RSHP appointed to transform Lloyd’s Building into hotel or event space

Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners has been asked to draw up plans to transform the Lloyd’s Building in the City of London into a hotel or events space, according to reports.

Building owner Ping An, an insurance firm based in Shenzhen, China, has instructed the practice to look at ways to repurpose the office to ensure it remains commercially viable if its current occupier leaves, according to property website React News.

The news comes six months after Lloyd’s revealed it wasdelaying a decision on its own plans to rejig the buildingin response to the rise of flexible working.

The insurance giant said in January that it would revisit its intentions for the building this year when it has a “stronger grasp on the working practices of our market participants and corporation employees”.

虽然租约到2031年才到期，但其中包含了一个在2026年到期的终止条款，如果公司想要提前跳槽，就可以使用这个条款。

Lloyd’s said on Friday: “As we adapt to new structures and flexible ways of working, we are continuing to carefully think about the future requirements for the spaces and services our marketplace needs.

“Currently, like many other organisations, we are considering a range of options around our workspace strategy and the future leasing arrangements for Lloyd’s.

该公司还表示，计划在今年年底前分享自己的计划。

劳合社1月份的声明似乎为公司离开总部的可能性留下了余地，something first mooted in 2014 after a former chief executivecomplained about the cost of maintaining its serviceswhich are famously on the outside in order to maximise floor plates.

The world-famous building was the first major commission after the Pompidou Centre won by Richard Rogers, who died last year aged 88.

It was granted grade I protection in 2011, the day it turned 30. At the time it was the country’s youngest building to receive the honour. Under the rules it could not have been listed any earlier without being under threat.

TheTwentieth Century Society has warned Lloyd’s it will be watching carefullyand said the building’s listing alone is not enough to protect it from potentially damaging alterations.

Ping An has been contacted for comment. RSHP declined to comment.