Insurance firm Lloyd's of London has indicated that it plans to leave its famous Richard Rogers-designed headquarters, which it has occupied since construction ended in 1986. Lloyd's has recently been involved in talks with Henderson, the developer of Make Architects' Gotham City project which earlier this year gained planning permission for a site adjacent to their current headquarters.
More on the building's uncertain future after the break
The Lloyd's Building, which became the UK's youngest Grade-I listed building in 2011, was sold last year for £260 million - a significantly lower price than expected which was believed to indicate the increasing problems with maintenance in the building, and what many believed to be hints from Lloyd's that they were considering a move. Now with Lloyd's making their intentions more explicit, there are fears that the building's new owners will struggle to find a new tenant.
Speaking about the building last year, former Lloyd's Chief Executive Michael Ward said "I can’t guarantee you’ll get to the ground floor in the lifts because they break down with some frequency. That’s the fundamental problem with this building. Everything is exposed to the elements and that makes it very costly."
However, the building's potentially troubled future is still a way off; the next opportunity for Lloyd's to get out of their lease contract is not until 2021, giving the building's owners seven years to find a new tenant. Even if this search fails, as a Grade-I listed structure London's famous 'inside-out building' is not going anywhere just yet.
Story via Architects' Journal
