Creative Isn’t the Word – Wonderfully Kooky London Office Space

London is one of the world’s prime locations for office space. Lots of huge corporations and small start-ups take up London office space. However, being the international business hub the city is, London office space isn’t like your average office space.

For many people, office spaces are synonymous with clean but incredibly plain interiors, hard work, and, for some, absolute tedium. This, however, is a very traditional view. Many organisations based in London offices are taking a much more liberal and creative approach to their interiors. The result: a space that inspires employees to unleash their inner creativity, and wows and captivates the minds of visitors.

Red Bull’s Soho London office space is the perfect example of this. Renowned for its commitment to anything a little eye-catching – the Red Bull Air Race, Red Bull Stratos and so on – this cool space shouldn’t really come as that much of a surprise. It’s located in a building that was formerly two separate buildings.

Despite applying a more futuristic look – consisting of curved lines, white surfaces, sudden dashes of colour and lots of glass – Red Bull’s office retains the laid-back atmosphere.

Whilst this London office space features a number of meeting rooms, it also boasts large open spaces – complete with space age seating – allowing for frequent collaboration between co-workers.

After the companies employees have downed their tools, and hung up their creative caps for the day, they can enjoy an adrenaline rush by riding the slide down.

Advertising agency Mother London’s Shoreditch London office space has a communal atmosphere. Whereas most organisations like to have each department based in its own part of the building, Mother London has every employee within the company seated round the same table.

This desk – constructed from concrete – not only acts as an eye catching centrepiece, but also serves to aid creativity, making it easy for employees to share ideas. It’s one of the more unorthodox pieces of furniture to sit in a London office space. And also serves to bring a sense of transparency to the working environment – something that’s not always that common.

Mind Candy’s – the company most well-known for its Moshi Monsters toys – London office space makes it difficult for employees to become gloomy, even after the most challenging of days. That’s because resembles a unique cross between a child’s playground and a film set.

In most offices meetings will typically take place in a bland office. At this London office space, things are rather different, with padded booths providing a comfortable setting for co-workers and clients to meet - eradicating the often stuffy atmosphere.

Like Red Bull’s Soho London office space, Mind Candy’s build also features a slide, which curves down through the ceiling. Visitors can enjoy complementary free sweets from the machines in the reception, and can leave their mark on the wall of this London office space forever – by colouring in a Moshi Monster.

Though, not all London offices are going to feature interiors quite as kooky, quirky or creative as those in Red Bull’s, Mother London’s and Mind Candy’s offices, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re bland either.

Three Reasons You Might Consider Offices To Rent In London

Thousands of organisations have made the decision to relocate or open an additional office in England’s capital, London. And you can remain pretty sure that thousands more will make the move in the coming years too. That’s because London is a huge international business hub. Huge global corporations and innovators from around the world have moved to buildings and floors within London. Naturally, the presence of these big businesses means that London boasts a great amount of business prestige; people automatically associate London as being the location of choice for the best firms within their sector or industry. So, just by having an address in London businesses can enjoy a boost to their prestige.

But, under what circumstances might an organisation consider making the move to the capital? Why offices to rent in London?

Consolidation or Expansion: When a company experiences a growth in sales or profits, it may consider the next step to be one involving new offices in London. Regardless of whether growth or consolidation, this measure is likely to consist of opening new premises. Consolidating might consist of taking a number of offices dotted around the city and bringing them into one large headquarters. In terms of expansion, it’s likely to consist of opening a new set of offices. Obviously budget is going to have a pretty significant impact on whether the organisation in questions opts for an outright office purchase, or offices to rent in London. For less established firms, looking for smaller offices to rent in London is likely to be a more viable option than looking for a building or business complex.

Location: Many businesses, especially in the modern era, place a significant amount of weight on being situated in close proximity to their customers or clients. Being the thriving international business hub that the city is, offices to rent in London are an attractive proposition for many companies looking to be closer to their clients. By opting to be closer to their clients in London, businesses can ensure that they remain happy with the services or products they’re paying for. In order to progress some business owners may feel the need to, as we briefly touched upon earlier, relocate to a more illustrious area – in order to receive that boost in prestige. This is something that’ll obviously be represented in the offices to rent in London they look for.

