Insurer signs for floor at 22 Bishopsgate
AXA IM Alts has confirmed that it has signed Fidelis, a UK insurer, on a 10-year lease at its new City skyscraper at 22 Bishopsgate, EC2.
The speciality insurance business has signed for 25,376 sq ft spanning the entire 42nd floor of the tower, confirming the news first reported by EG last month.
It is the first office letting that AXA IM Alts has secured at the 278-metre building since construction on it finished in December 2020.
AXA IM Alts has confirmed that it has signed Fidelis, a UK insurer, on a 10-year lease at its new City skyscraper at 22 Bishopsgate, EC2.
The speciality insurance business has signed for 25,376 sq ft spanning the entire 42nd floor of the tower, confirming the news first reported by EG last month.
It is the first office letting that AXA IM Alts has secured at the 278-metre building since construction on it finished in December 2020.
More may follow in the coming weeks, after law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and the Korean Development Bank went under offer on office space elsewhere on the site.
Fidelis’ lease will start in September, with a target move-in date of April 2022. It is understood that the building’s wellbeing and sustainability credentials played an important part in Fidelis’ decision to move there.
22 Bishopsgate is the second-tallest skyscraper in western Europe behind the Shard, and contains 1.2m sq ft of office space over 62 floors, along with more than 100,000 sq ft of amenity space.
This includes a 20,000 sq ft food hub called The Market across the second floor, innovation hub The Exchange, a members’ club, and a gym with London’s first sky-wall climbing window 125m above ground.
It was the first UK building to apply for the WELL building standard, an industry-wide wellbeing measure, with measures including a dog-friendly policy and extra filtration on air and water inside the tower.
The deal means that 60% of the building is now let and committed with 14 occupiers. Eight have already completed their office fit-outs and are preparing to welcome workers as restrictions are lifted.
Phillip Shalless, senior asset manager at AXA IM Alts, said: “As we have begun to emerge from the pandemic we have seen a significant increase in interest in 22 Bishopsgate, driven by a more acute focus from occupiers on ensuring that they have the best quality and most sustainable space for their people.
“From the outset we have aimed to deliver a differentiated and customer service-led product which is geared towards making the office lives of residents more productive and more enjoyable.
“It was this focus and the attention to small details – and especially our dog-friendly policy – that made the difference for Fidelis, and we look forward to welcoming them to our growing community.”
JLL and CBRE acted for 22 Bishopsgate. Savills advised Fidelis.
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Image © 22 Bishopsgate
