FORE Partnership has submitted plans to transform an out of date 1990s office building next to Tower Bridge on the bank of the Thames into a 90,000 sq ft forward-thinking work environment.

The plans, designed by architects Stiff + Trevillion, will see Tower Bridge Court (TBC) stripped back to its frame and sensitively redeveloped as a service-driven workspace fit for the future. Two floors will be added to the existing five-storey building, with a third additional floor set back from the iconic Tower Bridge to create a terrace and club room. All tenants of the building will have direct access to outdoor space through terraces, balconies, and gardens.

The ground floor entrance of the new building will be opened up to the street, creating an active frontage and opportunities for engagement with the public. A key part of the strategy for the building is to create space where local social enterprises and community groups can come together with tenants to build stronger relationships within the local area and drive positive change. The ground floor will be dominated by a flexible, multi-use space that will be available for events, workshops, exhibitions, and town hall-style meetings.

Reflecting FORE’s mission to lead the way to a zero carbon future, the building will be all electric with no fossil fuels used in running the property. FORE is targeting BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ and EPC A for the building, along with WELL Building Standard certification and a Platinum Wired Score rating.

The building is designed to sit sympathetically within its heritage context, with a scale and materiality sensitive to the local heritage area, while providing industry-leading innovation required to deliver a low carbon workspace that promotes the health and well-being of its occupiers.

FORE acquired the 68,090 sq ft building for £51 million in July 2018 and is partnering with development manager Landid on the project.

FORE is a purpose-driven transformational real estate investment firm, backed by a dozen prominent family offices and private investors. FORE is focused on creating a new class of beautifully designed buildings that drive positive social and environmental change.

Landid is a forward-thinking developer, delivering characterful design-led workspaces that meet the needs of the next generation of occupiers. Most recently Landid delivered a portfolio of market-leading workspaces in the Western Corridor, including the award-winning Thames Tower in Reading, and The Porter Building in Slough, the UK’s first core and shell WELL Building Standard certified office building.

The plans for TBC have been submitted to Southwark Council for approval.

Basil Demeroutis, Managing Partner, FORE Partnership, said: “FORE is committed to creating developments that better reflect the way people live, work, and interact with one another. With TBC we will deliver an exemplar transformation of an outdated office building, providing a new kind of environment designed for forward-thinking businesses that value quality, innovation, carbon reduction, and employee health and wellbeing.”

Chris Hiatt, Director, Landid, said: “TBC sits on a remarkable site next to the iconic Tower Bridge with stunning views of the Thames over to the central London skyline. We are committed to delivering a next generation workspace, with excellent amenities available to occupiers as well as the local community. TBC will be a building for businesses that want to create an inspiring working environment and foster productivity and wellbeing.”

Lance Routh, Director at Stiff + Trevillion, said: “Designing a building within a heritage area of such importance presents great challenges. We have worked very closely with FORE and Landid to understand the historic context, creating a building with a refined architecture that in its scale and materiality is wholly sympathetic to its surroundings. At the same time, TBC is being designed to industry-leading standards in sustainability, social impact, digital connectivity, and wellness, creating a building that is future-proofed for the next generation.”

TBC lies in an exceptional position on the south bank of the River Thames, part of the dramatic evolution of London’s South Bank, Bankside, and London Bridge area.

Close to London Bridge, Tower Hill tube, Fenchurch Street and Bermondsey stations as well as Katherine’s Pier, with fast river boat connections to Canary Wharf and Westminster, TBC has great connectivity within and beyond London.

The plans for TBC come after FORE recently completed Windmill Green, an 80,000 sq ft highly sustainable office building in Manchester. The building, located on Mount Street in the heart of Manchester’s city centre, is set to achieve a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ rating, only the second building in Manchester to achieve this accolade, with its state of the art innovative solar PV panels, Manchester’s first scooter fleet for tenants, and an expansive living wall to help neutralise carbon emissions.