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Sir Robert McAlpine announced practical completion of 1 Broadgate on 24 July 2025, saying the 14\u2011storey City building finished ahead of the contract programme and on budget. The Liverpool Street\u2011adjacent scheme is 96% pre\u2011let, features a graded recycled\u2011aluminium fa\u00e7ade and targets BREEAM Outstanding, WELL Platinum and NABERS 5\u2011star ratings alongside a suite of circular\u2011economy measures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Sir Robert McAlpine has announced the practical completion of 1 Broadgate, the 14\u2011storey mixed\u2011use development delivered for British Land and GIC in the heart of the City of London. According to British Land\u2019s announcement, practical completion was achieved on 24 July 2025, capping a programme that the contractor says finished ahead of the Contract Programme and on budget. The scheme is sited immediately adjacent to Liverpool Street station and the Elizabeth Line, underlining its strategic importance to the Broadgate campus and to occupiers seeking rapid transport connections. <\/p>\n
The building offers a substantial amount of commercial space and amenity that the client and contractor describe slightly differently in scale: Sir Robert McAlpine\u2019s announcement describes 56,500 m\u00b2 of premium office, retail, leisure and dining space, while British Land\u2019s statement sets out circa 545,000 sq ft of office accommodation alongside approximately 48,000 sq ft of retail and leisure \u2014 figures that broadly align once metric and imperial measurements are reconciled. 1 Broadgate is designed around extensive terraces and seven\u2011day destination uses, reflecting the architect\u2019s intent to stitch public routes and green amenity into the scheme and to create active street\u2011level connections. <\/p>\n
Sustainability has been presented as a central organising principle from concept to completion. British Land says the building targets BREEAM Outstanding, WELL Platinum and NABERS 5\u2011star ratings and highlights operational energy efficiency as a design objective. Sir Robert McAlpine and the design team have emphasised alignment with the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard and British Land\u2019s ESG strategy, describing a suite of measures intended to reduce whole\u2011life carbon and to support long\u2011term adaptability. <\/p>\n
That commitment extends into circular\u2011economy interventions on site. The contractor\u2019s project information details specific reuse and material\u2011saving measures \u2014 including the reuse of granite, the incorporation of reclaimed steel into the frame where possible, and a procurement approach that prioritised low\u2011carbon materials across the supply chain. Sir Robert McAlpine frames these choices as part of a deliberate effort to facilitate future deconstruction and material reuse, and to minimise construction waste. <\/p>\n
The building\u2019s exterior is an unmistakable element of the project\u2019s identity. Sir Robert McAlpine reported completion of the facade installation as a key construction milestone, noting that the elevation comprises 2,432 recycled aluminium cladding panels powder\u2011coated in 19 colours to produce a graded effect \u2014 darker tones at lower levels graduating to lighter tones above. The contractor highlights that the panels were manufactured using recycled aluminium as one of a number of measures to reduce embodied carbon. <\/p>\n
SRM also credits its experience of complex City logistics with maintaining business continuity for neighbouring tenants throughout the build. The contractor says close collaboration across delivery and client teams helped the project remain on schedule and on budget, and it frames the outcome as the latest delivery under the Broadgate framework. <\/p>\n
Leasing momentum has been strong: British Land\u2019s release states the development is 96% pre\u2011let, with occupants including A&O Shearman and JLL. JLL previously confirmed a 2021 agreement for lease taking 134,000 sq ft on a 15\u2011year term and signalled that the move reflects a strategic reimagining of workplace space aligned with the building\u2019s sustainability and wellbeing ambitions. The top floor remains available and, according to British Land, is attracting good interest from the market. <\/p>\n
Commenting on completion, Mark Leeming, Framework Director at Sir Robert McAlpine, said in the contractor\u2019s statement that the team was \u201cimmensely proud to have completed 1 Broadgate on time and on budget,\u201d and described the finished building as \u201ca stunning development\u201d achieved through collaborative effort. David Lockyer, Head of Development at British Land, said in British Land\u2019s announcement that reaching practical completion was a \u201csignificant milestone,\u201d and described the 96% pre\u2011let position as evidence of strong demand for premium office space in a supply\u2011constrained market. <\/p>\n
1 Broadgate is the fifth scheme delivered by Sir Robert McAlpine under the Broadgate framework. British Land has confirmed that the next major phase, 2 Finsbury Avenue \u2014 a larger dual\u2011tower development being progressed in joint venture with Modon and also contracted to Sir Robert McAlpine \u2014 remains on course for completion in 2027 and is being marketed on similarly high sustainability credentials. <\/p>\n
Taken together, the delivery of 1 Broadgate underscores British Land\u2019s strategy to create a campus of high\u2011quality, resilient workplaces and amenities in the City. The project\u2019s blend of specification, connectivity and a clear sustainability brief appears to have resonated with large occupiers seeking long\u2011term, best\u2011in\u2011class space; whether the building ultimately secures the certifications it is targeting will be confirmed as post\u2011occupancy performance is measured and assessed. <\/p>\n