The future of offices in eight fresh schemes

More than 2.5m sq ft of fresh London office space was applied for in Q1 2021 and more than 4.8m sq ft permitted, according to EG data, showing confidence in the future of workspace in the UK’s capital. Here, EG takes a look at eight new schemes set to bring more office space to London. 1) Earl Street/Technico House [caption id="attachment_1090036" align="aligncenter" width="847"] Development at 1 Earl Street, EC1.  Photo: Make Architects[/caption] The largest submitted scheme of the quarter was the London Stock Exchange’s plans to transform a freehold plot, known as Technico House, into a mixed-use development comprising offices, retail and restaurants. Designed by architects Make, the development will comprise almost 715,000 sq ft over 20 storeys. The site was put up for sale by the LSE through CBRE in December last year. Dutch developer EDGE, along with Mitsui Fudosan, are in talks to buy the block at 1 Earl Street, EC1, for more than £150m. The joint venture fought off competition from Tishman Speyer, Canary Wharf Group and Helical for the Shoreditch property. DP9 is advising on planning. 2) City Place House/City Tower [caption id="attachment_1087931" align="aligncenter" width="847"] City Place House. Photo: Allies and Morrison[/caption] Great Portland Estates has submitted plans for the 322,000 sq ft redevelopment of City Tower and City Place House, near Moorgate, EC2. The £600m project, designed by Allies & Morrison, will see the lower and ground floors of 40 Basinghall Street gutted and the existing building at 55 Basinghall Street replaced with a 12-storey, mixed-use building that “responds to the evolving requirements of the modern workplace”. The new development will be known as 2 Aldermanbury Square. DP9 is advising on planning. 3) Westminster House [caption id="attachment_1084105" align="aligncenter" width="847"] 7 Millbank, SW1. Photo: Make Architects[/caption] The former HQ of British American Tobacco, Westminster House at 7 Millbank, SW1, is to be turned into a 209,000 sq ft BREEAM Outstanding building under proposals submitted by owner Baola Properties during Q1. The building is currently occupied by the Parliamentary Estate but will become vacant next year. Baola wants to knock the building down to make way for a new nine-storey office development designed by Make. The building is being redeveloped in a bid to meet “modern occupier requirements” and will feature terraces on floors six to eight and a “bio-diverse” rood garden. Gerald Eve is advising on planning. 4) 63-81 Pelham Street [caption id="attachment_1090294" align="aligncenter" width="847"] 63-81 Pelham Street, SW1. Photo: Piercy&Company[/caption] The Wellcome Trust submitted plans in January to create an office-led mixed-use development at 63-81 Pelham Street, SW7. The Piercy & Company-designed scheme will comprise some 114,000 sq ft in a five-storey building. The 0.5-acre site is currently occupied by a four-storey post-war building, bordered by South Kensington Tube station. The scheme, which is targeting a BREEAM Outstanding rating, promises to deliver an exemplar development, creating a new grade-A office building of the highest architectural quality. DP9 is advising on planning. 5) 2-3 Finsbury Avenue [caption id="attachment_1080290" align="aligncenter" width="847"] 2-3 Finsbury Avenue, EC2. Photo: 3XN[/caption] In February, British Land and GIC got the nod to demolish its existing buildings at 2-3 Finsbury Avenue, EC2, and replace them with a 38-storey office flanked by a 20-storey development next door. The two towers will be connected by a central podium. Designed by Danish architect 3XN, the development has the ambition not just to be built to net carbon zero standards but to be operated that way too. In its planning submission, BL said the development would be the “next and most exciting step in the evolution of Broadgate, reflecting the changing nature of both workplace design and the evolving character of Broadgate”. The scheme will comprise some 1.1m sq ft, with around 900,000 sq ft of that offices. Some of the space will be used as an open learning hub. It replaces previous Arup-designed plans for a 32-storey scheme. DP9 advised on planning. 6) Paris Garden [caption id="attachment_1090300" align="aligncenter" width="847"] 1-3 Paris Garden, SE1. Photo: KPF[/caption] Almost two and a half years after submitting plans for the redevelopment of 1-3 Paris Garden and 16-19 Hatfields, SE1, Overcourt finally got the go-ahead from Southwark Council in the early part of the quarter. Overcourt is to demolish the two buildings to create a 23- and 26-storey office-led development. Designed by architects KPF, the scheme, which sits next to the Central School of Ballet, extends to almost 654,000 sq ft. The scheme was amended following a number of comments from English Heritage. Bastille Court on Paris Garden – formerly Clays Print Works – is Grade II listed for its innovative use of concrete. Franciscan Court and Dominican Court on Hatfields are also Grade II listed. They were designed by theatre architect Frank Matcham. 7) 55 Gracechurch Street [caption id="attachment_1078742" align="aligncenter" width="847"] 70 Gracechurch Street, EC3. Photo: Plomp[/caption] Tenacity, the development company of Hong Kong’s Patrick Wong, has now received approval from the City of London Corporation for two towers. At 55 Gracechurch Street, EC3, Tenacity will build a 30-storey, 410,000 sq ft scheme to replace the existing nine-storey office currently on the site. A month after getting the nod for number 55, Wong’s Tenacity was also given the go-ahead for the redevelopment of 70 Gracechurch Street, where the firm is planning some 600,000 sq ft of offices over 34 storeys. 8) Southwark Underground [caption id="attachment_1083508" align="aligncenter" width="847"] TfL development over Southwark Tube station. Photo: Hayes Davidson[/caption] Transport for London’s plans to develop a 17-storey over-station office tower at Southwark Tube were given the green light as the quarter drew to a close. TfL will knock down Algarve House, SE1, and 49-56 Hatfields to build a hybrid timber tower with around 285,000 sq ft of office space and about 2,550 sq ft of shops. AHMM designed the scheme. Deloitte Real Estate advised on planning.