The stunning 47 storey building (612,000 sq ft), set to be one of the tallest in the City of London, is part of British Land's £4 billion development programme which also includes the new 35 storey Broadgate Tower and 201 Bishopsgate developments in the City.

Stephen Hester, Chief Executive, British Land, said: "We are confident about London’s future and its continued renaissance as the premier international business centre in the world. We believe the Leadenhall Building to be clearly the best of the new generation of City towers and expect it to attract strong interest from prospective occupiers. Our customer led strategies are delivering high levels of letting activity elsewhere, most notably all of 201 Bishopsgate and 40 per cent of the adjoining Broadgate Tower is now let or under offer, underpinning our confidence in the appeal of our buildings."

Demolition on the existing site is well underway and the Leadenhall Building is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2011 with construction costs of over £285 million.