Southbank Office Space

Southbank office space is located in an area whose evolution is as representative of London as any other.

Long recognised as a commercial and entertainment area, the narrow strip in Lambeth extends approximately 2 miles (3.2 kilometres) along the southern bank of the River Thames and is classed as a part of Central London.

An eclectic range of occupiers rent office space within a diverse range of properties on the South Bank, which stretches roughly from land opposite the Houses of Parliament, adjoining the Albert Embankment to the west, and Bankside in the London Borough of Southwark to the east.

Before the river was embanked, the area often flooded, so it was slower to develop than other parts of the UK capital. However, it had attributes that lent itself to domestic industry and manufacturing and had several wharfs along its length.

It was home to the Lion Brewery from 1836 until Royal Festival Hall was developed on the site in 1949. Just before the brewery was demolished, King George VI ordered that its two iconic lion statues be preserved. One now stands at Westminster Bridge, and the other, painted gold, stands outside Twickenham Stadium.

County Hall, the headquarters of the London County Council (LCC), was also developed nearby in 1911.

Although it had a commercial heritage, it was also a renowned entertainment district and was home to the Elizabethan-era Globe Theatre, which burned down during a performance in 1613.

It was rebuilt in the 1990s on an adjacent street, and even though thatched roofs have been banned in London since the Great Fire of 1666, it gained permission for such a roof to maintain authenticity. It is therefore the only thatched roof in Central London.

It remains a vibrant arts and entertainment district. It is home to the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Hayward Gallery, the Royal National Theatre, and BFI Southbank, operated by the British Film Institute.

The Southbank has long been the home of large businesses, the largest being the multinational oil and gas company, Shell. The 27-storey Shell Centre office building was completed in 1962, serving as its British headquarters.

The company remains based at the property; however, in 2023, it was announced that parts of its campus had been sold to make way for a mixed-use development named Southbank Place, which would deliver super-prime residences, retail amenities, and offices that could be rented by other companies.

The South Bank offers a wide range of office space, both in brand-new Grade A office buildings with ultramodern amenities and in characterful, renovated buildings that have been elegantly retrofitted to provide contemporary workspace solutions with state-of-the-art infrastructure and amenities. Offices can be rented via traditional leases, and there is a growing number of flexible workspace solutions, including serviced offices and managed offices in Southbank.

The serviced offices in Southbank are fully furnished private office suites. Tenants enjoy access to high-end communal amenities, including bookable meeting rooms, breakout spaces, fully stocked kitchens, focus booths, cafes, wellness amenities such as gyms and meditation rooms, and other shared facilities.

The premium managed offices on Southbank are pre-cabled and ready to fit. The tenant has a blank canvas office space to fit out and furnish. However, the landlord or managed office provider assists the tenant in creating a bespoke office space that reflects the tenant’s brand identity.

The self-contained managed offices can include private reception areas, hot-desking zones, executive office suites, meeting rooms and boardrooms, breakout spaces, lounges, kitchens, bathrooms, and showers, and other elements can be specified during the fit-out.

The tenant also creates a bespoke service package that utilises the technical, hospitality, and business support teams. The managed office landlord or provider then oversees the space’s running on behalf of the tenant.

Managed and serviced offices are available in various sizes and formats, in the form of suites, clusters of suites, floors, multiple floors, and whole buildings. Many managed and serviced offices on Southbank can satisfy requirements for space for over 500 desks.

These flexible office solutions are let by licence or flexible lease. Tenants enjoy the agility to modify their footprint by downsizing or upsizing in line with changing business conditions mid-term. The occupational agreements can also be extended or exited relatively easily compared to a traditionally leased space.

The all-inclusive rental fees cover broadband, heating, air conditioning, water, energy, professional cleaning, and other overheads that would be paid for and managed separately if renting an office via a conventional lease.

The best-in-class office buildings on Southbank that offer managed offices and serviced office space are developed and run sustainably and with an eco-conscious approach, matching their tenants’ high environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards. Therefore, they provide end-of-trip facilities for self-powered commuters, including bicycle storage, showers, lockers, and electric vehicle (EV) chargers.

However, tenants enjoy excellent public transport links from stations within easy walking distance of the offices on the South Bank, including Lambeth North, Southwark, and Waterloo.