Outgrown Existing Premises: After a whole host of new starters a business’s offices can start to seem awfully cramped. When this starts to happen the opportunity for future expansion is impeded. As a result a business might start to look for larger offices to rent in London. When starting their search for offices, businesses will usually consult a commercial property advisor – providing them with a list of basic requirements they need their new offices to fulfil. No business is going to have exactly the same list of demands when searching for offices to rent in London. Some will only require relatively minor upscale, whilst others might be in the market for larger offices to rent in London. 

The Benefits Of Euston London Office Space – Euston Station

The London area referred to colloquially by many locals as Euston is positioned in the Camden borough. For many businesses, Euston’s London office space has proven to be an incredibly attractive option. As is the case with many of London’s many areas and districts, Euston has a great amount of London office space to offer. However, this selection of office buildings is somewhat eclectic. Traditional period structures are complemented by more recent buildings – boasting many of the staple architectural design features.

Rather than simply accommodating only the largest organisations – i.e. those that could viably take on whole buildings of London office space – Euston offers a measured mix. It caters to new start-ups, looking to establish a firm footing in the business world, with smaller offices, floor and desk space available in plentiful amount. However, whilst Euston’s London office space by itself is an incredibly attractive proposition to many businesses – what organisation wouldn’t want an office in an international business hub? -  there is another major factor that’s important in its popularity – the transport links.

For the majority of companies looking to relocate – whether to London or elsewhere in the United Kingdom – the available transport links are going to have a considerable amount of influence on their eventual decisions. Not every employee that works for a company is going to live within walking, or even cycling distance of its London office space. It’s just an unrealistic expectation. Many are instead likely to commute to Euston London office space from the edges of town, or the city’s more residential areas.

Euston boasts a couple of great transport options, with the main one being the trains. London Euston provides people from the West Midlands, the North West of England and north Wales with efficient access to the area. This mainline access is incredibly useful for those workers making the daily commute from the outskirts of London. Meanwhile, the London Underground service, which also runs from the station, provides those living elsewhere within the city with a relatively straightforward route into the area every day.

The presence of a station that serves both the mainline and London Underground services obviously makes London office space in Euston the yielder of many more benefits than simply providing employees with an easy commute to work, though.

For companies that regularly entertain clients, London Euston is fantastic. Although many clients are likely to be based, or at least have some kind of presence in London, many don’t. So by being located so close to a major London mainline rail station, you’ll effectively be making it easier for them to travel down to attend meetings and so on.

Having London office space in such close proximity to a mainline rail or London Underground service is also good for those occasions in which an employee might have to, themselves, attend at a meeting at a client’s location – be it in London, or beyond.

Regardless of whether you operate a relatively new business – that’s still finding its feet – or a well-established company, the Euston London office space, with its access to amazing transport links is sure to be beneficial.

London Office Space in Canary Wharf - Home to the Global Heavyweights

Dominating a significant amount of the London skyline, Canary Wharf has become synonymous with large financial organisations since its redevelopment in the late eighties. Before the extensive redevelopment, Canary Wharf tended to attract more boats than it did movers and shakers from the financial world. Sitting on the West India Docks, the transformation has been nothing more than astonishing.

There’s now roughly 14 million square feet of London office space in the Canary Wharf, and much of it is occupied by behemoths from the financial world. Banking firms, like Barclays and HSBC, and financial service organisations like J.P. Morgan, amongst many others, all occupy London office space in Canary Wharf.

Understandably, with such huge reputations, these firms occupy spectacular pieces of London office space in Canary Wharf. We’ve taken and detailed the buildings occupied by these globally recognised firms below:

One Churchill Place: Classed as the 11th tallest office structure in the country, this piece of London office space in Canary Wharf is currently occupied by Barclays. Impressively, One Churchill Place offers a total of 32 floors worth of London office space. Designed by renowned American architects, HOK (Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum), the building is extremely contemporary - cladded with large amounts of glass.

Constructed in about a year, One Churchill Place was opened in 2005 by the former chairman of Barclays, Matthew Barrett.

8 Canada Square: The second tallest building in Canary Wharf, 8 Canada Square is occupied by HSBC and has been since work was completed on it in 2002. Measuring 656 feet (45 floors), HSBC have added a number of special features to this piece of London office space.

