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London’s Office Buildings Making It Big In Hollywood

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For decades, London has been a top location for the film industry. Hundreds of movies and TV series have been set in London, whether in famous studios like Pinewood, Ealing, Leavesden, or Shepperton, or in the city’s streets and iconic buildings. More recently, some of London’s most representative office buildings have drawn the attention of filmmakers, since their varied architectural styles lend themselves to becoming the setting of everything from comedy to action films. Let’s take a look at the London office buildings that are making it big in Hollywood.

1. The Gherkin

One of London’s most iconic buildings, the Gherkin has received multiple awards due to its unique design and futuristic architecture. This 41-storey high office building was completed in 2003 and its tenants include Regus, Standard Life, JDA, ION Trading, and Kirkland and Ellis (1).

The Gherkin has appeared in several Hollywood blockbusters, including:

– Match Point (2005)
– Basic Instinct 2 (2006)
– A Good Year (2006)
– Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2009)
– Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Continue reading “London’s Office Buildings Making It Big In Hollywood” →

Europe’s Tallest Skyscraper – London’s Shard Building

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The Shard building, which is located in London Bridge, is the tallest skyscraper in Western Europe. Designed by world renowned Renzo Piano, the structure, which is still under construction, will comprise of ninety five floors. The Shard will be home to high quality office suites, upmarket restaurants, luxury residential apartments and the 5 Star Shangri La Hotel. The building will eventually tower 310 metres (1,017 feet) over South East London and will provide impressive 360 degree panoramic views over the City. The viewing galleries are expected to receive one million visitors a year and people will be able to see as far as Hampstead, Heathrow and the North Downs, up to thirty miles on a clear day.

An estimated 8,000 people will eventually live and work within The Shard and architect Renzo Piano, who co-designed the Pompidou Centre in Paris, sees the building as a ‘Vertical City’. The idea for the concept was taken to Piano more than a decade ago by property developer Irvine Sellar. According to E&T Magazine, Mr Piano has said he wanted to create ‘a shard of glass, a spire tower of angled planes of glass that will reflect light and the changing patterns of the sky so that it will change according to the weather and the seasons’.

In addition to the premium office space, cafes, restaurants, apartments and shops the Shard will also house exhibition and performance space. The highly sought after premium office suites will be located on floors 2-28 and will include conferencing facilities. The five fine dining restaurants will be situated on floors 31-33 and the Shangri La Hotel will be located on floors 34-52, which will have two hundred luxury five star suites and is located on floors 34-52. The exclusive apartments will be situated on floors 53-65 and will be the highest residences in the UK. The Observatory, which is located on floors 68-72, will house the viewing decks. In addition to the twenty six floors of office accommodation within The Shard, more than fifty five square feet of office and retail space will be provided, attached to the eastern corner of the building, called London Bridge Place or referred to as ‘the Backpack’.

There has been some criticism of the ambitious project, which began in 2009, which once complete will have cost and estimated £450 million. English Heritage has reportedly said the Shard will obstruct the view of St Paul’s Cathedral as well as the Houses of Parliament. The Shard is due to be completed by May 2012.

Managing a vacant property

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What happens to a vacant property after the last tenants moved out and there are no signs of new occupants moving in? Managing vacant property may prove much tougher than it seems.

A recent survey carried out by SitexOrbis shows that the top three most important issues whilst managing vacant property are security, loss of rental income and empty property tax. Other key concerns included maintenance and compliance with insurance stipulations.

The recession has resulted in increased numbers of vacant commercial properties. The amount of available office accommodation in the city of London has gone up by 90 per cent between mid 2008 and mid 2009. Company and retail closures across Britain have repeated the same pattern in most major cities.

Many commercial property owners report a rise in squatting, vandalism, arson and break-ins; insurers are reporting an increase in large-scale fires. More than 50 per cent of landlords are unsure about the health and safety regulations for vacant properties.

The other concern is keeping properties in a fit condition for viewing and attracting new tenants. Landlords have to invest in protection solutions such as wireless alarms and other electronic security measures in order to tackle problems of squatters, criminal damage, arson and graffiti. Continue reading “Managing a vacant property” →