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LaSalle Investment Management, a global real estate investment manager, and development manager Lipton Rogers Developments LLP, have secured a resolution to grant planning permission from the City of London Corporation for the redevelopment of 1 Silk Street.
Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the plans respond to a shortage of top-quality office space in the City. The redevelopment will contribute around 7.5% of the minimum Grade A office space which the City of London needs by 2040 to remain internationally competitive and drive the local, regional and national economy.
Sitting between two Elizabeth line stations – Moorgate and Farringdon – 1 Silk Street offers the kind of connectivity that global occupiers now expect as standard. As one of the few sites in the Square Mile capable of delivering larger, modern floorplates, it also helps meet demand from global businesses and strengthen the City’s ability to attract and retain world-leading companies.
The plans include:
1 Silk Street will also deliver an expanded, new home for the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, enabling the School to grow and flourish in the Square Mile. The expanded home includes substantial new facilities that incorporate innovative visual and audio technology, including:
This, alongside a new entrance plaza for the Barbican Centre and enhanced public realm, will strengthen the Square Mile’s cultural cluster, complement the Barbican Centre and support the City Corporation’s ‘Destination City’ ambitions to support a seven-days-a-week City.
Gary Moore, Head of International Accounts, Europe at LaSalle Investment Management, said: “Securing this resolution is a crucial step in delivering this landmark development that will provide much-needed, well-connected, exceptional office space in the City of London. We’re excited about how 1 Silk Street will not only appeal to blue-chip global businesses, but also improve the public realm, amenities and cultural institutions of the local area.”
Sir Stuart Lipton, Founding Partner at Lipton Rogers Developments, said: “We are delighted with the Planning Application Sub-Committee’s resolution to grant planning permission for 1 Silk Street – a decision that reflects the scheme’s exceptional commercial and cultural ambition. Located steps from two Elizabeth line stations, on one of the few remaining sites in the Square Mile capable of delivering larger floorplates, it provides the exact quality and scale of commercial space the market demands in the City, while giving the Guildhall School a new, expanded home and opening the whole site to the wider community.”
Kent Jackson, Partner at SOM, said: “1 Silk Street is an opportunity to expand upon the area’s rich cultural legacy to help establish a vibrant destination where culture, commerce, and public life come together. Our design enhances connections between the public realm and the community through a new plaza that reimagines the entrance to the Barbican Centre, framed by new pedestrian routes and cultural amenities. Alongside this, new office space supports the continued growth and long-term ambitions of the Square Mile. We are delighted that the scheme has been approved and are proud to contribute to the City of London’s Destination City strategy, helping to bring new energy and vibrancy to the area.”
Picture: An image of the 1 Silk Street redevelopment. Credit: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM).
Article written by Dave Mapps | Published 18 June 2026
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