The plans for the development were first revealed in 1998 as part of a competition in which designs for a tower acting as a gateway to the city centre were to be submitted to the council and also for a building that could aid the regeneration plans in and around the area . The site chosen was the AEU Building , designed by The John Madin Design Group and completed in 1957 , at Holloway Circus . Two serious proposals were put forward , one by CALA Homes , which consisted of two cylindrical glass towers , and the other by the Beetham Corporation , which was a single 44-storey tower with two spires on the roof producing a total height of . The Beetham Corporation won , however it was forced to scale down the towers height , due to height limits enforced after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center , by the Civil Aviation Authority . The spires were also removed and replaced by two cones placed on the rear of the tower on top of the stairwells . The overhang at the front was added . The proposed office space was also removed and the planning application was withdrawn
September 11 terrorist attacks
September 11 attacks
10 Holloway Circus