EC2 Office Space

Office space in EC2 is positioned within the Eastern Central postcode area that covers parts of the City of London and the City Fringe and is occupied by a diverse mix of prestigious institutions and high-profile contemporary firms.

The EC2 postcode district is roughly bordered by Old Street to the north, Bishopsgate to the east, Cheapside, Poultry and Threadneedle Street to the south, and Aldersgate to the west.

It covers the northeastern corner of the City of London from St Paul’s Cathedral. To the north of the district, there are small sections in the London Boroughs of Islington and Hackney. A section of Bishopsgate falls within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Locales within the district include Barbican, Bishopsgate, Broadgate, Cheapside, Guildhall, Moorgate and Shoreditch.

EC2 is split into the following subareas: EC2A, which covers Shoreditch; EC2M, which covers Broadgate and Liverpool Street; EC2N, which covers Old Broad Street; EC2R, which covers the area surrounding the Bank of England; EC2V, which covers Guildhall; and EC2Y, which covers Barbican.

EC2 has traditionally been recognised as the City of London’s main financial district because the Bank of England has been situated on Threadneedle Street since the 1730s, leading to the area immediately surrounding the institution being referred to as the Bank.

Large financial institutions and banks continue to rent office space in EC2, including Deutsche Bank on Moorfields and Standard Chartered on Basinghall Street.

Tower 42 on Old Broad Street was the international headquarters of NatWest Bank when it was built in 1981 and became more commonly known as the NatWest Tower. Its unusual dimensions created an image of the NatWest logo when viewed from above. It was the tallest building in the City of London until it was surpassed by Heron Tower, also known as 110 Bishopsgate, in 2009.

Since then, other office towers in EC2 have been built taller than the NatWest Tower, resulting in a changing skyline and a more diverse tenant mix in the district.

Heron Tower is home to various occupiers, including recruitment agency Harvey Nash, brokering platform Interactive Brokers, pensions company Partnership Assurance, and legal advisers Proskauer Rose.

When software company Salesforce agreed to rent a large amount of office space at the tower, it attempted to purchase the naming rights for the skyscraper. The City of London corporation denied this, but it is still colloquially known as the Salesforce Tower.

Other office towers developed in the City of London include The Cheesegrater, also known as The Leadenhall Building, in the neighbouring EC3 at 122 Leadenhall Street, The Jenga, also known as 8 Bishopsgate, and The Scalpel, also known as 52 Lime Street and also in EC3.

In 2020, Heron Tower was surpassed by 22 Bishopsgate, also known as Twentytwo, which became the tallest building in the City of London at 278 m (912 ft) and 62 storeys.

Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) is a major occupier of office space in EC2. Following a redevelopment of Broadgate, the bank took 700,000 square feet of office space, providing enough space for 3,000 desks at 5 Broadgate.

Despite its size, the building is comprised of just 12 floors and so earned the badge of a Groundscraper. In addition to 7 floors of office space, it is equipped with a restaurant, gym, retail space, a newsagent, dry cleaner, concierge service, cycle storage, showering facilities, and a wellness centre.

The EC2 building is certified as BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and has been shortlisted as Best Corporate Workplace in London by the British Council for Offices.

The EC2 district also covers the City Fringe, Old Street, and the areas surrounding Silicon Roundabout, including Shoreditch. Here, buildings such as Alphabeta have attracted a diverse range of tech companies and those from the creative industries.

Companies looking for office space to rent in EC2 can choose from a wide range of brand-new buildings offering Class A prime office space and an abundance of Grade A stock.

There is also a growing range of flexible workspaces in EC2, including private serviced offices, managed offices, and co-working spaces.

The serviced and managed office options are sometimes referred to as Class A+. They are fully fitted, ready-to-use workspaces that require little to no upfront capital expenditure unless custom office space is required, which can be easily arranged.

The offices are also all-inclusive, so the monthly rental fee covers the rent, services charge, utilities, enterprise-grade secure IT systems, cleaning, furnishings, insurance and other items such as reception, secretarial and concierge services.

Premium flexible office spaces in EC2 have become increasingly popular. They are hel on short-term licences relative to leases that require long-term commitments, yet they have the option to extend terms, providing future business risk protection.

They also offer a high level of agility as the flexible contracts allow a business to upgrade into a larger suite as business needs dictate, with options to move into offices with space for 500 and above desks.

Occupiers in EC2 enjoy an eclectic range of retail and leisure amenities, including restaurants such as Aviary on Finsbury Square, Gaucho on Finsbury Avenue and Los Mochis on Liverpool Street. Bars with great views in the City of London in EC2 include City Social, previously known as Vertigo, on the 24^th floor of Tower 42 Old Broad Street and Sushisamba on floors 38 and 39 of the Heron Tower. There is also a wide range of gyms and hotels within easy walking distance of the vicinity.

As with amenities and facilities, occupiers of office space in EC2 enjoy easy access to excellent transport links. There are numerous London Underground stations in and within easy walking distance of EC2, and the stations that sit within the EC2 postcode district are as follows: