AXA IM Alts submits planning application for new 46 storey City office building with gardens on every floor and a new public park

- Plans for 63 St. Mary Axe follow AXA IM Alts’ recent achievement of 100% occupancy milestone at 22 Bishopsgate and construction works ongoing at 50 Fenchurch Street -

- 63 St. Mary Axe aspires to deliver some of the best workplace in London, with direct access to fresh air and landscaped gardens on every office floor -

- A new urban park revealing part of an ancient Roman wall to create an accessible public City destination -

- The development aims to address local needs with cultural public spaces for local stakeholders and enterprise partnerships with charitable organisations -

AXA IM Alts, a global leader in alternative investments with €185 billion of assets under management¹  has submitted a planning application for a new biodiverse office building at 63 St Mary Axe. The proposed development will comprise approximately 635,000 sq ft of space across 46 storeys  located at the edge of the City of London’s Eastern Cluster. The plans include an extensive new park, a multi-function ground level auditorium and other public amenities. 

The announcement follows AXA IM Alts’ recent achievement of 100% occupancy at 22 Bishopsgate, the City of London’s tallest building. The application reinforces AXA IM Alts’ continued commitment to London as a globally leading centre of business. At 176m high, 63 St. Mary Axe is the fifth flagship office development AXA IM Alts has advanced in the Square Mile since 2012, collectively totalling nearly 3 million sq ft of commercial space. This portfolio includes the 650,000 sq ft Fifty Fenchurch Street development, which is currently under construction and set to become one of the UK’s most sustainable and biodiverse high-rise office buildings.

In addition to providing some of the most advanced new office space in London, Fletcher Priest Architects have designed a building with access to gardens and fresh air from every office floor, with over 100 new trees set to significantly increase site wide biodiversity. The new tree canopies will provide natural shading and create attractive views to and from the building, with species selected to suit the varying environmental conditions at different heights.

To ensure the building responds with integrity to its social and economic context, AXA IM Alts has engaged with over 350 local community groups, businesses and other stakeholders over the past 18 months which through a programme of discussions, participation and events provided valuable insights into local needs and aspirations. Exploring key themes around culture, commerce, community and public realm, these engagements helped to inform the uses and design of the public spaces incorporated into the building, and led to the creation of Camomile Park, a new public space adjacent to Camomile Street.

The proposals include the unveiling of a currently buried section of London’s ancient Roman Wall, located within Camomile Park along the southwestern length of the site. This new public amenity connects the ground plane with a series of landscaped walkways and balconies above, occupying the equivalent of six storeys, while tracing the original trajectory of London Wall. The park will create a lush moment of greenery in the City, with mature trees and low level shrubs creating a sheltered and calming environment for visitors, building users and passers-by. The remaining churchyard of St. Augustine Papey will also be retained and celebrated as part of the park.

The focus on cultural infrastructure will deliver additional amenities including a multi-function auditorium opening on to the new public realm, supported by dedicated rehearsal spaces above. This will be available to host grassroots and independent cultural programming, for use by local communities as well as building occupiers. Food and beverage outlets add further amenity throughout the lower levels of the building, providing space for enterprise partnerships with social and charitable organisations to deliver training for disadvantaged adults to obtain and maintain employment in the food and hospitality industry.

In line with AXA IM Alts' sustainable development commitments, 63 St. Mary Axa will be a fossil fuel free, all-electric building, targeting BREEAM Outstanding, NABERS 5 Star and net zero carbon in operation.

63 St. Mary Axe is located in close proximity to numerous city wide and national connections including Liverpool Street Station, which is the UK’s busiest rail terminal and comprises National Rail, Elizabeth Line and four London Underground lines, just 250 metres to the west as well as Aldgate, Aldgate East and Bank stations all just a short walk from the site.

Rob Samuel, UK Head of Development at AXA IM Alts, commented: “Our plans for 63 St. Mary Axe reflect AXA IM Alts’ close collaboration with local community stakeholders and our extensive track record of delivering forward-thinking, flagship office developments in London. Designed as a low carbon building for future generations, 63 St Mary Axe will help to address the significant shortage of high quality, modern, sustainable and amenity-rich workspaces, not just in the City but across central London as a whole.

“In formulating our plans for the site, it was important for us to work closely with local communities, business occupiers, start-ups and other public and private sector bodies, to ensure that 63 St. Mary Axe bridges the gap between local people, City workers and tourists. It is intended to be an inclusive building which delivers the type of innovative and forward thinking workspace that helps the City of London continue to attract global occupiers. We have combined this with significant new green public spaces that align with the City of London Corporation’s ambition to keep the Square Mile more open and alive in and outside of traditional working hours, while also celebrating the City’s important Roman and medieval heritage.”

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About AXA IM Alts
AXA IM Alts is a global leader in alternative investments with €185 billion of assets under management¹  comprising c.€81 billion of primarily private real estate, €92 billion of private debt and alternative credit, as well as c.€12 billion in Infrastructure and private equity. We take a 360° approach to real estate & infrastructure investing with over €126 billion of assets under management in direct opportunities, held indirectly through debt and listed equities and via long term private equity investments into operating platforms. ESG is fully integrated into our investment decision making processes with our responsible investment approach anchored by the three key pillars of decarbonisation, resilience and building tomorrow. AXA IM Alts employs 980 people located in 17 offices around the world and serves the needs of 600+ clients from Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and Middle East. We are the number one property portfolio and asset manager in Europe, and one of the largest worldwide² . AXA IM Alts is a business unit of AXA Investment Managers.

 About AXA Investment Managers
AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) is a leading global asset manager offering a diverse range of global investment opportunities in both alternative and traditional asset classes. Through our products we aim to diversify and grow portfolios, while delivering long-term investment performance and value for clients.
AXA IM manages approximately €869 billion in assets³ , and has €480 billion of ESG-integrated, sustainable or impact assets^[2]. Our purpose is to act for human progress by investing for what matters. As a responsible asset manager, we are committed to integrating ESG principles across our business, from stock selection to our corporate actions and culture.
Part of the AXA Group, a worldwide leader in insurance and asset management, AXA IM employs over 2,800 employees and operates from 23 offices in 18 countries globally⁴ .

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