Silk Street scheme scaled back as developers seek City backing
Developers behind the proposed 1 Silk Street office scheme have reduced the height of the project in a renewed effort to secure planning approval from the City of London Corporation and address concerns raised by Barbican residents. Lipton Rogers and LaSalle Investment Management have submitted revised plans for the Skidmore, Owings & Merrill-designed building, trimming more than 10 metres from the western side of the block. Three storeys have been removed from the section facing Cromwell Tower, following criticism over daylight loss, massing and the impact on the neighbouring Barbican Estate. Under the updated proposals, the western portion of the building will now rise only three storeys above the existing Linklaters headquarters it is set to replace, rather than six as previously planned. The eastern side of the scheme will retain its original height, maintaining alignment with the taller commercial buildings nearby. The design team says the revisions significantly reduce visual and daylight impacts. External terraces have been removed to prevent overlooking, while measures including obscured glazing, façade fins and automated blinds have been incorporated to address privacy concerns. Despite the reduction in scale, the scheme will still provide 91,142 sq m of Grade A office accommodation, approximately five per cent less than initially proposed. The development is aimed at large trading-floor occupiers, with market forecasts suggesting a potential shortfall of prime office space in the City by 2028. Public realm and cultural elements have also been strengthened. Plans include a new plaza on Silk Street to create a clearer gateway to the Barbican Centre, alongside a redesigned 2,282 sq m public realm and a pedestrian arcade linking Moorgate and Liverpool Street directly to the Barbican. In addition, nearly 1,300 sq m of retail and restaurant space is proposed, together with a new performance venue, Silk Street Hall, and a community-focused Creative Community Lab, reinforcing the scheme’s ambition to blend commercial development with cultural and civic benefit. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Goodman’s Fields retail and leisure estate sold in London’s Tech Belt
A prominent mixed-use block within London’s so-called ‘Tech Belt’ has changed hands, with Berkeley Homes completing the sale of the retail and leisure element of Goodman’s Fields in Aldgate to an undisclosed purchaser. The 7-acre Goodman’s Fields estate occupies a key position on the eastern fringe of the City of London. In May 2025, Berkeley brought 12 ground-floor commercial units to the investment market, offering a total of 38,717 sq ft of retail and leisure accommodation. At the point of sale, the units were fully let to a diverse mix of occupiers spanning retail, food and beverage, leisure and fitness. Tenants include Amazon Fresh, Pizza Union, Boom Battle Bar, Power-Up Tavern, Kova Patisserie, 12X3 Boxing, Movement Labs, Zia Lucia, DanDan Noodle, Tian Tian Market, Sai Pharmacy and Knife-Sliced Noodles, reflecting the estate’s appeal as a vibrant destination within a high-density urban neighbourhood. The wider Goodman’s Fields development has transformed the former check clearing office site into a substantial mixed-use quarter comprising more than 1 million sq ft of accommodation. The scheme includes over 1,000 homes, a 250-bed hotel and in excess of 600 student beds, alongside landscaped public realm and commercial space. Positioned close to London’s financial district, the area has evolved into a hub for technology and digital businesses, with major firms such as Blockchain, Uber, Lebara, BT, Monzo and Onfido located nearby. The strength of this surrounding occupier base underpins continued investor interest in mixed-use assets that combine residential density with active ground-floor commercial frontage. GCW and CBRE acted on behalf of Berkeley Homes in the transaction, while Knight Frank advised the purchaser. The deal attracted attention across leading property and business media, highlighting sustained demand for well-located, income-producing mixed-use estates in central London. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Glencar progresses multi-million-pound 13,000 sq m Costco Wholesale warehouse in Gloucester
The project represents Costco’s first warehouse in Gloucestershire and further strengthens Glencar’s portfolio across large-scale developments alongside its established industrial and logistics workload. Following three months on site, the steel frame is now complete, earthworks are nearing completion and cladding and roofing works are progressing, with the next key milestone being achievement of a watertight building envelope. Once complete, the development will include a nine-pump petrol station with tyre fitting bay, 612 customer parking spaces and a new vehicle access off Chancel Close. The 13,000 sq m warehouse is being delivered under a design and build contract and comprises a wide-span steel portal frame structure, feature entrance canopy, vertical composite cladding systems and a roof-mounted solar PV array. The external works package includes car parking, HGV hardstanding, drainage infrastructure, service installations and associated civils across the wider 44,000 sq m development site, progressing in parallel with the main build. Roy Jones, Managing Director at Glencar, said: “This is a substantial scheme that brings together structural steel, civils, infrastructure and sustainability within a live delivery programme. We are working closely with Costco and the wider project team to maintain programme certainty as construction progresses toward completion in 2026.” Paul Landen, Construction Director Europe, Costco commented: “Glencar is making good progress on site as works continue to advance on our Gloucester warehouse. This development represents an important addition to our UK estate, and we look forward to delivering a high-quality facility for our members in 2026.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Behind the Building: 22 Bishopsgate’s Vertical Village Takes Centre Stage on Netflix
