etc.venues has signed at Shirayama Shokusan’s County Hall, SE1, for its largest ever event space to open in January 2017.
The company has signed a 20-year lease to create 43,000 sq ft of space over one floor, comprising 20 rooms and floorplates up to 15,000 sq ft.
The Lambeth space was last occupied by the GLA in the 1980s and will be renovated including restoring original parquet floors and art deco windows.
Alastair Stewart, managing director of etc.venues, said: “With this new venue, etc.venues is setting out to make a big bold statement to the London venue market. It’s an iconic building in an exceptional location and we believe will be a big hit with a wide range of UK and international event planners seeking a new and different London venue.
“The venue will offer the conference and meeting facilities that etc.venues is well known for and in addition is a statement of our ambition to target more events business, particularly in the evening and at weekends. Our clients have been urging us to open something bigger and nearer the West End, and after a two-year search, we’ve found the space our designers can transform into not just a top London venue but a world-class venue.”
A spokesman for County Hall said: “We are delighted to have secured etc.venues. We have been keen to add some additional event space to the building for some time and we were impressed by the high quality of their operation and the plans they had for the space.”
There is around 100,00 sq ft of vacant space at County Hall.
etc.venues were advised by Bond Woodhouse; County Hall were represented by Mann Smith Chartered Surveyors.
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