For example, the building utilises energy efficient systems – keeping in line with the company’s commitment to the environment. A pair of bronze lions welcome 8 Canada Square’s many visitors as they pass through the main entrance. Effectively replicas of the ones situated at HSBC’s Hong Kong HQ, the lions – named Stephen and Stitt – are widely known within Canary Wharf.

Meanwhile, this piece of London office space in Canary Wharf includes a history wall. Located in the lobby, it highlights the groups’ past achievements, core values, and history during the past 150 years. Featuring a selection of images, portraits, illustrations and original documents, the wall acts as a special centrepiece.

25 Bank Street: Acting as the European headquarters of J.P. Morgan, 25 Bank Street is a piece of London office space that was designed by Cesar Pelli & Associates Architects. Displaying many of the key design elements from the international style of architecture, from 2004 the building was previously home to Lehman Brothers before it went bankrupt in 2008.

J.P. Morgan announced that it had acquired the office space at 25 Bank Street two years later – in 2010.

With its fantastic set of transport links – ranging from the London Underground service, at the Canary Wharf tube station, to the mainline service – Canary Wharf is a fine location for businesses looking to make the move down to England’s capital city. And with much more office space planned for construction in Canary Wharf, more and more big names are likely to find themselves enticed into the area.

The Perks of Having Mayfair Office Space

Mayfair, W1 – it’d look absolutely fantastic on a business card, wouldn’t it? An office in one of London’s most affluent areas is something that many businesses across the world aspire to. Though, to those smaller businesses the idea of owning or even leasing Mayfair office space may seem like some far-off pipe dream, this isn’t the case.

As with a number of other London districts, the preconception that you have to be well-established in the business world to have Mayfair office space is slightly overblown. Though the properties in Mayfair – both commercial and residential – are renowned for being quite costly, there’s a considerable amount of great options available.

Ranging from small pieces of Mayfair office space, featuring just one or two workstations, to larger pieces, boasting lifts, door access systems and highly secure entrances, finding something that’s going to meet the requirements of your business isn’t something that’s going to be too difficult. 

If leaving a grand impression on clients is what you want, Mayfair office space is likely to provide a wealth of benefits. The Georgian period architecture – exposed wooden beams and all - is spectacular, and in many cases remains as charming as it ever did. However, those looking for something more contemporary will also find more modern pieces of Mayfair office space to fulfil the needs of their business.

It’s also worth considering the sheer scale of some of the other businesses that occupy Mayfair office space, or have done in the past. There are some extremely illustrious names on that list. The likes of luxury car manufacturer, Rolls Royce, fashion magazine, Vogue occupy office space in Mayfair. The head office of Cadbury Schweppes was previously situated in Mayfair office space too.

Naturally, being situated amongst such highly-held names can have a great knock-on effect on the stature of your own business. People often form first impressions on businesses based on the area in which they’re based. So, with office space in Mayfair your business could benefit massively - with a great prestige boost.

Think about how your clients are going to react when they arrive at your Mayfair office space for an important meeting. They’re likely to be extremely impressed – which is exactly what you want. If they’ve jetted in from further afield – i.e. outside of the city – you’re probably going to want to show them all the best sights. 

With Mayfair office space, you’ll have a great selection of attractions right on your doorstep. Great hotels, luxury shopping streets, amazing restaurants, museums and art galleries – there’s no shortage of ways in which to ensure their trip is a memorable one.

Although the local property prices aren’t likely to make it easy for your employees to commute to a building in Mayfair, the area does have some pretty solid transport links. The commute into Mayfair is as easy as catching the Underground into one of five stations – Bond Street, Marble Arch, Oxford Circus, Hyde Park Corner or Green Park.

There’s also a regular stream of buses running through the area too, as well as a mainline station – Victoria. All in all, there are many perks to having Mayfair office space.

Renting commercial property in London – things to consider

There are many reasons why a business might consider renting or letting a piece of commercial property in London. For a start, London is a major world centre for businesses; many businesses conscientiously take the decision, or at least consider, making the move to make the most of the business opportunities that a location in the city can present. Although already well-established as a hub, in which thousands of important business meetings take place each day, London continues to burgeon.

If you’re renting or letting commercial property in London for the first time, there are a number of things that should be taken into consideration.