With Netflix’s Being Gordon Ramsay now streaming, viewers are given a glimpse inside one of London’s most recognisable towers – 22 Bishopsgate. While the spotlight falls on Ramsay’s new Lucky Cat restaurant, the opening episode also highlights the architectural ambition behind the building itself. Designed by PLP Architecture, 22 Bishopsgate was conceived as a “Vertical Village” – a mixed-use tower that integrates work, hospitality, wellness and culture from the outset. Ramsay describes the 60th floor restaurant space as “an iconic building in the middle of the city”, remarking on its 27,000 sq ft footprint and dramatic scale. Yet Lucky Cat is more than a restaurant with panoramic views; it represents the realisation of a design philosophy embedded into the project from day one. Nearly 13 per cent of the building is dedicated to amenity space, significantly above the London Grade A office average. Restaurants, bars, landscaped terraces and London’s highest free public viewing gallery are distributed throughout the upper levels, opening the tower to the public and redefining the traditional commercial skyscraper model. At level 60, Lucky Cat pairs Asian-inspired dining with an open kitchen concept and sweeping views across the capital. Its position at the summit reinforces the building’s commitment to experience-led design, where hospitality is not an afterthought but a defining feature. More broadly, 22 Bishopsgate reflects a shift in workplace architecture. By embedding destination hospitality within commercial towers, developers can create vibrant ecosystems that promote wellbeing, encourage collaboration and enhance tenant appeal. Lee Polisano, co-founder and partner at PLP Architecture, said the original vision was to create an integrated vertical village in the sky, seamlessly blending work and entertainment. With Lucky Cat now complete, he believes the final piece of that vision has fallen into place, fulfilling the building’s intended purpose as a landmark for modern city living and working. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Morrisons Weighs £1bn Property Financing as Turnaround Gathers Pace
Morrisons is exploring a potential £1bn property financing deal as it looks to strengthen its position in an increasingly competitive grocery market. According to reports in a leading financial news outlet, the Bradford-based supermarket group has appointed property advisory firm CBRE to assess options for raising funds secured against part of its substantial freehold store portfolio. Sources indicate that discussions remain at an early stage and are unlikely to centre on a traditional sale-and-leaseback arrangement of the kind widely used by major grocers in previous decades. Instead, one option under consideration is a medium- to long-term borrowing facility secured against a selection of Morrisons supermarkets. While any transaction could potentially raise up to £1bn, neither the final structure nor the scale of a deal has been confirmed. Morrisons operates around 500 supermarkets across the UK and employs approximately 95,000 people. The business was taken private in 2021 by US buyout firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in a deal valued at close to £10bn including debt. Since then, performance has been mixed. Aldi overtook Morrisons last year to become the UK’s fourth-largest supermarket by sales, intensifying pressure on the chain to regain lost ground to competitors such as Sainsbury’s and Aldi. In 2023, Morrisons appointed Rami Baitieh, formerly of Carrefour, as chief executive in a bid to drive a turnaround strategy. One of Morrisons’ distinguishing features is its extensive property ownership. The company holds the freehold on roughly 80% of its store estate, one of the highest proportions in the sector. Industry sources suggest that releasing £1bn through either a sale-and-leaseback or a leverage-based structure would still leave the business with about 60% of its stores in full ownership. The supermarket has also been steadily reducing the debt taken on during the 2021 acquisition, with roughly £1bn of takeover financing reportedly still outstanding. During the competitive bidding battle for Morrisons, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice committed to limiting major disposals of store freeholds for a defined period. Since then, most real estate activity has focused on non-store assets. In 2024, the company entered into a partnership with investment firm Song Capital, which paid £370m for the right to receive income from 75 Morrisons supermarkets over a 45-year period. Alongside Asda, Morrisons is one of the UK’s major grocers now under private equity ownership. Asda is owned by TDR Capital, with former parent Walmart retaining a minority financial stake. Last month, Morrisons reported what it described as strong Christmas trading results. Rami Baitieh said the 2024/25 financial year marked another period of renewal and modernisation, highlighting twelve consecutive quarters of like-for-like sales growth, stable EBITDA and maintained market share despite challenging economic conditions. Morrisons declined to comment on the prospect of a property financing deal. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Historic George Hotel Set for £30m Comeback as GMI Begins Work
GMI Construction Group has started preparatory works ahead of a £30m renovation and restoration of Huddersfield’s landmark George Hotel. The Grade II* listed building, which has stood empty since 2013, is being transformed into a 108-room hotel featuring a bar, restaurant, gym and conference facilities. Located opposite Huddersfield railway station, the prominent site occupies a key position on St George’s Square. Once completed, the revitalised hotel will be operated by Radisson Hotel Group under its Radisson Red brand, marking the first Radisson Red hotel in Yorkshire. GMI has been involved in the project for the past two years, working alongside Kirklees Council, which acquired the property in August 2020. A central challenge has been striking the right balance between safeguarding the building’s historic character and ensuring its long-term commercial viability. Revised proposals secured approval in October 2025 as part of the Huddersfield Blueprint regeneration programme, clearing the way for main construction works to commence. The scheme will retain and restore the hotel’s distinctive stone façade, preserving its historic frontage onto St George’s Square. At the rear, two additional storeys of accommodation will be added in a design intended to complement rather than compete with the original architecture. Ed Weston, GMI’s regional director for Yorkshire, said the company was proud to deliver a landmark project that restores a significant part of Huddersfield’s heritage while contributing to long-term economic growth and community renewal. He noted that the transformation reflects a commitment to careful, high-quality delivery that respects the building’s historic importance. Councillor Graham Turner, Kirklees Council’s cabinet member for finance and regeneration, described the scheme as one of the flagship projects within the Huddersfield Blueprint. He said the George Hotel acts as a gateway building into the town centre and, once refurbished, will help strengthen the local economy while offering visitors a prime place to stay. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals