Last week we celebrated with Unilever, Cube Real Estate and McLaughlin & Harvey reaching the highest point of our Unilever Campus project. Joined by the Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kingston and Leader of Kingston Council Andreas Kirsch, the partners responsible for realising the Unilever Campus vision braved the winter weather to mark the project milestone.
Construction on the Campus only began just over a year ago, following demolition of the former hippodrome site in the summer. Since then, the three Campus buildings, which will be occupied by global FMCG company Unilever for its global and UK headquarters from 2025, have each reached their maximum height, and installation of the glass façade has begun.
The Unilever Campus comprises three buildings: an 8-storey office building on Eden Street which is connected at ground floor and on sixth floor via a link bridge to another 10-storey office building on Brook Street. On St James Road, there is a multi-storey car park for 350 cars and 490 bikes, with full electric charging infrastructure and changing facilities to facilitate sustainable commuting, as well as a landscaped roof garden.
Richard Sharp, Head of Unilever UK, said, “This Campus will have global significance for Unilever, being home to around 2,000 employees but, more than that, it will be an iconic site for Kingston and for London. We are targeting stretching sustainability goals, both in the construction and the operation of the Campus, as well as employee wellbeing and smart technology accreditations.
“We are incredibly proud to be standing here today with many representatives from the Kingston business community to share our plans and to look ahead to what an exciting, thriving workplace this will be.”
Jonathan Lawes, Director at Cube Real Estate, said, “Topping out is always a milestone to be celebrated on any development but to be able to celebrate this one now through the challenges we have faced is a fantastic achievement and a credit to the whole team. To say how proud we are to have reached this milestone from the inception in 2019 is an understatement and it is with real excitement that we continue to completion and deliver this unique opportunity for Unilever next year.”
Leader of Kingston Council Andreas Kirsch said, “It’s a huge vote of confidence that Unilever has chosen to invest in Kingston as the site for its world headquarters. Having a global brand pledge its future to the borough highlights what a fantastic place Kingston is to live, work, study and invest in.
“We are committed to boosting economic growth by attracting major new employers such as Unilever and providing high quality jobs. This scheme will bring huge opportunities for our local economy and for our residents, with more than 2,000 jobs coming to the town centre. It’s fantastic to see it continue to make progress towards completion.
“I’m particularly pleased we’ve been able to work with the developer to further improve the green credentials of the scheme, including reducing the CO2 associated with the build and reducing the energy requirements of the buildings.”
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