Hollywood Comes to the Rescue Creating Studio Office Space in London

Vacant offices have caught the attention of Hollywood film bosses who are creating studio office space in London.

London developers are allowing studios to turn their vacant office space into film sets.

An unlikely source has come to the rescue of the flailing London office space market in the shape of a number of Hollywood studios.

Keen to fill vacant office space and generate funds, a growing number of London developers are allowing film companies to shoot scenes and sequences within their properties, creating studio office space in London. In addition to increasing cash-flow, the capital’s developers are hoping that their building’s starring role in the next big blockbuster will also help to generate publicity and potential tenant interest.

Although it has lain empty for the past two years, the Walbrook building near the Bank of England in the financial district has just been used as studio office space in London for a number of scenes in the latest Johnny English movie. Similarly, neighbouring Cannon Place is also thought to have been snapped up for a new BBC spy drama.

And it’s not just high profile spaces that are seeing increased use as studio office space in London. The new Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises has filmed a series of sequences at an office block in Croydon – the area’s 1960s architecture perfectly reflects the dark nature of the fictional Gotham City.

Although a number of developers are keen to generate income by any means necessary, there are some developers who have turned down a number of Hollywood studios. Developer Sellar Property Group recently turned down requests for their Shard development to be used as studio office space in London for the upcoming James Bond film Skyfall.

Commenting on the unusual decision, a spoksperson for the group said: “It is disruptive. We do not need those kind of gimmicks.”

In addition to film sets, London office space is also being used more and more for temporary retail space and a number of media events including London Fashion Week. Keen to embrace the world’s glare this year, a number of developers are also considering leasing out their office properties with rooftop views for camera crews during the Olympic Games and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.