WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND-The city planning committee has approved preliminary designs for four new towers in the Merchant Square project. The office and multifamily development, which is to include the famous “Cucumber” tower, is being built by a joint venture of the Reuben Bros. and the Jarvis Family Trust.

Two Merchant Square buildings are already up in the Paddington area. These include Four and Five Merchant Square, a 153-unit apartment building and a 430,000-square-foot office, respectively. Marks and Spencer lease half of the Five tower (also known as the Waterside building) for a corporate headquarters.

The city recently viewed designs for the other four buildings. These include One Merchant Square, a 41-story hotel and apartment property with a distinctive shape that has earned it its nickname, following its similarity to London’s famous gourd-shaped Gherkin building.

The other three buildings include Two, a 290,000-square-foot office; Three, a 201-unit apartment building and Six, a 119-unit apartment building with some space for medical office. All the properties include some retail.

The plans will be finalized and provided back to the city for final approval in April, aReuben Bros. spokesman tells GlobeSt.com.