Tower 42

Tower 42, previously known as the NatWest tower or National Westminster Tower is a skyscraper in the City of London, England. From the top the design of the building is made to resemble the NatWest logo.

It was constructed between 1971 and 1980, first occupied in 1980 and opened on 11 June 1981 by Queen Elizabeth II. When completed it became the tallest building in the United Kingdom and remained the tallest in the city of London for 30 years until the completion of Heron Tower in December 2009.

The cost to build it was £72 million (£283 million today). The building today has grade A office spaces, a restaurant on the 24th floor and a champagne and seafood bar on the 42nd floor.

Design
In June 2012, a Capix LED multi-media lighting system was installed around levels 39 to 45. This replaced the previous high-energy floodlighting at the top of the building.

The top of the tower is made to resemble the NatWest logo of three chevrons in a hexagonal arrangement.

There are four sections known as the core, leaf 1, leaf 2 and leaf 3.