project has a dedicated cycle lift from ground to basement level, where the cycle storage areas are located,” said Giles Robinson, partner at Foster + Partners and the project architect for the scheme. “At the basement level, there is a dedicated cycle maintenance workshop that enables cycles to be cleaned and maintained.”<br /><br />The high level of cycling provision exceeds Transport for London’s latest cycle design guidelines for new developments, which were published earlier in January. Under the guidelines, the 130,600 sq m project would be expected to provide 1,223 spaces. However, Islington Council’s planners insisted on an even higher provision.<br /><br />One-quarter of the spaces will be provided in stackable storage racks. “It’s a figure that spectacularly reflects changing attitudes to cycling in London,” said Peter Murray, a member of the London Mayor’s Design Advisory Group and a keen cyclist. “It represents a big shift in London. All new developments have to meet the (cycle provision) requirements, but since this is a tall and dense project, the impact and scale is impressive.”<br /><br />The twin-tower development also includes space for restaurants and cafes, retail units, three floors of office space and a 190-bedroom hotel. <br /><br /></p>