1 Coleman Street

Delivering modern workspace through a sustainable, retrofit-first approach

Introduction

Quadrant Estates and Union Investment are bringing forward proposals to revitalise 1 Coleman Street, giving a well-located City building a new lease of life and creating best-in-class, low-carbon office space.

Our proposals aim to retain and upgrade the existing building through a retrofit-first approach, improving environmental performance while delivering high-quality workspace and enhancing the surrounding public realm.

We are keen to engage with local stakeholders and the wider community as the proposals develop, and welcome your feedback.

The Site

1 Coleman Street sits in a highly connected part of the City of London, close to Moorgate station and the Elizabeth line, at the centre of an area that is evolving rapidly.

Surrounded by major commercial buildings and historic landmarks, the site occupies a prominent position within a dynamic and changing part of the Square Mile, reflecting the City’s continued role as a global centre for business and innovation.

However, while the location remains competitive, the building itself no longer meets modern expectations. Its layout, environmental performance and relationship with the surrounding streets mean it falls short of what today’s businesses and the City’s ambitions for sustainability and competitiveness require.

The proposals therefore present an opportunity to revitalise the building, improving its environmental performance and ensuring it continues to contribute positively to the future of this part of the City.

Team

Quadrant Estates has more than 29 years of experience in real estate investment, development and asset management across the UK.

The company has expertise creating high-quality, sustainable office buildings across Central London, working with leading architects and consultants to deliver workplaces designed for modern businesses and the people who use them.

Quadrant has a strong track record of delivering complex projects, including YY London in Canary Wharf, a major redevelopment with enhanced ground-level activation and 25% more office space. Through projects like this, Quadrant ensures buildings are carefully upgraded and continue to contribute positively to the surrounding area.

Union Investment has a longstanding presence in the real estate market and is highly regarded as a professional manager of real estate investments.

It maintains extensive relationships with the most influential real estate developers globally, and its reputation and influence in the market ensure that investors can consistently gain exposure to high-quality holdings. With 60 years of experience, Union Investment is a strong and reliable partner for both its transaction partners and its investors.

Our proposals

Delivering high-quality office space designed for modern businesses

A retrofit-first approach to significantly minimise embodied carbon across the development

Improving environmental performance to create a more sustainable, future-ready workplace

Improving biodiversity across the site

Improving the building’s ground floor to provide a more welcoming and engaging interface with the streetscape

Delivering a sensitive architectural upgrade that responds to the surrounding townscape

Our vision

High-quality office space for modern businesses

The proposals aim to transform 1 Coleman Street into a best-in-class workspace designed for modern businesses. By reconfiguring the building’s internal layout and improving facilities, the scheme would deliver flexible, high-quality office space capable of supporting a wide range of occupiers, including potential international headquarters.

Modern workplaces require high standards of comfort, sustainability and wellbeing. The upgraded building is intended to attract long-term occupiers while supporting the City of London’s role as a global centre for business and innovation.

Retaining and upgrading the building through a retrofit-first approach

A central principle of the proposals is to retain and reuse the existing structure, rather than demolishing and rebuilding the site. This retrofit-first strategy significantly reduces embodied carbon and extends the life of the existing building. This approach supports the City’s climate ambitions while delivering a sustainable and future-ready workplace.

Improving sustainability and building performance

The proposals include improvements to the building’s environmental performance. Upgrades to the building fabric, systems and energy performance will help reduce operational carbon emissions while improving comfort for those working in the building.

Early studys suggest that aligning the building with the performance of the best new office developments could reduce carbon emissions by around 25–30% over the first 20 years of operation, supporting a robust pathway towards long-term net zero ambitions.

Improving biodiversity across the site

The proposals have been developed with a focus on key environmental priorities, including enhancing urban greening and increasing biodiversity on the site. This is supported through the integration of planting and green elements across the site, contributing to an overall improvement in environmental performance.

The design also seeks to improve how the building connects with its surroundings, encouraging greater use and activity while contributing to a more vibrant and engaging streetscape.

Have your say

You can learn more about the proposals by attending our public exhibition.

Members of the project team will be available throughout the events to explain the proposals and answer the questions.

Public Exhibition

Consultation survey

You can also share your views by completing our online consultation survey.

Feedback received will help inform the next stage of the proposals as they continue to evolve.

Have your say

Have a question?

If you have any questions, comments, or need more information, feel free to reach out to us. We’re here to help and answer any inquiries you may have. Simply fill out this form, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing from you!