Kuwait's sovereign wealth fund has initiated legal action against one of the City of London's largest development projects, claiming the planned 36-storey tower will obstruct light to a building it owns, Financial Times reported on April 22.

The Kuwait Investment Authority, which owns the freehold to the Willis Building in London's financial district, has filed a High Court case against Axa Investment Managers regarding their development at 50 Fenchurch Street.

The Willis Building, designed by Foster + Partners and completed in 2008, serves as the headquarters for insurance broker Willis Towers Watson. The award-winning structure features a distinctive "stepped" design meant to resemble a crustacean shell.

The lawsuit, filed in November by Kuwait's UK real estate investment vehicle, contends that although planning permission has been secured for the new development, the plans will "materially reduce the light enjoyed by the Willis Building" and "constitute a nuisance."

Kuwait's fund is seeking an injunction to prevent the development from being completed in a way that infringes on those rights, or alternatively, unspecified damages.

A spokesperson for 50 Fenchurch Street responded: "We believe these claims are without merit, but as a policy we do not comment on potential or ongoing legal proceedings."

The 50 Fenchurch Street project is designed to provide approximately 62,000 square metres of flexible office space, alongside a new livery hall for the Clothworkers' Company, which has occupied the site since 1528. The development plans also include public gardens and a restaurant on the 10th floor.

This dispute adds to a series of controversies surrounding development in London's financial district, where several major skyscrapers, including the "Cheesegrater" and "Walkie-Talkie," have transformed the City's skyline in recent years.