The most important thing to consider, when searching for commercial property in London, is location. Understandably, as England’s capital city, London is vast in size.  So, therefore, as a business owner, you’d need to consider exactly where in the city you’d want your new piece of commercial property to be situated.
Determining this can be quite difficult. However, it should be remembered that certain areas are hubs for certain industries. For example, the east London Tech City, situated by the Old Street roundabout, is, as its name suggests, a rapidly developing centre of technology. Meanwhile, Canary Wharf and the Bank area of the City of London are widely associated with financial firms; Soho is an area dominated by firms from the British media industry and so on.

To make the most of a move to the city, it can help if you rent a piece of commercial property in London in an area thriving with businesses from a similar industry.

Secondly, it’s important when searching that you set out a clear budget. There’s absolutely no point in searching for a property that isn’t within your price range; essentially you’re wasting your time.

Be realistic with your budget; allow some leeway, but not to the point where it becomes a completely non-viable option.

You may have a dream piece of commercial property in London in mind; but with this it’s also important to make sure that you don’t build your expectations too high. Whilst the majority of companies would love to occupy a Renzo Piano-designed masterpiece – one exuding masses of quality through every nuanced feature – it sometimes just isn’t a possibility, and that’s not just down to budget either.

Availability is a major factor with commercial property in London; the property market is incredibly competitive. Businesses all over the world want commercial property there, so it’s important to ensure that you have a couple of realistic back-up options, because, as Mick Jagger once sang: you can’t always get what you want.

It’s also vital, for the sake of your budget, that you carefully consider the amount of space your business is likely to require. If you jump right in and opt for a piece of commercial property that’s far too big for your business, you’ll be wasting valuable cash; opt for a building that’s too small and you’ll have practicality issues. There’s a fine line to be trodden when looking for commercial property in London.

Redefining the workplace – fun office space in London

Regardless of where they are in the world, everyday millions of people make the commute to an office of some kind. Whether spectacularly shaped, like the Gherkin – or as its more formally known 30 St Mary Axe – or a little more traditional in architectural style, most of them boast the same features, albeit with variances in size and amounts: receptions, open-plan office spaces, meeting rooms, storage areas, cafeterias etc. However, one criticism that employees will often level, at the office they spend so much of their days working in, is that interiorly it’s actually rather dull – sticking to uniformity rather than existing to invigorate inspiration amongst employees.

As England’s capital city, as well as a business hub for many massive sectors, there is a significant amount of rather quirky and very cool office space in London. Unsurprisingly, much of this office space is owned by some of the world’s most forward-thinking establishments. The features, ranging from abstractly-shaped glowing staircases to open-plan office space more akin to a robotics research facility pulled straight from a science-fiction blockbuster, make the buildings they enhance feel far removed from a lot of the office space in London.

Detailed below are just three of the most fun pieces of office space in London:

Nike - Oxford Street HQ: American sportswear giant Nike’s London office space features a large amount of curved lines and glass usage. Although uniformly consistent in its use of colour – sky blue and white – the office has match balls adorning its walls and wall-size images of sporting legends, such as Brazilian footballer Ronaldo. Not your everyday office space in London.

Classy brown leather seating areas allow employees to enjoy the big-screen TVs broadcasting the latest sporting events – the perfect area for a sports aficionado to whittle away a rare quiet afternoon.

Google – Victoria HQ: One of the world’s most forward-thinking firms, Google’s office space is influenced heavily by futuristic design elements. Minimalistic long blue corridors, lit by magnificent white lights, lead to amazing meeting areas – which would surely make those end of day meetings seem just that little bit more interesting.

Meanwhile the futuristic main workspace areas are a mix of red, white and black brilliance; the rows of desks – where the Google magic happens – look like they could have been pulled straight from the set of Stanley Kubrick’s classic film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. 

Similarly, Google-owned YouTube also has wonderfully quirky offices – designed to resemble the front room of TV icon, Del Boy from Only Fools and Horses.

Forward Internet Group – Camden HQ: A London office that features an eclectic mix of traditional touches and post-modernistic design, the Forward Internet Group’s Camden HQ is certainly something to marvel over. 

Statues of giant lobsters are complemented by striking red staircases, designed to resemble the seats in an amphitheatre. Meanwhile the meeting rooms are cordoned off by images of black autumnal trees and wrought iron fencing – bringing the feeling of outside into the work area. It’s all rather fantastic.

