Candy Crush into Ampersand
King Digital, the company behind the Candy Crush Saga game, has leased the entire 64,000 sq ft Ampersand building in Soho, W1. The office was recently completed by Resolution Property on behalf of Hong Kong’s Peterson HK. DTZ and Hanover Green were letting agents for Ampersand; JLL acted for King Digital.
Facebook clicks with GPE
Social media giant Facebook has entered an exclusivity period to let the entire 217,000 sq ft office element of Great Portland Estate’s 414,000 sq ft 1 Rathbone Place in Fitzrovia, W1. Facebook is expected to occupy the offices on completion in 2017. DTZ is acting for Facebook; Colliers International and Knight Frank advised GPE.
Walkie Talkie dubbed carbuncle
Land Securities’ 20 Fenchurch Street, EC3, has been awarded the annual Carbuncle Cup. The 37-storey office tower secured the dubious accolade of “the ugliest building in the UK completed in the last 12 months” in the awards run by Building Design magazine. Other nominations in the running this year included Woodward Hall, NW10; the YMCA building, E17; and Parliament House, SE1.
CBRE completes GWS purchase
CBRE has completed the acquisition of Johnson Controls’ real estate and facilities management arm, Global Workplace Solutions. GWS generated revenues of more than $3bn (£2bn) in the calendar year 2014.
Brewer calls time
Paul Brewer, one of the Midlands’ best-known retail agents, will retire in December. Brewer, who joined Grimley & Sons in 1979, has been GVA’s and later Bilfinger GVA’s Midlands head of retail for more than 25 years. He will be succeeded by Alastair Robertson-Dunn.
