The Crown Estate, the property company of the reigning UK monarch, has signed the Government of Ireland for 30,000 square feet in the refurbished 10 Spring Gardens development, in London's St James’s.
Set across the first, sixth, seventh, eighth and part of the ground floors, the new Ireland House in London will be located between The Mall and Trafalgar Square.
The parties said the decision to develop this new Ireland House in the heart of London underscores the Government of Ireland’s strong partnership with Great Britain and the further deepening of the relationship between the countries.
10 Spring Gardens will comprise 80,000 square feet of workspace overlooking a remodelled and landscaped piazza, with a focus on sustainable design and construction. PV (photovoltaic) panels, Air Source Heat Pumps and energy efficient glazing will be installed throughout the building, while the refurbishment phase – which is already underway and targets completion in 2025 – will see 90% of the building’s structure and façade retained, minimising the use of new raw materials. The office floor plates, amenity spaces and entrances will be improved, with the overall project targeting a 15% biodiversity net gain.
Upon completion, the building will target a NABERS 5* rating, EPC A and BREEAM Excellent, as well as a WELL (enabled) Gold Certification and Wiredscore Gold Certification.
Simon-Harding Roots, Managing Director for London at The Crown Estate, said in a statement: “10 Spring Gardens is a fitting new location for the Embassy of Ireland and Irish state agencies. With views over the historic St James’s Park and centrally located beside Trafalgar Square and Whitehall , this is one of our most striking and sustainable refurbishment projects to date, and speaks to the ambitions for the British Irish relationship.
“The establishment of this new relationship between the Government of Ireland and The Crown Estate clearly demonstrates the high demand for quality workspace in the West End, as the London market continues to evolve and strengthen.”
Martin Fraser, the Irish Ambassador, said: “London is home to Ireland’s biggest bilateral Embassy in the world. Building on commitments in the Programme for Government, Ireland House London will bring together the Embassy of Ireland with our state agencies and our citizen services for the first time. It will also amplify the considerable “Team Ireland” presence in London and act as a convening and welcoming space for the Irish community, friends of Ireland and key political, business, cultural and other stakeholders.
“It is an investment that reflects the importance of further deepening the relationship with our nearest neighbour. It recognises the importance of this market as one of Ireland’s largest trade and investment partners.”
The news follows The Crown Estate’s recent announcement of a further two developments underway in the capital. When combined, all three developments in London’s West End have a Gross Development Value of over £430 million, across 251,000 square feet of office, leisure and retail space.
New Zealand House is situated at the southern gateway to Haymarket, the Arts Quarter and St James’s Market. A Grade II listed, landmark building, the major refurbishment project will deliver 138,000 square feet of office and hospitality space when complete and includes the Grade I listed Royal Opera Arcade.
Meanwhile, 33-35 Piccadilly will provide 3,000 square feet of prime retail and food & beverage space on the ground floor, with 30,000 square feet of office space on the floors above. This represents an 85% increase in office and retail floor space.
McLaren Construction Group and ORMS have been appointed as construction partners and architects respectively for the 10 Spring Gardens project.
The Crown Estate has a £16 billion portfolio that includes urban centres and development opportunities; one of the largest rural holdings in the country; Regent Street and St James’s in London’s West End; and Windsor Great Park. It also manages the seabed and much of the coastline around England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
It was established by an Act of Parliament, tasked with growing the value of the portfolio for the nation and returning all of its net profit to HM Treasury for the benefit of public spending. This has totalled £4 billion over the last ten years.