Threadneedle Street London office property development, Hammerson City workplace retrofit, architecture, owner
60 Threadneedle Street London Office
Updated 27 March 2026
Design: John Robertson Architects
Location: Threadneedle Street, London, England
Photos by Jack Hobhouse
60 Threadneedle St London Office Retrofit
City of London Offices Building, England, UK – Bank district property owned by Hammerson
John Robertson Architects (JRA), a London-based architecture practice specialising in the reimagining and retrofitting of legacy commercial assets, has completed works to repurpose parts of 60 Threadneedle Street, a prominent office building located in the City of London’s Bank district.
Occupying a highly visible curved frontage opposite the Royal Exchange and overlooking the Bank of England at the junction of Old Broad Street and Threadneedle Street, the building sits within the Bank Conservation Area, a historic zone that also includes landmarks such as Mansion House, with protected sightlines towards St Paul’s Cathedral and St Mary-le-Bow Church.
Originally designed by Eric Parry Architects and completed in 2009 for client Hammerson UK Properties PLC, the building is recognised for its striking façade and architectural quality, earning both the RIBA London Award in 2010 and Property Week’s City Development of the Year in 2009. Since completion, 60 Threadneedle Street has been home to several leading financial institutions, including USS, the UK’s largest private pension scheme, and Berenberg Bank, the world’s oldest merchant bank.
60 Threadneedle Street comprises a basement, lower ground and ground floor, and eight upper levels, providing approximately 19,810 m² (NIA) of office space. JRA’s works focused on repurposing and upgrading key areas of the building to enhance functionality, user experience, and sustainability.
At ground level, the arrival experience has been completely reimagined. The existing sliding doors and entrance cladding were replaced to improve the building’s identity and street presence, while the large reception area was reconfigured to create a more welcoming and versatile space for tenants and visitors. The redesigned lobby now features a relocated reception desk with speed gates, a self-service coffee bar, and an adjacent lounge area offering informal seating and co-working opportunities surrounded by planting. The replacement of the former curved sliding doors with a revolving entrance door, as well as an adjacent pass door, helps maintain a comfortable internal environment during colder months.
At Level 8, which was vacated prior to the works, JRA delivered a comprehensive refurbishment including new access doors, balustrades, and high-quality internal finishes. The previously underused roof area, once limited to maintenance access and a low-grade sedum roof, has been transformed into a vibrant roof garden designed in collaboration with Giverny Flowers.
This new landscaped terrace incorporates planting and seating areas and relocates part of the sedum roof to Level 9, enriching the building’s biodiversity. The carefully curated planting scheme combines evergreen shrubs, trees, perennials, and ornamental grasses to attract pollinators such as butterflies and bees, while supporting ecological balance through natural pest control. A bespoke, low-impact lighting scheme highlights the garden’s features without resorting to generic floodlighting, creating a calm and atmospheric evening environment.
At basement level, the former car and motorcycle parking areas have been repurposed into new end-of-journey facilities, including contemporary showers, dedicated changing rooms with lockers and ironing stations, and extensive cycle storage, promoting active travel and wellbeing for building users.
The result is a series of sensitive yet transformative upgrades that enhance the building’s environmental performance and amenity offering, ensuring 60 Threadneedle Street remains a best-in-class workplace within the City of London. The building is now fully let, with Level 8 successfully leased prior to completion of the fit-out.
Nathalie Bergvall, Director at John Robertson Architects, says: “While Eric Parry’s design is an iconic aspect of Bank’s heritage townscape, after 15 years of use, parts of the original design needed an additional layer of up-to-date facilities to allow it to be ready to future proof the building for the next 15 years. In line with our client and the City Corporation’s ESG commitments, we’re proud to have led on a design that brings this office up to contemporary standards while minimising carbon spend.
“Collaborating closely with the client and key consultants, we’ve made targeted, impactful updates to ensure the building better serves the needs of both new occupiers and visitors. Our interventions – especially the redesign of the reception space – will not only enhance the building’s appeal but also create dynamic spaces for collaboration and socialising within the heart of the City.”
