Zara chief bags former BBC base in West End ZARA boss spree Spanish billionaire and founder of popular fashion chain Zara Armancio Ortega has closed a deal purchasing luxury residential offices – and former BBC base – in the West End. Ortega’s firm Pontegadea shelled out £82m for the 1920s building, the private firm announced today. Last month Ortega purchased a luxury residential property with 120 apartments [...]
Vault Festival reports record year but still hangs in balance after eviction Vault Festival has reported a record-breaking year as it prepares to be turfed out of its decade-long home by its landlord. The second largest arts festival in the UK after the Edinburgh Fringe welcomed more than 81,000 guests over the eight-week festival, with over 4,000 artists performing in the space beneath Waterloo Station and the [...]
Michael Gove: Four more firms signed up to Grenfell safety contracts after being named and shamed progress Michael Gove said four more companies have signed up to post-Grenfell building safety contracts after he named and shamed some of the firms earlier this month that had not signed up to the agreement. The Communities Secretary had given companies until March 13 to sign up to the agreement aimed at addressing cladding issues following [...]
Square Mile embraces hybrid working and tourism as post pandemic planning applications soar 30 per cent March 14, 2023 The Square Mile experienced a 30 per cent spike in planning applications during the pandemic, as investor confidence return to the City of London. The Museum of London, and new HQs for the City’s police and law firm Hogan Lovells were among the 56 applications submitted between 2020 and 2022, it has been revealed. The [...]
The Notebook: Nick Bowes on devolution, LA’s issues and why Lewisham is now home March 6, 2023 ACCESS to opportunities – well-paid jobs and high-quality study – is a major part of the levelling up agenda.Clearly, some parts of the UK don’t have the same access to jobs and education as others. London scores well, being home to amazing universities and colleges and thousands of high-end jobs. Many Londoners can see the [...]
Donatello at the V&A is a once in a lifetime chance to see a true genius February 10, 2023 “The greatest sculptor of all time” is a hefty title to live up to. “Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance” makes a hearty case for it in this expansive and thrilling exhibition. It’s curated in partnership with the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and the Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence, and the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, which have [...]
Cafe Koko: New Camden Pizza restaurant review January 31, 2023 Arriving in the evening, you can see the warm orange glow of Koko before you see the building itself. Taking up an entire block, the recently renovated, 122-year-old music hall once again sits at the heart of Camden, having closed in 2020 following a fire. The £70m refurbishment includes an extensive private members’ area with [...]
Khan to ‘digest’ findings of LandSec report warning London could be ‘unliveable’ in 10 years due to climate inaction January 26, 2023 British property investment trust Land Securities (LandSec) has warned cities could become “unliveable” in within 10 years without urgent planning reform to meet net zero goals. Research published this morning urges reform to prevent the UK’s cities suffering from the impact of climate change and external shocks, such as international conflicts like the war in [...]
Minecraft makeover: This is what Sadiq Khan looks like with a perfectly square head January 26, 2023 Have you ever wondered what London’s long-standing mayor Sadiq Khan would look like with a perfectly square head? Now you can find out for sure after he was brought to life as a character in the video game Minecraft. With his grey hair, the faintest hint of 5 o’clock shadow and those kind, slightly sleepy [...]
Crown Estates sues Twitter over unpaid rent of its Piccadilly Circus HQ January 24, 2023 Twitter is being sued by the Crown Estates over unpaid rent relating to its Piccadilly Circus-based headquarters building. The Crown Estates manages property for King Charles III and the monarchy, which includes the 10m sq Twitter headquarters in central London. The estate filed the claim against Twitter Inc, which is also facing legal action over [...]