Crown estate announces details of latest London commercial property developments

The Crown Estate has unveiled details of its pipeline of commercial property developments in London’s West End. According to The Crown Estate, the first three projects, which have a Gross Development Value of over £430 million, will deliver 250,000 sq ft of office, leisure and retail space in the heart of the Capital, which it claims will help to stimulate the renewal of the West End, attract global investment and contribute to the wider success of London.

The delivery of developments is a core part of The Crown Estate’s wider strategy across its London portfolio – which spans 10 million square feet of workspace, retail, dining, leisure and residential space – which it says will contribute to a more accessible, diverse and sustainable city. The redeveloped space will complement other works taking place across The Crown Estate’s central London portfolio, including the ‘Park to Park’ project being delivered in partnership with Westminster City Council to ‘reimagine and enhance’ the public spaces between Regent’s Park and St James’s Park including Regent Street, Haymarket and Piccadilly Circus, and a major programme of maintenance works across the West End’s famous heritage buildings.

Construction has started on three commercial property developments – New Zealand House (pictured), 10 Spring Gardens and 33-35 Piccadilly. The construction phase has already seen a number of training and employment opportunities created across the three sites, reflecting what the developer claims is a key strategic goal for The Crown Estate, as it works with the charities Breaking Barriers, Drive Forward Foundation, Under One Sky and Work While to promote accessible apprenticeships and boost green skills.

The Crown Estate is a collection of lands and holdings in the UK belonging to the British monarch as a corporation. It is described as neither government property nor part of the King’s private estate. The King has official ownership of the estate, however, is not involved with its management or administration.

New Zealand House

Situated at the southern gateway to Haymarket, the Arts Quarter and St James’s Market, New Zealand House is a Grade II listed, landmark building. Opened in 1963, the building was seen as a symbol of the New Zealand Government’s post-Second World War commitment to the United Kingdom and its broader relationship with the people and government of Great Britain.

Over 60 years ago it was an example of innovation and modernity, with the first fully air-conditioned office in London. The Crown Estate is working to celebrate New Zealand House’s iconic architecture and recapture its innovative status through an extensive refurbishment with a keen focus on sustainability. 90% of the structure is being retained, with steel obtained from re-use sources and 1,600 sq m of heritage finishes carefully preserved. As a result, the construction phase is anticipated to use less embodied carbon than The Crown Estate’s ambitious portfolio wide target of 400kgCO₂/m².

The retrofit project also includes the Grade I listed Royal Opera Arcade, which is being carefully restored and enhanced. When complete, New Zealand House will deliver 138,000 sq ft of office and hospitality space overlooking Westminster to the south and Piccadilly Circus to the north.

10 Spring Gardens

10 Spring Gardens?lies between The Mall and Trafalgar Square with views over St James’s Park. The building was constructed in 1975 for the British Council and is currently undergoing a full refurbishment, which will deliver c.80,000 sq ft of sustainable workspace, distributed over ground floor, basement and eight upper storeys.

This commercial property project also places a high priority on sustainable design and construction, retaining over 90% of the building’s structure and façade, and minimising the use of new raw materials, whilst enhancing the quality of the office floor plates, amenity spaces and entrances.??Upon completion it is targeting a NABERS 5* rating, EPC A and BREEAM Excellent, as well as a WELL Gold Certification.

33-35 Piccadilly

The redevelopment of 33-35 Piccadilly will provide 3,000 sq ft of prime retail and hospitality space on the ground floor, with 30,000 sq ft of office space on the floors above, representing an 85% increase in office and retail floor space. The finished project will provide an improved connection between Regent Street and Piccadilly, while better linking St James’s Church and Jermyn Street. It is targeted to achieve a NABERS 5* rating, a WELL Platinum Certification and BREEAM Outstanding.