CAPITAL WATCH

By Jessica Tsang, Data Analyst, UK Research jessica.tsang @cushwake.com SPOTLIGHT ON... ROUND-UP London at a Glance BT HQmove After 150 years, BT has announced that it will be leaving its present headquarters at 81 Newgate Street, near St Paul’s. The 48,000 sq ft building in the heart of the Square Mile houses around 2,100 members of staff, and is located near the site where Guglielmo Marconi made the first public transmission of wireless signals in 1896. Kevin Ellis, chairman of PwC, has told the Financial Times that the consulting firm is struggling to recruit graduates in London. Of the 1,200 graduates hired in 2018, roughly 60% are joining offices outside the capital. Ellis attributes this attitude to graduates’ growing level of debt and London’s increasingly high living costs. Usually thought of as a feature of personal devices, wireless connectivity will soon be part of an integrated infrastructure for entire cities – connecting buildings, transport, and utilities. Roll-out isn’t set to begin until 2020, but early signs of adoption are looking positive: EE is trialling the network in areas like Old Street, while O2 and Three have signed up to use London’s sewer system to link 5G cell sites together. To help meet the growing need for accessible public spaces, city planners have decided to build seven new public spaces on the Thames. These compact spaces will be constructed as part of the new 25km “super sewer”, and will jut out into the river. Each location will also be home to a work of art depicting the river’s history. Facebook has committed to c. 600,000 sq ft in Argent’s King’s Cross development, now making the social media giant a part of London’s exclusive 1 million sq ft club. The space, comprising T Building and P2, is set to bring Facebook’s total workforce in the UK to 2,300 employees. Wireless connectivity will soon be part of an integrated infrastructure for entire cities Facebook moves into King’s Cross London too expensive, says PwC boss London’s new public spaces on the river 5G: Coming to London 13 SPOTLIGHT ON Bloomberg Building Wins 2018 RIBA Sterling Prize The demand for best-in-class office space is certainly increasing, with occupiers’ expectations pushing developers to deliver original spaces that help their tenants work in new ways. This article looks at how Bloomberg London could help push the boundaries of office design in the future, and identifies lessons we could learn about sustainability, technology and wellbeing. By Christopher Dunn, Senior Insight Analyst, UK Research Christopher.Dunn@ eur.cushwake.com CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD 12 ROUND UP