What will eventually become the City of London’s tallest building has changed its name and, in doing so, doubtless caused perpetual headscratching about its address.

What was to be called 1 Understaft, for the simple reason that is its address, is now to be known as One London – because that’s the sort of branding that marketing people think is a good idea.

It also means that the address will be more complicated as One London, 1 Undershaft, London.

Maybe they will also hope that no one remembers it’s also the name of a short-lived right-wing political party with two members in the GLA, set up because UKIP wasn’t right-wing enough for them.

The street name, Undershaft, has a more interesting history.

Up to the 16th century, there used to be a famous maypole put up on feast days on the corner of St Mary Axe.

So tall was the shaft that it was higher than the local church, giving it its nickname of St Andrew Undershaft. When not in use, the maypole was stored horizontally above shops in a nearby alley, the aptly named Shaft’s Court.

The mayday custom continued each spring until the Mayday riots of 1517, but the maypole itself survived until 1547, when, it’s said, motivated by a fierce sermon at a nearby church, the shop owners took down the maypole from above their shops, chopped it up and burnt it. A modern replica was erected next to The Leadenhall Building, roughly where Shaft’s Court once stood.

But 1 Undershaft has turned its back on its historic maypole origins and will be the unimaginatively bland One London.

It’s not just the name, but the tower has changed from its original design for a tall, rather neat rectangle into a staggered set of blocks, with a peculiar outdoor podium that has been alluded to as anything from a plastic spoon to a toilet seat.

When completed, it will be just a tiny bit taller than The Shard, but by just 6cm (309.60 vs 309.66), which was undoubtedly done for entirely commercially sensible reasons and not at all so that it can nab the title of London’s tallest building.

The City’s tallest building is 22 Bishopsgate, at 278 m (912 ft), but thanks to its design, it offers a higher viewing gallery than The Shard. The new tower will also come with its own viewing gallery, as well as a children’s education space at levels 72 and 73, operated in partnership with the London Museum and open 7 days a week and into the evening.

Construction of the rebranded tower is now scheduled to start in 2028, with completion in 2033.

And before anyone says we don’t need more office space, according to the City of London, there are now an average of 676,000 people working in the City each day. That is 25% higher than before the pandemic, so the work-from-home gutting of office space hasn’t happened. Quite the opposite.

The shortage of quality office space is sending office rents soaring, and demand is expected to outstrip supply over the next few years until new office completions become available.