Will Alsop has been replaced by architect Jestico + Whiles on a 43-storey tower development in central London

The tower at 151 City Road was to have been a collaboration between Alsop and artist Bruce McLean featuring a mix of shops, bars, a fitness centre, a hotel and flats. Publicity at the building’s launch in February 2007 hailed it as a “pioneering new building type, fusing large-scale art, sculpture and architecture”.

But client Endorra Holdings, part of the Access Self Storage group, has appointed Jestico + Whiles to design the building instead of Alsop.

A spokesperson for Alsop claimed the client had been persuaded to opt for a less ambitious scheme because of the economic climate. He said: “In the light of this decision we have decided to rule ourselves out.”