The Crown Estate unveils two major West End office developments

The Crown Estate has announced two major mixed-use developments in London’s West End as part of what it describes as the largest programme of office developments in its history. The projects at 10 Piccadilly and 21–29 Glasshouse Street will deliver a combined 169,300 sq ft of office, retail and hospitality space, continuing the organisation’s programme of refurbishing and redeveloping heritage buildings across its central London estate. The schemes form part of The Crown Estate’s wider strategy for its 10 million sq ft London portfolio, which combines office development with retail, leisure and public realm improvements aimed at maintaining the West End’s appeal as a business and visitor destination.

At 10 Piccadilly, the Grade II listed building at the southern end of Regent Street will be refurbished to provide 62,700 sq ft of office space alongside 26,400 sq ft of hospitality space and 1,700 sq ft of retail accommodation. The building, which overlooks Piccadilly Circus, is best known as the former Swan & Edgar department store and later as the home of Tower Records.

The second scheme will combine two existing office buildings at 21–29 Glasshouse Street into a single development offering 63,000 sq ft of office space. The retrofit project will include larger floorplates, a rooftop terrace, upgraded reception areas and 15,500 sq ft of retail space at ground and basement levels.

Kristy Lansdown, managing director of development at The Crown Estate, said the projects formed part of a long-term strategy to modernise historic buildings while strengthening the West End’s position as an international commercial destination.

Both developments are being designed to meet high environmental standards. The Crown Estate said 10 Piccadilly is targeting NABERS 5 Star, WELL Platinum, BREEAM Outstanding, WiredScore Platinum and EPC A certifications. Across its development pipeline, the organisation is aiming for an embodied carbon target of 400kg per square metre.

The announcement follows plans revealed earlier this year for the redevelopment of One Hanover Street, a 124,000 sq ft office building that has been fully pre-let to Ares Management. It also follows three projects announced in 2024—New Zealand House, 10 Spring Gardens and 33–35 Piccadilly—which together will add around 250,000 sq ft of commercial space across Regent Street and St James’s.

The developments also complement proposals by The Crown Estate and Westminster City Council to redesign public spaces around Regent Street, Haymarket and Piccadilly Circus, with plans intended to improve accessibility and connectivity across the West End.