60 Threadneedle Street in London, England – Building Information
Architect: John Robertson Architects – https://www.jra.co.uk/
Project Manager: Knight Frank LLP
Planning Consultant: Rolfe Judd
Services Engineer: WP3
Structural Engineer: Parmarbrook
Biodiversity Consultant: Encon
Landscape Consultant: Giverny Flowers
Lighting Consultant: Hoare Lea
Cost Consultant: Knight Frank LLP
Fire Engineer: Semper Fire
Marketing Consultant: Cushman and Wakefield
Main Contractor: BW
Project Information
Start on site Q1 2025
Completion date Q3 2025
Gross internal floor area GIA, Entire Building: 29,075sqm; Area in scope: approx. 5,000sqm
Gross (internal + external) floor area Entire Building: 29,900sqm
Form of contract or procurement route Design & Build
CAD software used ArchiCAD
About John Robertson Architects (JRA)
John Robertson Architects (JRA) is an award winning, AJ100 architectural practice based at Bankside in Southwark. Since its formation in 1993, JRA has designed and delivered a wide range of high-quality buildings in London and around the UK. The practice is led by an accomplished team of Directors, Festus Moffat, David Magyar, Nathalie Bergvall, Etain Fitzpatrick, Angela St Clair-Ford, Anja Schellenbauer, Mark Wibberley and Smita Bhat, supported by a talented group of Associate Directors. Together, they have wide ranging project experience in the UK and international markets, across design stages. The practice’s portfolio spans the office, residential, heritage, education, hotel, and compliance monitoring sectors.
JRA is currently undertaking commercial, higher education and residential projects in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh, adding significant value through creative, sustainable and thoughtful design. JRA’s recently completed projects include the re-imagining of JRA’s own One Great St Helen, originally completed in 1998, The Northcliffe, an environmentally outstanding retrofit of Grade II listed building in the City of London, 9DSQ – a workspace at the Devonshire Square Estate, the extension and repositioning of 30 Golden Square, the fit out of Helix HQ, and the award winning x+why at 100 Embankment. The team is currently engaged on a number of prominent developments, including the repositioning of the expansive mixed-use project, Peterborough Court on Fleet Street.
Photographs: Jack Hobhouse
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page updated 1 Jul 2014
Address: 60 Threadneedle Street, London EC2
Size: 20,400 m²
Completion: November 2008
Ownership: Hammerson 100%
Tenure: Freehold
photo © Timothy Soar
60 Threadneedle St London Building Construction
In December 2006, Hammerson started construction work on 60 Threadneedle Street, a 20,400 m² nine-storey building adjacent to the group’s current development at 60 Threadneedle Street.
The scheme, which forms part of the site previously occupied by The London Stock Exchange, incorporates 1,000 m² of retail space. Completion is scheduled for November 2008.
RIBA Award 2010, London region
60 Threadneedle Street London – Information from Hammerson PR in 271107
Location: 60 Threadneedle Street, London, England, UK.
London Buildings
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London Architecture Walking Tours by e-architect
City of London Buildings – selection from e-architect:
10 Salisbury Square – St Bride’s House transformation, City of London, EC4
Design: John Robertson Architects (JRA)
images courtesy of John Robertson Architects
One Great St Helen’s, Eastern Cluster, City of London, England, UK
Design: John Robertson Architects (JRA)
photo © Jack Hobhouse
1 Undershaft Tower City of London
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The Scalpel City of London Skyscraper
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Lloyds of London Building, City of London
Design: Richard Rogers Partnership
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Threadneedle Street London
This is a street in the City of London, between Bishopsgate at its northeast end and Bank junction in the southwest. It is one of nine streets that converge at Bank.
The street is famous as the site of the Bank of England; the bank itself is often called ‘the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street’ and has been based at its current location since 1734. The London Stock Exchange was also situated on Threadneedle Street until 2004 when it relocated to Paternoster Square. The Baltic Exchange was founded in the Virginia and Baltick Coffee House on Threadneedle Street in 1744; it is now located on St. Mary Axe.
In addition to the Bank of England, there are shops, banks, restaurants and offices located on Threadneedle Street. The Merchant Taylors’ Hall, home of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, has occupied a site off Threadneedle Street since 1347. It is said that is here that the British national anthem was sung, in private, in 1607 for the first time, conducted by John Bull. The headquarters of the South Sea Company was located on the street from 1711 to the 1850s.
Source: wikipedia
Buildings / photos for the 60 Threadneedle Street office property renewal design by John Robertson Architects (JRA) page welcome
