Europe's two tallest towers to be built by Irish firm

The Irish-based company, Ballymore, has been granted planning permission to build Europe's tallest residential towers in the London docklands.

Two interlinking towers at Millharbour will stand 36 storeys and 50 storeys, reaching a height of 560ft. They will accommodate 700 apartments, the first tranche of which will be offered for sale off the plans next autumn. The scheme is due to be completed in 2009.

Ballymore, set up in 1982 by Mr Seán Mulryan, is one of the main players in the London apartment market, where it owns large tracts of land, principally in the docklands.

The company has more than €9.8 billion of projects in the pipeline over the short- to medium-term in Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe.

The two London towers will be connected by a landscaped podium which will incorporate commercial space including bars and restaurant, retail stores, a health spa and a five-star boutique hotel. There are also plans to provide a champagne and oyster bar on the top floor of the 50-storey tower which will have uninterrupted views over central London.

Located on a waterside site only 500m from Canada Square, the two skyscrapers will have a slender glass and steel facade reminiscent of the architecture found in Manhattan, Sydney and Singapore.

The scheme has been designed by international architects Skidmore Owings & Merrill, the firm behind the Sears Tower in Chicago which was the world's tallest building until 1998. The practice recently designed the Burj Dubai in the Middle East.