13-storey building to provide 217,000 sq. ft of office space in zone 1 Nine Elms

[London: 24 July 2019] Ballymore has today submitted a planning application for a 13-storey office building which will provide 217,000 sq. ft. of flexible, contemporary space at the heart of Embassy Gardens, Nine Elms. Designed by experienced London-based architects Morris+Company, the building will also deliver 18,000 sq. ft. of outdoor amenity space, including a 9,000 sq. ft. communal terrace and several private open air terraces. The plans also propose over 5,000 sq. ft. of ground floor retail/restaurant space, in addition to 330 cycle spaces and a cycle workshop to encourage sustainable travel to the area.

The proposed building, named EG:HQ, will encourage outdoor working, events and socialising with six large terraces equipped with views of the River Thames. The proposed layout will maximise space and natural light and will allow for expansive views from every desk in the building. These desks will overlook the area’s new linear park, which runs from Vauxhall to Battersea Park providing a green backbone to the area and an extension to the outdoor spaces provided as part of the building.

The new occupiers will count the new US Embassy, publishing giants Penguin Random House and world leading illustrated reference publisher DK as neighbours, who will move into One Embassy Gardens in 2020. They will join tech leader Apple and the ‘New’ New Covent Garden Market, an epicentre of London’s creative food industry, as global business powers seek to relocate to the new neighbourhood of Nine Elms.

EG:HQ will also aim to capitalise on the cultural appeal of the area, which has recently benefitted from a huge influx of shops, cafes, bars and restaurants including the newly-launched Darby’s restaurant by chef Robin Gill and The Alchemist which will open in September, joining (among others) Linnaean, District Coffee, and Waitrose. Nine Elms has also established a strong cultural reputation following the relocation of a number of art galleries, public art sculptures and a programme of engaging events throughout the year.

The London Travel Zone One office will be a 10-minute walk from Vauxhall National Rail and tube (Victoria Line) stations, with the highly-anticipated Northern Line extension which will see two new stations open at Nine Elms and nearby Battersea Power Station, due to open in 2021, dramatically cutting commuter time for those travelling from central London and further afield. A proposed new footbridge will further boost connectivity to the transforming area along with two new passenger piers. The scheme is also ideally situated to benefit from international business due to its proximity to the local heliport which is just 6 minutes flight from Biggin Hill Airport, with Gatwick, Heathrow and London City airports all under 35 minutes away.

If approved, construction is estimated to start early 2020, with the building anticipated to complete early 2022.

John Mulryan, Group Managing Director, Ballymore, commented, “Nine Elms is fast establishing itself as a competitive commercial quarter, thanks to the likes of Apple at Battersea, and Penguin Random House and the US Embassy at Embassy Gardens. We know that in order to attract the best talent, companies need to provide high-quality office space that supports wellbeing, creativity, and ultimately productivity. EG:HQ is the answer to that, in riverside zone one, just a stone’s throw from Westminster.”

Joe Morris, Founding Director, Morris+Company, added, “Our interest in the longer life of a building – how it is loved, lived and worked in – presents us with a very particular challenge when we are commissioned to create a new workplace. Office design is evolving as the expectations of the end user develop and Ballymore set an ambitious brief to create a building which promotes health and wellbeing and is equipped for future workplace trends. This is realised through a number of means including a significant number of terraces and roof gardens allowing for contemplation, collaboration, or concentration – depending on their scale and location, and in maximising the cycle store and associated facilities and ensuring all end users have access to abundant natural light and desks with views.”

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