Ultramodern and vibrant - Central St Giles Covent Garden office space

Unveiled in an entirely finished state back in mid-2010, Central St Giles is a building that can be summed up as brave, bold and an incredibly fun. Envisaged as a mixed-use property – composed of two 15-storey structures – it offers Covent Garden office space, apartments and a number of spots dedicated to retail amenities, cafes and restaurants – providing it with an considerable edge over many of the other buildings offering Covent Garden office space.

One of the first things many people notice about Central St Giles, whilst in the Covent Garden area, is the array of strikingly vibrant colours on display. Though London is home to many a spectacular office building – The Shard and The Gherkin to name just two – very few of them boast as much colour as Central St Giles. Its ceramic cladding, in shades of orange, lime, yellow and red, stands out brightly even on the dullest of London mornings.

The building features 408,000 sq ft of Covent Garden office space and boasts an excellent BREEAM (BRE environmental assessment method) rating. However, somewhat more uniquely this Covent Garden office space has been designed with the environment in mind – despite the remarks detractors might make about its joy-evoking facades.

In excess of 60 per cent of the rain water that falls on the roof and roof terraces of this Covent Garden office space is collected; this collected water is put to good use too – being distributed to the greenery on the terraces and the plants and trees planted at ground level via a sophisticated irrigation system.

Similarly Central St Giles is served by a heating system that also takes the environment into consideration. It has been estimated that more than three quarters of the heat generated in the building is generated in a system powered by renewable fuels – namely wood pellets.

With its environmental principles clear for all to see, it isn’t all that unsurprising that much of the Covent Garden office space on offer at Central Saint Giles has been snapped up by some of the world’s biggest companies including search engine behemoth, Google – whose quirky, ultra employee-friendly office has been the subject of much envy from many workers across the United Kingdom.

However, as well as offering high quality Covent Garden office space for firms to take up, Central St Giles also benefits from the wonderful selection of restaurants that flank its courtyard. Offering gourmet burgers, specialist Brazilian cuisine, sandwiches made with homemade breads and healthier options,  these restaurants are perfectly positioned for employees to go and enjoy a mouth-watering meal after a day in the building, or even grab a quick bite-to-eat during a lunch break.

The courtyard itself follows the themes of playfulness displayed in the finish of the Central St Giles’ Covent Garden office space. Seating areas and benches make the process of thought gathering, or even just enjoying a brief break very easy. The trees and plants are complemented by a rather eye-catching sculpture – known as Ob8 – and one that’s a little more natural, simply named William.

Although a relatively new building, Central St Giles’ mix of high-end Covent Garden office space and amazing restaurants is only likely to attract more businesses; ultramodern and vibrant, this Covent Garden office space could also have a considerable influence on the way workplaces are designed in years to come. 

A building designed by Renzo Piano, Central St Giles was finished in May 2010. This article examines the main features and benefits that this CoventGarden office space has to offer.