Tower 42 (The Natwest Tower)
Here, you can explore many of Will Pearson s images that feature the NatWest Tower, now known as Tower 42.
Designed by architect Richard Seifert and constructed by John Mowlem & Co, Tower 42 was completed in 1980. At the time, it was a major addition to London’s skyline, and was a showcase of modern engineering.
Standing 183 metres tall, it became the first skyscraper in the City of London to exceed 600 feet. For ten years following its completion, it remained the tallest building in London. It was only toppled by the arrival of One Canada Square in Canary Wharf.
Viewed from above, the tower forms the three-pointed shape of the NatWest Bank logo. Each arm of the building houses its own bank of lifts and office floors, joined around a central core. The design made the most of natural light while creating an instantly recognisable silhouette. The tower’s steel frame and dark glass façade reflected the confident, functional style that defined much of Seifert’s work. He was also responsible for Centre Point on Tottenham Court Road and the nearby Kings Reach Tower on the South Bank.
Tower 42 was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II and was home to the NatWest Bank’s head offices for many years. Its construction required around 16,000 tonnes of steel and 35,000 square metres of glass. The building also introduced several energy-efficient design ideas for its time, including a system to recycle waste heat from offices to warm other parts of the building.
In 1993, the Bishopsgate bombing caused severe damage to the tower’s lower floors and façade. Demolition was considered, but the decision was made to retain and refurbish it instead. Over three years, Tower 42 underwent a complete internal and external transformation. This re-established its place as a key part of the City’s commercial landscape.
Once the tallest building in London, Tower 42 is now surrounded by newer and taller structures such as The Gherkin, the Leadenhall Building and 22 Bishopsgate. Yet it remains a landmark of late-twentieth-century architecture and one of the most recognisable elements of London’s skyline. Its height and shape continue to provide a strong focal point in views across the City.
Click any of the thumbnails below to explore Will Pearson s Tower 42 London images and panoramic views featuring the NatWest Tower.
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Roseate London
The view in this image encompasses so much of the London skyline and many of its iconic buildings. To the left, you have the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. The London Eye with Buckingham Palace nestled behind it within St James’ Park. Move along the Thames to cross the city into the centre of…
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Bishopsgate Rising
Documenting the City of London’s skyline is a project I envision taking the rest of my life. The changes have built pace so much over the last decade. Shooting medium format allows me to capture beautifully sharp images, and see so much of the detail in the scene. 22 Bishopsgate (TwentyTwo) dominates the City of…
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London Begins
A London Sunrise Panorama A new day over London, and the sunrise washes over the city. The square mile is drenched in light, the enormous buildings momentarily insubstantial. Usually, it’s the tall buildings that are the heroes of any cityscape. But here, the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court at the British Museum really proclaims its…
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Artillery Ground, Evening
This cityscape overlooks a part of the City of London that many of those dashing down the streets of Finsbury will never see. The vibrant green of the Artillery Ground contrasts sharply with the surrounding buildings. It belongs to the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC). The HAC building, Armoury House (not in view here), overlooks the…
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City of London Dusk
This gigapixel cityscape captures the City of London at dusk, as the windows light up and the city gets ready to wind down. Any fears about London’s future look utterly unfounded when you look at this skyline. When I started shooting the city the major buildings in this view would have been Tower 42 and…
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Shard 360 Gigapixel
London from the Top of The Shard A Shard 360 Gigapixel 360 panorama captured high above the city. Shot from the very top of The Shard, more than 300 metres above the River Thames, this Shard 360 gigapixel panorama offers a rare opportunity to explore London’s skyline in exceptional detail. to explore London’s skyline in…
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30 St Mary Axe 360
Dawn to Dusk from The Gherkin In this 30 St Mary Axe 360 you can explore the views from one of the City of London’s most iconic buildings. Although 30 St Mary Axe, commonly known as ‘the Gherkin’, is no longer among the very tallest in the City, it still stands out as one of…
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Canary Wharf Panorama
The Isle of Dogs This Canary Wharf panorama captures the dramatic skyline of London’s financial hub, viewed across the River Thames looking over towards the Isle of Dogs. Located on the banks of the river, the area once housed the West India Docks. As container ships grew in size during the 1960s, the docks gradually…
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Silvered City
Silvered City is a high resolution cityscape showing the changing face of the City of London‘s skyline. The image captures many of the capital’s most recognisable buildings, seen here under the soft, reflective morning light that gives the photograph its name. In this view, St Paul’s Cathedral is the historic heart of London’s skyline. After…
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Winter Sun London
London Skyline Gigapixel Captured from the roof of the Leadenhall Building, this London skyline gigapixel looks out over London in the low January sun. This is one of the times of day that light and the clouds can alter swiftly. Thus to capture a high resolution image in the few instants, before you lose that…
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London from The Leadenhall
Leadenhall Building Panorama This Leadenhall Building panorama offers a rare view over the City of London from more than 200 metres above the streets below. The image was captured from the roof of the Leadenhall Building, known to many as ‘The Cheesegrater’ due to its distinctive shape. It forms part of my series of high-resolution…
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Lambent London
City of London Photos ‘Lambent London’ was photographed from the summit of 30 St Mary Axe, better known as The Gherkin. From this height, City of London photos can reveal the intricate mix of historic and contemporary architecture that defines the Square Mile. The image forms part of my series of high-resolution panoramas documenting the…
