Fabrix has been appointed by Fubon Life Insurance Company to lead the creative renewal of Bow Bells House, a 216,000 sq ft prime City of London office building, with a total of 19,000 sq ft of retail space and 197,000 sq ft of commercial space.
The London-based, value-add specialist has been appointed as Development and Leasing Manager by the building’s Taiwan-based owner, with a brief to transform the occupier experience of Bow Bells House.
Fabrix’s vision for the building meets the expectations of leading occupiers through a strategic and targeted approach that will decarbonise the building, substantially upgrade its energy efficiency, and deliver new best in class communal areas, terraces and end of journey facilities.
The building was designed by David Walker Architects and developed in 2008, and benefits from an extremely high-quality of design and construction in the base build, with fantastic views from the building’s extensive terraces.
The ground floor is made up of a mixture of retail and leisure occupants fronting onto Cheapside, with the office content totalling 140,000 sq.ft (NIA) across levels 1-7 and floorplates ranging from 14,000 – 25,000 sq ft. The open floorplates benefit from floor to ceiling glazing across all elevations providing bright, naturally lit, workspace.
Agents Newmark and Knight Frank have been appointed to pre-let all office floors.
Clive Nichol, CEO of Fabrix said: “Fabrix is delighted to be working with Fubon on this exceptional building, drawing on our team’s extensive track record of repositioning assets. The City is changing and our task is to bring Bow Bells House back online, with a razor-sharp focus on the elements that really matter – decarbonisation and the occupier experience.”
“Partnering with an international investor in a Development and Leasing Management capacity allows us to bring our on-the-ground development expertise, with highly technical and creative solutions, to ensure Bow Bells House is income-producing again. We’re focused on delivering the right solutions for this building, which boasts all the raw ingredients to be a class leader – notably a sensitive revitalisation bringing services, amenities, and environmental performance up to modern day standards.”
PATRIZIA acts as Fubon’s strategic investment manager for their European portfolio, offering expertise across the lifecycle of their assets. In the case of Bow Bells House, PATRIZIA has worked closely with Fubon and Fabrix to reposition the building as a core office asset, aligning it with market demands and focusing on sustainability, energy efficiency and enhancing the tenant experience.
Bertie Norman, Head of Strategic Asset Mandates at PATRIZIA, commented: “The repositioning of Bow Bells House is designed to elevate the building to the standards of a core office asset in one of the world’s most competitive office markets. At PATRIZIA, we are focused on driving long-term value through sustainable and tenant-centric strategies. This project will future-proof the building to ensure it remains competitive and attractive to modern tenants.”
Abby Brown, Partner at Knight Frank said: “Knight Frank and Newmark are excited to be working alongside Fabrix and Fubon, helping to deliver Bow Bells back to the market. London is experiencing an acute lack of future supply, with occupiers coming out earlier ahead of their lease event to secure an option which delivers on their occupational requirements. With Fabrix and Fubon set to deliver a scheme which focuses on sustainability and enhancing the buildings key attributes, Knight Frank and Newmark are confident that Bow Bells, will appeal to a broad range of occupiers, particularly given its prime City of London location.”
Bow Bells House sits in an unrivalled location in the heart of the City London, equidistant between Bank and St Paul’s Underground stations on Cheapside, and within easy walking distance of Cannon Street and City Thameslink main line stations. The building is adjacent to St Mary-le-Bow Church, which houses the famed Bow Bells of Cockney legend.
The buildings current energy performance falls below requirements and occupier expectations, end of journey facilities are lacking, and the building’s common areas are underutilised and outdated, including both the reception and terraces.
Fabrix has appointed contractor Ikon who will lead a team including architecture practice White Red Architects and RHS Chelsea Gold Medal-winning landscape designers Harris Bugg Studio – a long-time collaborator of Fabrix having worked on the firm’s award-winning Atelier Gardens campus in Berlin – to create a high-impact, targeted retrofit strategy.
The project will be delivered at pace and is underway with a targeted completion of Q1 2026. This accelerated programme will bring Bow Bells House back on the market, allowing occupiers to move in at a time when office supply is forecasted to be significantly constrained.
The terraces will be transformed with substantial new greening. A communal terrace will feature on level 5, offering unprecedented views to the St Mary-le-Bow Church and Bow Churchyard. The MEP works will result in an all-electric building and improved EPC rating, addressing the energy efficiency concerns of modern tenants without costly and carbon-intensive deep retrofit works.
Best in class reception spaces and end-of-journey facilities, meeting BCO guidelines, will bring the building up to modern standards of tenant experience. This includes an increase in showers and cycle parking, with 150 cycle spaces available for tenant use.
The rich history and character of Bow Church Yard will be brought into the building, through the thoughtful application of materiality, texture and nature. White Red Architects will work with the building’s simple and clean architectural palette, and embed a culture of reuse into the building, to create a balance between a clean aesthetic and a warm, inviting office space.
