TfL to occupy first commercial property at International Quarter

Construction is to begin this summer on the first of a number of office buildings planned for the second stage of the International Quarter, a £2.1 billion mixed-use development in Stratford in East London. Transport for London (TfL) has signed a pre-let with Lend Lease and London and Continental Railways (LCR) to occupy all of the space in the 265,000 sq ft commercial property. An estimated 3,000 TfL workers will relocate to the International Quarter’s new offices and, once completed, an estimated 25,000 people will work at and visit the site each day. The developers claim they are in discussions with other tenants about moving to The International Quarter – which, at a total of four million square feet, will be one of the largest new commercial property developments in the capital.

Steve Allen, Managing Director of Finance at TfL, said: “We are consolidating our office accommodation into a smaller number of larger buildings. The International Quarter in Stratford provides the ideal opportunity for us to make further progress with its excellent transport links while enabling us to achieve significant savings.”

The designs have been led by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and Vogt Landscape Architects who have been appointed to the major office scheme to work alongside the existing panel of architects.

The International Quarter is a central pillar in the regeneration of Stratford, providing the new commercial element and jobs to the area’s role as an important sporting, retail, cultural and academic destination is located at the gateway to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, where work is already well underway on the first phase, a 333-unit residential development named Glasshouse Gardens – overlooking the Aquatics Centre, the former Olympic Stadium and ArcelorMittal Orbit.

Announcing the commercial leasing agreements, Dan Labbad, Chief Executive Officer, International Operations at Lend Lease, said: “Securing TfL for this major pre-let marks the emergence of a new generation of offices in London that will make a lasting contribution to the local economy. Our ambition is to create the most agile, healthy and efficient workplaces.”