A £2.4 billion project to build a new commercial building at International Quarter London (IQL) has been given the green light.

The joint venture development between Lendlease and LCR was approved by the London Legacy Development Corporation Planning Policy Decisions Committee.

The building, located in Stratford, east London, will provide 350,000 sq ft of new workspace across 22 storeys.


Designed by architects Arney Fender Katsalidis (AFK), it will be the first building at IQL to incorporate 'third space' into its design. These areas, with their variety of uses, are included to create lively and dynamic environments which encourage movement and collaboration throughout the building. This aspect, together with ground floor retail and first floor leisure space, aims to attract people who work at IQL as well as visitors and local residents. 
The ground floor lobby will encourage people to work, socialise and relax.

Andrew Tobin, Project Director of IQL, Lendlease said: "IQL is creating a new workplace experience for London, starting with the belief that a workplace should not have boundaries. It has been designed for tenants to have a multi-layered experience that extends from their desk to the variety of third space provisions available in the area.


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"The approval of plans for AFK's new building marks a new chapter for IQL, as we bring this new type of public space to the area."

David Joy, Chief Executive of LCR, commented: "This next phase of development at IQL will deliver a truly unique working environment for businesses in London. Our forward-thinking design will create a setting that helps employees to work with maximum productivity in the environment that suits them best, with unrivalled access to the highest quality leisure and wellbeing facilities that IQL has on its doorstep."

Earle Arney, CEO at Arney Fender Katsalidis, added: "We are delighted to be working in collaboration with Lendlease and LCR to create the next addition to IQL. Our design for S4 is inspired by Stratford's industrial heyday and associated railway architecture, while also respecting the significant buildings by RSHP that already exist on the campus. The new building creates a link from the site's heritage while also setting the scene for future buildings that will join this vibrant new quarter. Our design will be a robust and seemingly weathered addition to Stratford enabling these visual 'threads' to connect past and future. 


"From the design competition stage, we have focused on creating an active and permeable ground level that creates a 'sticky place' encouraging people to dwell and linger. The office lobby challenges the tradition notion of stuffy corporate identity and is complemented by 'third spaces' to further enhance the attraction of the building to both office workers and the wider community."


Construction of the third commercial building is also in progress, with staff to move in late 2019 and early 2020. 

(CM)