Construction begins on “state-of-the-art” 11-storey building at White City Place

Work has begun today on a new 11-storey building at the heart of a growing business district in West London.

Construction has commenced on the Gateway Central building by developer Stanhope, on behalf of investors Mitsui Fudosan and Alberta Investment Management Corporation.

Designed by architectural practices Allies and Morrison, Gateway Central will comprise over 260,000 sq ft of floor space, as well as featuring an outdoor terrace with capacity for up to 250 people.

The building is the latest addition to the growing White City Place development, which is home to brands such as online luxury fashion retailer YOOX-NET-A-PORTER and Swiss multinational pharmaceutical Novartis, as well as the BBC and ITV Studios.

David Camp, chief executive at Stanhope commented: “We are delighted to have started the next phase of construction work with groundbreaking on a new state of the art building at White City Place.

“Gateway Central is the next step in helping us complete our vision of transforming White City Place into a global business district for world class companies. Delivering over 260,000 sq ft of new floor space, the building will enable us to continue to meet the significant demand for office space at White City Place.

Six floors of the new building - which is set to be completed at the end of 2022 - are already pre-let to beauty brand L’Oréal UK and Ireland. David continued: “L’Oréal’s commitment to moving their new headquarters to the new building will complement the mix of other creative companies that call White City their home.”

Vismay Sharma, country managing director of L’Oréal UK and Ireland, added: “We are very excited that building work has begun on our new headquarters at White City Place, a site which is reflective of our position as a leader in sustainable beauty and beauty technology.

“Relocating our corporate headquarters provides us with a unique opportunity post-COVID to build a workplace for tomorrow, designed around modern working methods that encompass L’Oréal’s ethos of creativity and innovation.”