Braeburn Estates, a joint venture between Canary Wharf Group (CWG) and Qatari Diar Europe, is a decade-long collaboration between two globally respected developers to deliver Southbank Place, a substantial 5.25-acre development that has transformed a once-insular corporate estate into a thriving mixed-use district in the heart of London’s South Bank.
Breaking ground in April 2016, Southbank Place is a £1 billion project comprising 48,000 sq. ft. of shops, restaurants and bars, 530,000 sq. ft. of office space and over 560 homes, as well as public open spaces and a brand-new Underground entrance, cementing the area as one of London’s most vibrant destinations.
During the construction phase a dedicated support network was established to connect local suppliers with major buyers across the construction and operational phases of the Southbank Place development. Operating across nine South London boroughs from 2012 to 2020, the South London Procurement Network (SLPN) helped local businesses secure contracts worth a total of £330 million, embedding significant economic benefit within the local community through Southbank Place from day one.
The initiative was focused on prioritising suitable local suppliers and businesses to maximise the development’s positive impact on the local economy, whilst overcoming barriers that often prevent smaller, local firms from accessing large-scale procurement opportunities
Of the total £330 million secured:
- £145.2 million went to Lambeth-based businesses, ensuring the borough hosting the development saw direct economic return.
- £125.1 million was awarded to SMEs (small and medium enterprises), supporting the backbone of the local economy.
- £10 million specifically to Lambeth-based SMEs, combining both local and small business priorities.
The network provided practical support including tender training, meet-the-buyer events, and direct introductions to procurement teams, transforming what could have been a closed supply chain into a positive tool for local economic growth that benefitted the wider community.
Braeburn Estates, through Southbank Place, and the SLPN supported multiple community initiatives, including Friends of Archbishop Park (maintenance and upkeep of local green spaces), Walnut Tree Walk Primary School (sponsored educational workshops), Waterloo Foodbank (emergency support during the national lockdowns in 2020), Supporting Local Schools, Evelina Children’s Hospital (donation of a new incubator), Carers for Carers. Brixton Ballers Wheelchair Basketball Team, Oasis Hub, CLLR Ibrahim Dogus Programme (sponsorship to provide 2,000 meals to the homeless and vulnerable during the Christmas period).
Now open and operational, the retail spaces at Southbank Place are focused on curating a premium mix of high street names and independent businesses to create a seven-day economy that complements and organically grows the South Bank’s 22 million average annual visitors.
Adding a cultural element to attract and entertain visitors, Southbank Place has preserved and celebrated the site’s cultural legacy, with three significant public artworks. Retained from the Shell Centre’s historic collection the sculptures were restored and relocated within the new public realm:
- Motorcyclist (1957) by Siegfried Charoux – a dynamic bronze sculpture that captures post-war optimism
- Torsion Fountain (1959) by Franta Belsky – a Grade II listed 30-foot bronze sculpture weighing 15 tonnes, meticulously restored and reinstated as a centrepiece of the new public square
- Sphere (1963) by Eric Aumonier – continuing the site’s mid-century artistic heritage
A now recognisable landmark, set behind the London Eye, Southbank Place comprises seven architecturally distinct buildings that complement the Shell Tower that sits at the centre of the development. Three residential buildings (Belvedere Gardens, One and Thirty Casson Square) have been fully sold.
