Work begins on Financial Conduct Authority HQ at Stratford’s The International Quarter

Lendlease and LCR, the joint venture partners delivering The International Quarter, today (15 September) held a ground-breaking ceremony for the FCA’s new 425,000-square-foot headquarters, which sits at the gateway to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The building has been designed by architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, with the interior design being undertaken by Pringle Brandon Perkins+Will, a practice renowned for their design expertise in delivering excellent workplaces.

Like all the buildings at The International Quarter, the FCA headquarters has been designed with staff health and well-being at its core. Features including open atria, extensive natural daylight, internal connecting staircases and a large roof terrace, will allow employees to be more flexible and healthy in the way they choose to work. This new generation of agile offices will be home to 3,500 FCA staff from mid-2018.

An estimated 1,200 construction jobs will be created on site at The International Quarter by spring 2016 and Lendlease has recently partnered with Newham Council, Newham Workplace and Building Crafts College to deliver a ten-week training programme to upskill unemployed Newham residents in construction – ensuring as many roles are awarded to local people as possible.

The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by John Griffith-Jones (Chairman, FCA), David Joy (Chief Executive, LCR), Neale Coleman (Chair, London Legacy Development Corporation), Sir Robin Wales (Mayor of Newham), and Ian Crockford, (Project Director, The International Quarter, Lendlease)

Ivan Harbour, Senior Partner at Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, said: “The International Quarter is pioneering the next evolution of the workplace, supporting a dynamic, creative approach to working life that will allow organisations to meet the high expectations of their employees. Fresh air, natural daylight, connectivity and a vibrant masterplan were all key considerations in the master-plan and design of the FCA’s new headquarters.”

John Griffith-Jones, FCA Chairman said; “I’m delighted that construction has started on a new building that will provide a compelling mix of excellent facilities, value for money, sustainability and the right infrastructure to meet our future needs.”

The joint venture partners behind the project, Lendlease and LCR, obtained detailed planning permission for the new building in March 2015, which is located on Plot S5 at The International Quarter next to Building S6. Also under construction, this will be a major base for Transport for London; 3000 staff will be working here from Autumn 2017. Lendlease and LCR are in discussions with a number of major corporate tenants about moving to The International Quarter.