Creechurch Lane | Merchant Land

High quality and flexible space designed uniquely for SMEs
Helping attract a new diverse range of occupiers to The City of London
Enhancing the adjacent squares and public realm introduced by One Creechurch Place and Aldgate Gyratory
A café and retail unit contributing to the local street life
Designed for well-being; with generous outdoor space and a stunning green wall

SME office space in the heart of the City

The UK is the world’s largest exporter of financial services, and the City of London is its nerve centre. There is a growing need to supply high quality office accommodation that specifically meets the needs of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across all sectors as a platform for the City’s future growth.

Our ambition at 33 Creechurch Lane is to do just that – create world class office space designed for multi sector SMEs in the heart of London’s financial district. Included in this is the recognition of how essential it is to respond positively to the local context, contribute to public realm, and tap into the City of London’s agenda and priorities over the coming decades.

Our design includes office spaces that will be high quality, flexible, unique, and include a high level of technology provision. This will be enhanced by an outward looking façade, the inclusion of living walls, and in improvements to the immediate public surrounds. The overall design has been crafted to blend in with the existing skyline. These elements combined will address the needs and expectations of a new building able to contribute positively to the City’s future.

Responding to the Past

The open spaces of Mitre Square and Creechurch Lane can be traced back to the open court and cloister of Holy Trinity Priory. The historic maps show that while the configuration has shifted over time, the two open spaces have been maintained.

More generally, while the City of London has largely retained its medieval street layout, the growth of the financial sector, coupled with revisions in planning laws, changed its architecture and transformed the skyline.

Much of the City was transformed during the 1980s and 1990s. This was largely driven by growing demand for office space.

Central to how the City looks today are buildings which have been designed to respond sensitively to the historic context while also enhancing the London skyline. This means being fully cognisant of the protected views of the White Tower from City Hall and Tower Bridge.

Embracing the future

Underpinning the design of 33 Creechurch Lane is the knowledge that while two-thirds of City employees work for large companies, over 98% of these businesses are SMEs. The demand continues for office space to meet their needs.

This is a real opportunity to design a game changing building for SMEs which will include active frontages and a vibrant public area. It is also an opportunity to upgrade the existing dated commercial space to ensure it is fit for purpose and increase the area of lettable commercial space suitable for SMEs in the City.

We consulted statutory bodies and key stakeholders throughout the pre-application stages of the Creechurch project. This included:

Various and extensive meetings with neighbours
Existing tenants at 33 Creechurch Lane
Various pre-application meetings held with the City of London Planning Officers
Meetings with the Head of Planning, and the Deputy Head of Planning
Two meetings with Ward Councillors
A meeting with the City of London Public Realm and Highways Officers, and
A public exhibition held over two days at the St Katharine Cree Church of England. The purpose of the exhibition was to explain the vision for the site, identify key local issues and provide an opportunity for residents to communicate their feedback.

In response to these consultations, we spent two years developing a design that works for all.

The intention is for construction to commence from 2022 onwards.

The design process of 33 Creechurch Lane has resulted in a building with many fantastic features for tenants and the public. These include:

The ground floor reception is proposed as a generous, glazed, double height space to welcome visitors.
A café and retail unit at ground floor will help animate the western edge of Creechurch place
A rich and attractive façade that respects the character of Heneage Lane
The typical floor plan has been designed to be open, flexible space that could be broken down into more secluded areas
The slender form of the building and high quality glass facade make a positive contribution to the local architecture context
High proportion of glazing proposed will provide excellent natural lighting levels on the office floor plates and afford views across London
Each floor will have an external private terrace garden providing a breakout space for office tenants
Array of greening features including an enhanced green wall feature to contribute to the public realm.