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.

Soho is a Stylish Setting for London Office Space

For many businesses – especially those working in the media and related industries – it pays to be at the centre of new developments and exciting changes. This is true both figuratively and literally, because not only do these businesses have to keep abreast of progress in their industry, but – for many of them, at least – it is important that they are situated (in a plain, physical sense) right where this business magic happens. London office space is all the rage with fast-moving businesses, and expectedly so, as the thriving metropolis has a long-standing reputation for fashion, international industry, and that indefinable ‘Britishness’.

So it’s no wonder that London office space is popular with both big and budding businesses. But the big smoke is a rich and varied place, and there are many differences between offices in different districts of the city – in many cases, there is massive variation even between neighbouring areas. For example, Shoreditch is known for its converted industrial buildings and media businesses, whereas the City of London has a reputation for big companies working in the financial sector.

For hip young businesses, the most popular areas for London office space tend to be the ones which have recently seen a great deal of transformation. Since the early 1980s, Soho has changed from somewhere with a somewhat seedy reputation into a fashionable district with stylish shops, renowned restaurants and plenty of cool, contemporary commercial property. What’s more, Soho is extremely popular with media businesses, so if your business needs to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in this sector, then Soho is just about the best place to be.

Despite its transformation, Soho has retained some of its age-old characteristics. From the middle decades of the 1800s, Soho was known for its vibrant entertainment scene, originally in the form of music halls and theatres. These venues have been replaced with pubs and clubs, but Soho’s tradition of cutting-edge entertainment remains very much upheld. Much of the office space in Soho is within walking distance of top-name eateries, bars and – especially – theatres. Those looking to entertain clients with some of the best food and drink in the capital may want to look into renting office space in Soho.

The area is also well connected – you’d be hard pressed to find a part of the capital that isn’t. Many employees working in London office space choose to use public transport instead of driving their own car to work, and Soho is perfectly situated for this kind of commute. Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road London Underground stations are all nearby, and those working in offices around this area are also served by several bus routes.

Soho is hip and happening right now, and it looks like it will be that way for a good time to come. New and exciting initiatives are constantly being put in place to ensure that office space in this uniquely cosmopolitan area remains at the top of the London hip list.

London Office Layout Ideas

If you rent – or are interested in renting – London office space, then it’s natural that you’ll want your workspace to reflect the lively and productive atmosphere that London has in spades. Bringing a bit of London je ne sais quoi into your office is easier than it sounds. With a few simple changes in layout – shifting the locations of a few desks and chairs – you can make your daily working space feel more modern, airier and positively Londonesque. Of course, you also need to take health and safety into account – your employees are not likely to be too happy if you’ve turned your London office into an obstacle course. But for a quick, morale-boosting, client-impressing boost to your business, some considered experimentation with the layout of your office comes highly recommended.

A brief diversion before we get started – many of the world’s top businesses choose London office space as their UK headquarters. Many big businesses put a lot of emphasis on the way their employees use and feel about their workplace – the ultimate examples of this are probably the efforts of technology companies who have attracted plaudits (and ridicule) for their open-plan offices, which include such morale-boosting features as slides, climbing walls and aquariums. You don’t necessarily need to go this far when rearranging your London office space, but taking the effort to make your workplace stand out from the claustrophobic-looking cubicle farms that many people associate with certain businesses can help in convincing clients, customers and investors that your business is modern, forward-thinking and friendly.

When designing your office layout, modular furniture is your best friend. This can be moved around to create an almost unlimited number of layouts, with small curved tables creating a sense of regularity between separate desks. Once you’ve got hold of some modular furniture for your office, you can experiment to your heart’s content. If you can, then try to arrange your desks and chairs so that a large open area is left in the centre of the room, thus allowing people to move through the space easily, whilst having easy access to anyone that they need to speak to.

Unfortunately, many of us that rent London office space are unable to give up this much space. Lack of room means that we have to cram all of our employees into a small area. Don’t worry if this sounds like a familiar situation, there are still steps you can take to make your office a better place to work. For a start, depending on the kind of work that your business does, you may want to consider removing dividers between desks. This can drastically reduce the stuffy, claustrophobic feeling associated with some workplaces. Of course, employees need to be able to work in peace, without distraction, but this can be achieved with clear guidelines on office culture, and a little bit of creativity – try ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs, for example.

