Hidden away but practically within the shadow of St Paul’s Cathedral, the One New Change roof terraces offers a unique view of one of London’s most iconic buildings that’s a great place to visit with your children on a visit to London. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about visiting the One New Change roof terrace with children in tow to ensure your family outing is as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
The One New Change roof terrace: the essentials
What is the One New Change roof terrace?
The One New Change roof terrace is an open-air rooftop viewing platform in the heart of the City of London. Located on top of a shopping centre and office complex, One New Change, the roof terrace is a small pocket of calm away from the streets below.
Where is the One New Change roof terrace?
The One New Change roof. terrace is located on top of the One New Change development. One New Change is home to retail and commercial space, One New Change’s principal architect was French architect Jean Nouvel. It is located just to the East of St Paul’s Cathedral.
How high up is the One New Change roof terrace?
The One New Change roof terrace is located on the sixth floor of the building. Planning policies in London safeguard certain ‘visual corridors’ to neighbouring St Paul’s Cathedral, ensuring that new developments do not obstruct historic views and St Paul’s Cathedral’s visual prominence. These planning policies meant that One New Change could not be built taller.
How old is the One New Change roof terrace?
The One New Change Development was completed and opened to the public in 2010. The roof terrace was closed to the public in June 2023 and reopened with new safety measures in place (heightened glass barriers) in June 2025.
How much does it cost to go to the One New Change roof terrace?
It is free to visit the One New Change roof terrace, meaning it is an ideal stop on itinerary for a family on a budget.
Do you need tickets for the One New Change roof terrace?
The One New Change roof terrace cannot be booked and so tickets are not available. This makes the One New Change roof terrace the ideal place to visit on a family holiday because it allows for flexibility within your itinerary – there is no need to worry about running late if the previous stop on your itinerary takes longer than you think. It also means that you can choose the best day to visit this open air viewing platform based on the weather conditions during your visit.
What is the capacity of the One New Change roof terrace?
There is no publicly stated capacity for the One New Change roof terrace.
When is the One New Change roof terrace open?
The One New Change roof terrace website does not list opening hours. The sign on the lifts indicates that it is open from 6.00am until 12.00am.
The rules note that ‘In the interests of safety or security, we may need to restrict access to, or close, any part of the roof terrace’ and ‘We may need to close the terrace at any time during inclement weather, security risk or health & safety risk’.
Getting to the One New Change roof terrace
What is the nearest tube to the One New Change roof terrace?
The nearest Tube stations to the One New Change roof terrace are St Paul’s (Central Line), Mansion House (Circle Line and District Line) and Bank (Circle Line, District Line, Central Line, Northern Line, Waterloo and City Line and the DLR).
How do you get into the One New Change Roof Terrace?
The One New Change roof terrace is accessed vis a pair of lifts at the middle of One New Change. There will often be someone located outside one who deals with queries and access for this wanting to visit Madison, the restaurant located on the rooftop. The roof terrace is free to access though, so you can just get into one of the glass lifts.
The ride up in the glass lifts offers a fantastic view of St Paul’s as you travel up, so make sure that you have your cameras at the ready! Once you exit the lifts, turn left and head round the corner and you will find yourself on the roof terrace with an amazing view of St Paul’s Cathedral right ahead of you.
Do you need to queue for One New Change roof terrace?
Other than to get in a lift (or if you are particularly unlucky), it is unlikely that you will need to queue for One New Change roof terrace. As it has only recently reopened after a significant period of time, it isn’t on as many people’s radars as it will be in due course.
Is there baggage storage at the One New Change roof terrace?
There is no baggage storage at the One New Change roof terrace.
At the One New Change roof terrace
What can you see from the One New Change roof terrace?
The One New Change roof terrace is lower than most of the other viewing platforms in London and primarily offers views West and South, so what you will see is more limited than other platforms.
The main attraction of the One New Change roof terrace is the up close view you will have of the St Paul’s Cathedral dome. Although visible from many of the other viewing platforms, the view is usually from much further away. Here it feels so close you could almost touch it (see if you can spot tourists on the two viewing gallery levels at St Paul’s).
Other than the view of St Paul’s Cathedral, you will also be able to see the London Eye in the distance and you will also get a decent view of the Shard.
The main attraction is the view on offer, but also on display is a mosaic by Boris Anrep and stone statues by Charles Wheeler that came from the building that way previously on site and which was demolished to make room for One New Change.
What facilities are there for children at the One New Change roof terrace?
There are toilets on the lower ground floor of One New Change, although recent Reddit threads indicate that the men’s toilets have been used at least at certain times for cruising, so it may be best to use alternatives, if possible.
How long can you spend at the One New Change roof terrace?
There is no time limit on how long you can spend at the One New Change. How long you stay will depend on you, but allowing around 15 minutes to explore would probably be more than enough time.
Can you eat at the One New Change roof terrace?
You can take your own food and drink to the One New Change roof terrace so it is the ideal place to stop for a bit of lunch. There isn’t any grass on which to spread out a picnic blanket but there is some bench seating. Note that glass bottles and alcohol are not allowed.
There is a Marks & Spencer Simply Food on the lower ground floor of One New Change, alternatively, there are a number of takeaway lunch venues in the nearby vicinity.
There is a restaurant – Madison – that is located on the roof terrace, but this is very much aimed at a premium adult market, rather than being family or child-friendly.
Do keep in mind that there is no shade cover, so you will be exposed to the elements. Take this into account when making your plans.
How does the One New Change roof terrace compare to other viewing platforms like Horizon 22 or the Sky Garden?
Have a look at our post that compares the viewing platforms in London for an idea of how the various viewing platforms in London compare to each other.
Is there a question you have about visiting the One New Change roof terrace that we haven’t answered here? Let us know in the comments and we’ll do our best to address it.
