Montagu Evans is relocating its London headquarters to larger offices in the City of London, signing up for new space at Nuveen Real Estate’s 70 St Mary Axe, EC3.
The property and development consultancy firm has taken the twelfth floor and part of the eleventh floor – a total of over 25,000 sq ft (2,323 sq m) – on a 15-year lease.
The twelfth floor, which offers 360-degree natural light and views of the city, will bring together the firm’s London team on one floorplate for the first time, while the eleventh floor will be dedicated to clients and collaborative workspaces. BDG has been appointed to design the new office, which will include creating a central staircase between the two floors, flexible collaboration and meeting spaces for both clients and teams as well as new IT and agile working capability.
Rob Bower, Montagu Evans’ Managing Partner, said:
“We’re looking ahead to the future of the firm with this new office. London’s centre is shifting further east and we intend to stay at its heart, closer to many of our clients and easier for more of our team to access. The amenities on offer in the City are now unrecognisable from 10 or even five years ago. Communications are excellent and set to improve with the completion of Crossrail with its new Liverpool Street station three minutes’ walk from the premises.
“Cross-service and sector-based working is becoming more important to our clients, as they tackle greater challenges around transforming assets and adding value – both financial and social. With everyone working closer together in one space we will be much better set up for our specialist teams to collaborate, supported by investment in new systems, tech and with the flexibility to grow in line with our core strategy.”
The 438,000 sq ft (40,700 sq m) building’s sustainability credentials were part of its attraction, with BREEAM Excellent, an EPC Rating of A, Wired-Score Platinum and Cycle Score Platinum all important factors in the firm’s decision making. Designed by Foggo Associates, 70 St Mary Axe has a distinctive, elegantly curved shape meaning it is already an internationally recognised icon of the City of London.
Peter Neal, Director of Offices, Europe at Nuveen Real Estate, comments:
“We are delighted to be welcoming Montagu Evans to 70 St Mary Axe. The transaction demonstrates the building’s appeal to occupiers from right across central London – not just those traditionally associated with the City of London – and in this case a firm looking for a completely new approach to its workspace.”
Montagu Evans, which also has offices in Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow, will occupy the space from December 2020.