You can also make the most of limited space in your London office with a few simple decorative additions such as plants and artwork. Sure, it’s no adult-sized slide (if you rent a London office, you’d have to be blessed with a very understanding landlord to be able to start replacing stairs with playground equipment), but just giving your employees something to look at that isn’t a big, bright screen can stop concentration from lagging and make your workplace feel more welcoming.

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Experimenting with the layout of a London office can boost employee morale and productivity, and bring a little of London’s exciting atmosphere into the workplace. To find commercial property in the UK capital, contact commercial estate agents in London.

Key Negotiation Points When Choosing a London Office

Whether you want to move your business to a London office from abroad or from another town or city in the UK – or if you live in the capital and you’re looking to move into your first company headquarters, there are a many negotiation points to consider. Whilst some of these are obvious – rent and service charges, for instance – there are many factors that new and prospective tenants often overlook when choosing a new office for themselves and their colleagues. These points apply to all rented offices, large and small, so before you put your cards on the table, take a look at this guide, which should provide you with a good idea of what to expect when negotiating with commercial estate agents and landlords:

London Office Rent

Rent is the most obvious factor to consider. It is usually quoted in square foot per annum, and is sometimes called ‘passing rent’. London office rental prices tend to be higher than those in other cities in the UK, but it is an investment worth making, thanks to the capital’s excellent transport links, amenities and international prestige.

Rent Free Periods

Often, a landlord will offer a period of time when the tenants don’t have to pay any rent, as an incentive. Similar benefits come in the form of ‘reduced rent provisions’, where you’ll still pay rent, but at a lower rate than the agreed ‘headline rent’. Look around for these deals when renting a London office.

Service Charges

‘Service charges’ is another way of saying ‘running and repair costs’. These are usually reviewed on a year-by-year basis, and although the landlord is not allowed to make profit from service charges, they will generally do everything they can to avoid making a loss. Make sure you read the latest guidelines for service charges, so you can be aware if you are being unfairly charged when you rent a London office.

Lease Length

Negotiations frequently begin with discussions about the length of the lease. There are no strict guidelines that a landlord has to follow, and they are free to specify any time period that they see fit for the lease. If you rent a London office, you’ll be entering into a ‘landlord’s market’, where the landlord typically dictates the terms of lease length and other important factors. For this reason, it’s important to choose a commercial lettings agency that will act on its tenants’ behalf, negotiating with landlords for you on all important points.

IRI or FRI Lease?

An IRI lease stands for ‘internally repairing and insuring lease, whilst an FRI lease means ‘fully repairing and insuring lease’. FRI leases are more common, and allow the landlord to offset building repair charges to tenants, either through the service charge or through the tenants’ repairing obligations at the end of their letting. An IRI lease limits the tenants’ liability for repair charges to the office or offices which they use. If you are looking to rent a London office, you can try to negotiate for an IRI lease, but they are far less common than fully repairing and insuring leases.

There are many more factors to consider, but hopefully these five should give you an idea of the most important discussion points when renting a London office.

Overview

Five negotiation points to consider when looking for a London office. These points will most likely be discussed when you approach commercial estate agents in London.

The Sky’s the Limit - The Tallest Canary Wharf Office Space

Despite only being constructed in the early 1990s, Canary Wharf has already become unshakeably synonymous with global finance, glamorous working environments and London itself. It’s also well-known for its extremely tall buildings – Canary Wharf office space dwarfs much of the rest of the London skyline. With its skyscrapers silhouetted against the sky and the River Thames below, Canary Wharf presents a powerful image of wealth, success and impressive architecture.

Let’s take a look at some of the most striking examples of Canary Wharf office space, in descending order of altitude:

One Canada Square – One of the first buildings to be completed when Canary Wharf was developed, One Canada Square is the tallest completed building in the UK – and the 15^th tallest building in Europe. Its powerfully imposing image has become well known to Londoners, so much so that the building is often incorrectly called Canary Wharf. Though there are retail units on the lower ground floor, most of the building is given up to Canary Wharf office space.

