M&G takes first steps in Minster Court redevelopment

M&G Real Estate has set plans in motion for a redevelopment of its 1-2 Minster Court office and retail block in the City of London, EC3. The existing 13- and 10-storey buildings provide around 315,000 sq ft of space. The proposed development would more than double this to almost 700,000 sq ft of office, retail and cultural space. The WilkinsonEyre-designed development would also provide a pedestrian route from east to west linking Plantation Lane with Hart Street, as well as a pedestrian route north-south creating a link between a new piazza and the public square around All Hallows Staining Tower. An environmental impact assessment scoping report lodged with the City of London Corporation by Trium Environmental Consulting said a “substantial proportion” of the existing structure of the buildings will be retained. As part of an earlier consultation, M&G said the aim of the project was to create “a new City destination that becomes a City institution”, describing it as “a new public gathering space, with a roster of restaurants, offices, cafés and bars, and a programme of cultural events, representing the rich diversity of the City, that will attract workers in the week, and families, tourists and Londoners on weekends”.