Foster + Partners have designed a 50-storey tower set to grace London’s skyline.

Principal Tower will be part of Principal Place, a mixed-use development to feature a half acre public piazza and events space, bars, cafes, restaurants, shops and offices.

Sited near Shoreditch, Liverpool Street Station, major financial institutions and Silicon Roundabout, Principal Place will be developed by Brookfield, Concord Pacific and W1 Developments in a joint venture.

Foster + Partners, the architects behind the London Gherkin, have laid out plans for 243 private luxury apartments on the 30 upper storeys of the 175m (574ft) tower, with residents' gym and spa, screening room, lap pool and 24-hour concierge.

According to Foster + Partners, the ‘relationship between the creative, formerly industrial east end and Britain’s financial centre is expressed in the tower’s massing, which appears as three slim volumes.’

Deep windows provide views of the river and city while pale wood floors, white marble and bronze detailing interior design aim to fuse ‘the classic sophistication of the financial district with the creative, industrial aesthetic of Shoreditch.’

The tower’s environmental strategies include a combined heat and power plant, roof mounted photovoltaic panels and grey water harvesting.

Most apartments have a curved balcony, designed to soften the tower’s profile externally, contrasting it with the City’s nearby office buildings.