LONDON- DIFA, the German fund, has submitted plans for Europe's tallest office building, in the heart of the City of London. The Bishopsgate Tower will be 307 meters high, comfortably trumping Canary Wharf, which stands at 235 meters.

The new tower at 22-38 Bishopsgate has been designed by architect Kohn Pedersen Fox. It will contain 862,440 sf of office space on 55 floors. The first three floors will contain 24,285 sf of retail. The 42nd and 43rd floors will be open to the public and contain the highest restaurant and bar in London. Plans for the tower have been submitted to the City of London, and DIFA said in a statement that it would only begin construction with a significant prelet.

The project has the backing of the City Corp., which is attempting to create a cluster of tall buildings in the heart of the Square Mile. This latest tower will be situated between Tower 42, 30 St. Mary Axe and two other proposed skyscrapers, Gerald Ronson's Heron Tower and British Land's 122 Leadenhall St. The City Corp. is keen to grant permission for large buildings that can offer large floorplates and accommodate big financial houses in the City as part of its fightback against Canary Wharf.

The building does not affect strategic views of St Paul's, a common reason for blocking planning consent for towers in the city, and is situated within an area designated for tall buildings by planners. The building will replace office properties, most of which are half empty.