8 Canada Square – The second-tallest building in the ‘Wharf’, 8 Canada Square was constructed in 2002, and its sleek, modern look provides a contrast to One Canada Square’s grander style. 8 Canada Square is currently the third tallest building in the United Kingdom.

25 Canada Square – The last of the buildings on our list located in Canada Square, number 25 and number 33 form a two-building complex of Canary Wharf office space. 25 Canada Square is almost twice the height of its neighbour, standing at an impressive 200 metres. The complex is home to many big businesses.

One Churchill Place - Strikingly modern, One Churchill Place was originally planned to be 50 stories high. These plans were later scaled down to a more humble 32 floors, but the building still makes an impact with its contemporary style. It is the seventh-tallest building in the United Kingdom.

25 Bank Street – This building was built in 2001-2003 and designed by Cesar Pelli & Associates Architects. Originally occupied by a global banking firm, its esteem as an example of Canary Wharf office space was reflected in the fine art and sumptuous furnishings that originally adorned the client reception area.

10 Upper Bank Street – Standing at 151 metres tall, 10 Upper Bank Street would be highly noticeable in any other area of London, but amongst the massive skyscrapers in Canary Wharf it can appear to be quite small! Most of 10 Upper Bank Street is occupied by one of the world’s largest law firms, but other businesses also let space in the building.

This is only a brief tour of impressively elevated Canary Wharf office space – there are also beautiful examples of residential buildings on the Isle of Dogs, including Pan Peninsula. This luxury apartment complex contains a multi-floor gym, a restaurant and even a private cinema – and the roof of the building provides a stunning lightshow for the London skyline. So if you’re a business owner, perhaps it’s time to consider the ‘Wharf’ for your next business move – and maybe as a place to live as well!

Four Delicious Reasons Why You Should Choose Office Space in Mayfair

Office space in Mayfair is highly sought-after, and with good reason. The area positively exudes class, and its famous streets are home to many big-name businesses. If you’re looking for a central location, impressive architecture and a powerful postcode, then look no further than office space in Mayfair to catapult your business into the big league.

But there’s more to booming business than location and reputation – they say that the key to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and I would argue that the key to a successful business deal is through great food, and lots of it. Thankfully, if you choose office space in Mayfair, you’ll be able to take clients to some of the finest restaurants that London has to offer. Here’s just four of the best:

Cecconi’s – Located in Burlington Gardens, Cecconi’s dishes up classic Italian cuisine in a glamorous setting. Its cool green decor simultaneously conjures up images of Venetian elegance and American diner-style casualness. It opened in the late 1970s and soon became a favourite eatery amongst the famous and affluent. However, its set menu is surprisingly affordable – making it popular amongst those who are lucky enough to work in office space in Mayfair.

Kai – If you’d prefer to entertain clients with a taste of the Orient, take them down to the über-stylish Kai, which is the proud holder of a Michelin star. Famous for its rather expensive Buddha jumps over the wall soup, Kai is not a place to go for quick, inexpensive bites. But if you want to truly impress with some of the finest food that London has to offer, set your business up at some office space in Mayfair and benefit from being within walking distance of this extremely fine establishment.

El Pirata – For unpretentious style and a relaxed, informal atmosphere, look no further than El Pirata – one of London’s top tapas restaurants. For more than 15 years, this authentic Spanish eatery has served up quality food at excellent prices. Its set menus are particularly good value for money, so if you want tasty tapas and good conversation without crushing your budget, come to El Pirata. Parts of the restaurant can be hired for private functions, making it ideal for staff functions – but with office space in Mayfair, you could close up shop for the day and immediately head down to El Pirata for informal eating every day of the week.

Princess Garden – Opened in 1983, Princess Garden deals in bona fide Pekinese cuisine. Elegant, crisp decor in the main mezzanine area is complemented by authentic Chinese art, giving the impression of a real Hong Kong dining experience. As for the food, the menu mixes up familiar classics with innovative, modern dishes – ask for the beggar’s chicken, and marvel as you are brought a whole chicken that has been roasted in a clay shell. Princess Garden is particularly noteworthy for its private rooms, which offer complete seclusion from the rest of the restaurant – and because this taste of China is located within walking distance of much of the office space in Mayfair, it is perfect for Christmas parties with an eastern atmosphere.

Mayfair is undoubtedly one of the most popular London areas to rent London office space.