Nuveen lodges plans for Holborn Viaduct office refurb

Nuveen Real Estate has submitted plans for the refurbishment and extension of 40 Holborn Viaduct, EC1. The development manager purchased the block in 2012 for £143.4m under its Cityhold Office Partnership from Delancey. It now plans to build a 12-storey office-led block with retail at ground and lower-ground levels. The existing nine-storey building was built in 2008 and borders Holborn Viaduct, Charterhouse Street and Shoe Lane, east of Holborn Circus. Proposed refurbishments would see 35,660 sq ft added to the building, as well as terraces, extra cycle storage, flex workspace, a fitness zone and an auditorium on the ground floor. This will provide 259,496 sq ft of office and 2,464 sq ft of retail space in the new block. Planning documents prepared by DP9 said the current site is “of an architectural style representative of office buildings at that time.” The new Eric Parry Architects-designed scheme was prompted by the building’s “deteriorating appearance”, “poor environmental performance” and growing tenant expectations for “a different quality of workspace”. If approved, the development will also deliver updates to the adjacent public realm, including a new public plaza at Pocket Park next to Holborn Circus. The building is targeting top environmental and sustainability credentials, including achieving BREEAM Excellent. Documents suggest the estimated cost of the proposal will be in excess of £100m. To send feedback, e-mail chante.bohitige@eg.co.uk or tweet @bohitige or @EGPropertyNews Image © Eric Parry Architects View other planning applications in EC1 >>