With Tom Holland’s Spider-Man web-slinging through Glasgow’s skyline as the new film shoots in the city, Bothwell Street was recently transformed into a cinematic battleground. But behind the scenes, offices on the street are showing their own resilience.
Annual office take-up on Bothwell Street has remained comfortably above 100,000 square feet over the past six quarters, with significant lettings at the recently refurbished Aurora building, 95 Bothwell Street and Onyx driving more than 140,000 square feet in the year to June.
Aurora: Avengers assemble
If Spider-Man were looking for a new headquarters in Glasgow, he would probably swing into Aurora. The 175,000-square-foot Forma-owned building has undergone a major transformation, managed by HFD, having emerged from its refurbishment with the latest sustainability and wellness credentials. It is now 96% occupied, with just 6,200 square feet left, like the last slice of Aunt May’s cherry pie.
Pinsent Masons and Grant Thornton swung into more than 40,000 square feet there earlier this year after PwC and SSE moved from their previous offices. News UK, Arcadis and Cubo complete the building’s high-powered tenant line-up, rounding out a cast that rivals the Daily Bugle’s newsroom for influence and reach.
Lucent: The office market’s shining beacon
The major redevelopment is like an origin story: a historic sandstone facade reborn with futuristic ESG credentials, biophilic design and 20 rooftop terraces, useful for plotting corporate takeovers or superhero alliances.
If buildings had superpowers, Lucent would be the Professor X of the office world: smart, sustainable and stylish.
Orion’s 101,000-square-foot scheme is expected to complete next month.
Other office buildings are sharing the action
Sixteen office lettings were recorded in other Bothwell Street buildings in the year to the second quarter of 2025. This was fewer than the previous year, partly reflecting tightening availability among these buildings, which has fallen to around 10% from 18% a couple of years ago.
One of the larger deals so far this year saw the Commonwealth Games Council take 17,000 square feet at 95 Bothwell Street, while online pharmacy Phlo leased around 4,500 square feet at CEG’s Onyx, which shares its name with a certain comic superhero and ally of Batman.
Market mood: Resilient, adaptive, heroic
Despite the chaos of filming and the broader challenges facing Glasgow’s city centre, Bothwell Street is proving to be more Peter Parker than Venom: resilient, resourceful and ready to rise. Market conditions are improving as refurbishments and relocations breathe new life into older buildings.
Several other offices on the street, including the 170,000-square-foot 141 Bothwell Street, are candidates for redevelopment. But one question remains: which developer will step in to save the day?