Leadenhall Street Office Space

The office space on Leadenhall Street serves as a potent reminder that the City of London is a global powerhouse of commerce, and has been for centuries.

The thoroughfare links Aldgate in the east to Cornhill in the west and is approximately 1/3 of a mile long (0.5 kilometres), yet its influence has circumnavigated the globe.

It connects the medieval market of Leaden Hall, which stands on the site of the 2nd-century Roman basilica, with Aldgate, the eastern gate in the Roman city wall.

The East India Company had its headquarters on Leadenhall Street at East India House. This was demolished in 1861 to make way for the Lloyd’s building, the home of the institution which influenced the future occupiers in the vicinity, making the EC3 district the insurance district it is today.

The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) also had its headquarters on Leadenhall Street on the site that is now the 48-storey, 122 Leadenhall Street. Also known as The Leadenhall Building and the Cheesegrater, it opened in 2014.

Other skyscrapers on the street include the 38-storey Scalpel on the corner of Lime Street, which was completed in 2018 and stands opposite the Lloyd’s building and adjacent to the Willis Building.

The street is still home to older buildings from the Victorian era. At that time, merchant occupiers were gradually being replaced by banks, and these occupied solid 6-storey stone buildings. Examples still standing today include Lloyds Bank at No. 113 and the former Bank of Adelaide at No. 11.

As is the pace of the City, development is constant, and the 36-storey One Leadenhall was completed in 2024 on the site of part of the Roman basilica.

In December 2024, the City of London granted permission for the 74-storey, 1 Undershaft Development, which would be the tallest in the City and match the height of The Shard.

Named after the early 16th-century church near the site, St Andrew Undershaft, which was so-named due to the large Maypole erected each May 1st for festivities. The pole, or shaft, was so tall that it towered over the church at full height.

Today, there is a replica of the pole outside the Cheesegrater.

The 1 Undershaft development would stand between the Leadenhall Building and 30 St Mary Axe, also known as the Gherkin, and feature a podium above St Helen’s Square.

The proposed building would deliver 1.66 million square feet of premium office space, including co-working facilities for small and medium-sized businesses.

Plans for 1 Undershaft also featured a unique 27,000-square-foot publicly accessible 11-storey podium garden 130 feet above street level, with a striking structural glass floor, a viewing platform, and a children’s education space. Developers proposed to complete the project in 2029.

Those seeking best-in-class office space will find numerous options on Leadenhall Street. They can also choose to lease space conventionally or opt for a more contemporary, flexible arrangement.

Flexible office space and workspace alternatives to leasing include premium serviced offices and 5-star managed offices offered by high-end office providers, many of which are B-Corp certified.

The managed offices are CAT A ready-fitted plug-and-play office spaces managed on behalf of the occupier. The client leads the fit-out and furnishing process of the self-contained space, which can be a suite, floor, or several floors.

The bespoke offices can include private reception areas, meeting rooms, executive suites, open-plan workspaces, hot-desking zones, kitchens, and bathrooms and shower facilities, and clients can choose a customised service package.

The private serviced offices on Leadenhall Street are fully furnished and equipped with state-of-the-art business technologies. Clients enjoy access to premium communal amenities, including meeting rooms, focus booths, break-out spaces, fitness and wellness facilities, outdoor spaces, and cafes.

These move-in-ready workspaces are instantly available, and clients can often secure contracts within hours of viewing. The terms are relatively short compared to leases, although options to extend are granted.

Options to expand into a larger space midway through the terms are also offered, allowing for unhindered business growth. Spaces are available on Leadenhall Street for teams requiring 500 desks or more.

Equally, businesses can contract into a smaller space as business needs dictate.

These flexible office and workspace solutions also offer the additional benefit of providing all-inclusive pricing. The once-monthly fee covers rent, utilities, furnishings, cleaning, secure enterprise-grade IT, and other services, including reception, business support, and concierge services.

Premium workspace providers offer space in amenity-rich buildings that are managed in an ESG-conscious manner. These facilities offer end-of-journey amenities, including bicycle spaces, showers, lockers, changing rooms, and EV chargers for self-powered commuters.

However, clients enjoy excellent public transport links with services provided by nearby stations, including Aldgate, Bank, Fenchurch Street, and Liverpool Street.