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London from The Shard
A changing view across the capital Captured in 2014, ‘London from the Shard’ was taken from the very top of The Shard, 310 metres above the city. My shoot position was around 60 metres higher than the public viewing platform on the 72nd floor. From this vantage point, London appears immense: a city of movement…
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Constant Thames
Tower Bridge Panorama This high resolution Tower Bridge panorama follows the River Thames as it flows through the centre of London. Past HMS Belfast, More London, including City Hall, towards Tower Bridge, resplendent in blue and white. Across the river, in the City of London, many of its iconic skyscrapers are bursting into light as…
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Infinitely London
London photos documenting the skyline Infinitely London is part of an ongoing series of London photos capturing the capital’s skyline as it evolves year by year. This high-resolution panorama captures a moment when several of the City of London’s now-familiar towers were nearing completion. A point in time when London’s architectural identity was shifting from…
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Greenwich View Twilight
A Twilight gigapixel panorama shot from Greenwich looking towards Canary Wharf with the City of London in the distance. The River Thames flows past the Millennium Dome (the O2) with the many skyscrapers of Canary Wharf, including one Canada Square, towering above the river. Further into the distance you can see the iconic structures of…
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Into The City
Here you can really look into the City – the panorama is incredibly high resolution so whilst you can stay panned back to take in the views over the Barbican to the Heron Tower, Tower 42, The Gherkin at St Mary Axe, the new Rothschilds Bank HQ at St Swithin’s Lane and the Shard, go…
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London Landmarks, Autumn Evening
London’s tall landmarks bound together in one panoramic image as the sun sets on an autumn evening. From Earl’s Court, Kensington Gardens and the Albert Hall towards the west, then across the Serpentine to the iconic Battersea Power Station, Crystal Palace, Big Ben, the London Eye, Thames House at Vauxhall Cross (the MI5 building), Westminster…
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London Stilled in Evening
London’s brief stillness in the minutes after rush hour has ended before the evening’s activity truly begins. The panorama takes in most of London’s major landmarks from The Shard to Canary Wharf, The City of London with St Paul’s Cathedral, with the Thames dividing the city and the Tate Tower bisecting the image. Fine Art…
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Twilight view from the Shard
Twilight view from the Shard – London’s tallest and most spectacular skyscraper, The Shard at London Bridge. The River Thames sweeps past the illuminated City of London from Tower Bridge past London Bridge to Millennium Bridge and beyond. Many of London’s landmarks are visible in the cityscape, from Canary Wharf to the towering City of…
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Gigapixel 360 Panorama from the Shard
This is a 360 gigapixel panorama which I shot from the crane at the top of the Shard, London Bridge while it was still under construction. At the time of its opening, The Shard was the tallest building in the European Union. As at 2025, it’s the second tallest (outside Russia), beaten only by the…
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Shard London Bridge Summit
This 360 image was captured at the top of the Shard London Bridge, 310m above London, on the night of the student protests in November 2010. You can see the police helicopters hovering over London above the demonstration. Technically this was a very difficult shoot, I was on the crane at the top of the…
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London In Detail
In this panorama you can view The Shard under construction, with Canary Wharf seemingly just behind it. The level of resolution allows you to zoom in and see an incredible level of detail. Please click the ‘Fullscreen’ button for the best viewing experience and you can further explore the image to find many more of…
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Nautical Twilight, City
Panoramic London cityscape at twilight with views over the City of London. The Shard lit up though still under construction can be seen in the far right of the image, with familiar buildings the Gherkin (St Mary Axe), Tower 42 and the Heron Tower in the City of London to the left. The image is…
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Shard View at Night Panorama
I captured this panorama of the London skyline at night from the Shard at around the 35th floor, whilst the building was still under construction. The Shard’s height has given me the opportunity to show the London cityscape from a new angle, looking down on the Thames as it snakes through the city from London…
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The Shard London Bridge – Blue Hour
The Shard is one of London’s most exciting buildings. It was completed in 2012, then becoming the tallest building in the European Union. I shot views from the Shard for the developer, and the sheer height of the building has made it one of the most exciting series of cityscapes I have worked on –…
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Hampstead Heath Views – London Panorama
I’m fortunate to live within easy reach of Hampstead Heath – a 790 acre stretch of land where the view over London is protected by law! The height of the Heath makes it a great place to capture London’s landmark buildings from a distance. This view includes the Gherkin (St Mary Axe), Tower 42, The…
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Sundown over Holborn
Panorama looking from Holborn over London at sundown. This London cityscape includes the following landmarks: Shard London Bridge; Strata Tower; Guy’s Hospital Tower; 33 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin); Tower 42; the Heron Tower; King’s Reach Tower; the Barbican; Canary Wharf; the Tate Modern; the London Eye; the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.
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Sunlit London Panorama
Panorama looking across Westminster towards the City of London, with the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the BT Tower (Telecom Tower), the London Eye, Lambeth Palace, Shellmex House and over in the City, visible are Tower 42, the Gherkin and St Paul’s Cathedral. Zoom in to view the details and spot Nelson’s Column, the Oxo…
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Golden Mile
London Skyline Panorama This London skyline panorama is titled ‘Golden Mile’. Capturing it took a couple of evenings of standing around on top of a building. It had been a warm day in London and the heat of the city could still be felt as the sun set – it was great not to be…