Twentytwo: a New Workplace Concept Launches in the Heart of the City of London
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19 JUNE, 2017 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Twentytwo: a new workplace concept launches in the heart of the City of London People-focused office building to offer multiple amenity spaces, London’s first climbing window, highest free public viewing gallery and a curated art walk for workers and visitors to enjoy LONDON, 19 JUNE, 2017 – AXA Investment Managers - Real Assets (“AXA IM - Real Assets”), acting on behalf of a consortium of international investors, together with its development partner Lipton Rogers Developments, have unveiled their vision for the highly-anticipated office building Twentytwo, located at 22 Bishopsgate in the heart of the City of London. Their concept responds directly to the major shifts in the way people work and live, brought about by cultural, demographic and technological advances in the world of work. Twentytwo has been designed as a place people will want to work in, and as a building that represents a new approach to office design. At its core, Twentytwo aims to offer choice – choice to eat healthier, choice to exercise, choice to speak to others and share experiences and choice for the occupiers in creating their own, bespoke workspaces. It is designed to increase wellness, engagement and productivity, ultimately making a significant and positive impact on the businesses and people that will form its community. The 62-storey tower will be the first of its kind to house a fresh food market, innovation hub, gym, wellbeing retreat and spa, curated ‘art walk’, business club and cycle hub, as well as the London’s highest free public viewing gallery. It will be the first UK tower to contain in excess of 100,000 sq ft of integrated amenity and social spaces, creating an inspiring, healthy and energising workplace for a vibrant and diverse business workforce of 12,000 people. Isabelle Scemama, CEO of AXA IM - Real Assets, said: “We invested in Twentytwo for the long term and have been bold with the concept in order to both set new standards for workspace in London and to ensure that the building is future-ready. The critical mass of the project has allowed us to push the boundaries of what is possible in an office building. London continues to show the world that it is an adaptable and resilient global city and we are confident its place as an eminent international business centre will remain, with Twentytwo an integral part of its future success.” Designed by Karen Cook of PLP Architecture, Twentytwo will offer 1.275 million sq ft of flexible workspace for all sizes and scales of businesses to work in. Recognising that companies are increasingly looking to collaborate across disciplines and sectors, plans for Twentytwo include a dedicated space to support start-ups and entrepreneurs, providing the ability to connect emerging innovators with larger companies within Twentytwo’s community, while at the same time providing more established tenants with access to the next generation of creative talent. Sir Stuart Lipton, partner at Lipton Rogers Developments, said: “Twentytwo is different - a first of its kind. We recognise the role of the office has changed, with workplaces now needing to do so much more than simply accommodate people. They are becoming hubs for bringing colleagues together - ‘high-tech coffee shops’ where people meet, share, collaborate and develop ideas, strategies and solutions. Twentytwo will be a truly ‘social’ workplace with different spaces for people to socialise, focus and energise. It represents how we will all be working in the future.” The relationship between employee wellbeing and productivity is central to the Twentytwo ethos, being the first UK core and shell building to apply for the International WELL Building Institute™ (IWBI™) WELL Building Standard™ (WELL). A state-of-the-art fitness hub will include London’s first climbing window, installed directly on the inner face of the building’s external wall. This will be situated 125 metres from the ground and provide panoramic views across the City. The scheme will offer London’s largest provision of cycle parking with up to 1,700 spaces, and will include a dedicated amenity to support employee wellness, incorporating a spa and treatment area as well as zones to relax and meditate. Twentytwo will offer an exceptional vista of the London skyline from the city’s highest free public viewing gallery, complete with top level restaurant. At the building’s base, workers will be able to enjoy an ‘art walk’ in the triple- height lobby. This programme of curated works of art and sculpture will be commissioned on a revolving basis to provide an inspiring and ever-changing display at street level. The building forms the centrepiece of the City of London’s cluster, with access to a commuter workforce via mainline rail networks, tube and, from 2018, Crossrail. The dynamic and future-facing nature of the scheme echoes the City’s own evolution, with