New Irish Embassy planned at Crown Estate’s 10 Spring Gardens

The government of Ireland has taken a lease on a refurbished Crown Estate office in St James’s for the new Irish Embassy. Ireland House will span 30,000 sq ft on the ground floor and the first, sixth, seventh and eight floors of 10 Spring Gardens, SW1. The deal follows the announcement last summer that the Irish Embassy would leave its premises at 17 Grosvenor Place to establish a new Ireland House elsewhere in London. Martin Fraser, the Irish ambassador to Great Britain, said: “London is home to Ireland’s biggest bilateral Embassy in the world. Building on commitments in the Programme for Government, Ireland House London will bring together the Embassy of Ireland with our state agencies and our citizen services for the first time. “It will also amplify the considerable ‘Team Ireland’ presence in London and act as a convening and welcoming space for the Irish community, friends of Ireland, and key political, business, cultural and other stakeholders.” Located between The Mall and Trafalgar Square, the building will provide roughly 80,000 sq ft of workspace, with sustainable design and construction. Refurbishment is already under way and should be complete in 2025, with 90% of the structure and façade retained to minimise the use of new materials. Simon-Harding Roots, managing director for London at the Crown Estate, said 10 Spring Gardens was a “fitting new location” for the embassy and its state agencies. He said: “The establishment of this new relationship between the government of Ireland and the Crown Estate clearly demonstrates the high demand for quality workspace in the West End, as the London market continues to evolve and strengthen.” According to EG data, rents in St James’s have averaged £103.64 per sq ft over the last year. See lettings in London St James’s >>  Image © Walk the Room