Twentytwo perfectly positioned to attract a diverse range of businesses as London’s centre continues to move eastwards. AXA IM - Real Assets’ Twentytwo leasing director, James Goldsmith, said: “Over the past 10 years there has been a clear shift in London’s axis to the east. Renowned for its financial business infrastructure, the City’s cultural and social credentials are now thriving. Rather than focusing on a series of distinct sub-markets, occupiers are now choosing locations based upon their intrinsic benefits rather than historic reputations.” Catherine McGuinness, policy chairman of the City of London Corporation, said: "We are proud to support the development of Twentytwo in the City of London. On its completion it will be one of the tallest buildings in the City skyline and will be a real sign of how London is open for business. As well as traditional occupiers, we are increasingly seeing a new wave of technology, media and telecoms companies drawn to the City’s world-leading connectivity, cyber security, infrastructure and cultural and retail offering. With more than 50,000 more people expected to work in the Square Mile over the next thirty years, Twentytwo is a world-class example of how we will meet the demand for modern office space and diverse occupiers." Twentytwo is currently under construction and is due to be completed in 2019. CBRE and JLL have been appointed joint leasing agents on the project. For more information, please visit: Website: Twentytwolondon.com Twitter: @twentytwolondon Instagram: @twentytwolondon -ENDS- PRESS CONTACTS: AXA Investment Managers – Real Assets Charline Coué, Media Relations Manager Jocelyne Tamssom, Head of Communications Tel +33 1 44 45 97 95 [email protected] FTI Consulting Inc. Richard Sunderland, Richard Gotla, Ellie Sweeney, Tom Gough Tél: +44 (0) 20 3727 1000 [email protected] NOTES TO EDITORS Twentytwo was acquired by AXA IM - Real Assets in 2015 on behalf of an international consortium of investors with Lipton Rogers Developments as development partner. Planning permission was secured in July 2016. The main construction contract was committed to October 2016, with completion projected for summer 2019, following an accelerated build which utilises existing foundations on site. Project team - Investment Manager: AXA IM - Real Assets, acting on behalf of its clients. o Isabelle Scemama, Andrew Stainer, Harry Badham and James Goldsmith - Developer: Lipton Rogers Developments: o Sir Stuart Lipton - Architect: PLP Architecture o Karen Cook - Construction: Multiplex ABOUT AXA IM - REAL ASSETS AXA Investment Managers is an active, long-term, global, multi-asset investor focused on enabling more people to harness the power of investing to meeting their financial goals. By combining investment insight and innovation with robust risk monitoring, we have become one of the largest asset managers in Europe with ambitions to become the chosen investment partner of investors around the world. With approximately €747 billion in assets under management as of end March 2017, AXA IM employs over 2,350 people based in 29 offices around the world. AXA Investment Managers - Real Assets has over €71 billion in assets under management, including €54 billion in direct property & infrastructure and €14.3 billion in real asset finance as of end of March 2017. We offer a 360° approach to investing in real assets, which comprises opportunities in equity or debt, across different geographies and sectors, as well as via private or listed instruments. We are a global leader in real assets investment, the number one property portfolio and asset manager in Europe(1), and one of the largest worldwide. Our teams have been managing funds and mandates for over 30 years and comprise about 600 people in 15 offices that operate in 20 countries around the world, which provide us with in-depth knowledge of countries, cities and sectors. AXA Investment Managers is part of the AXA Group, a global leader in financial protection and wealth management. Visit our websites: www.axa-im.com / https://realassets.axa-im.com Follow us on Twitter @AXAIMRealAssets to get our latest information 1) Source: INREV/ANREV Fund Manager Survey – May 2017 ABOUT LIPTON ROGERS DEVELOPMENTS Lipton Rogers Developments LLP ("Lipton Rogers") specialises in major developments in and around Central London designed very specifically to meet the business and social needs of major corporate companies. The partnership was formed in 2013 by Sir Stuart Lipton and Peter Rogers, former founding partners of Stanhope, together with Rupert Clarke, former CEO of Hermes. Lipton and Rogers have completed over 30m sqft of development in London over the last thirty years including a high proportion of London's most high profile modern developments including Broadgate, Paternoster Square, Stockley Park and Chiswick Parkand more than 35 buildings of over 100,000 sqft in the City. Lipton Rogers’ development activity primarily focuses on sites with major challenges and opportunities, requiring creative design and delivery solutions.