Outdoor plaza work begins on landmark Sheffield office campus

Work is now underway on creating a vast outdoor plaza at the heart of Sheffield’s Pennine Five – one of the UK’s largest office renovations outside of London.

Work to date on Pennine Five, the former HSBC headquarters located on Tenter Street in the city centre, has seen the exterior of the site’s five office blocks given a stylish dark makeover. The buildings interiors have also been updated to deliver over 230,000 sq ft of contemporary and multifunctional office space – suitable for up to 3,500 workers.

Creating a central plaza at Pennine Five has long been seen as a key element in unlocking the potential of the campus, but in also acting as a catalyst for growth in this area of the city centre. With attractive green planting and plenty of accessible seating areas, the £1.5 million plaza at the heart of Pennine Five is designed to offer people a place to relax, socialise and collaborate.

Chloe Brook, Director at RBH Properties, said:

“We’re very excited to see work on the new plaza get underway. This office campus has always been very private and disconnected from the rest of the city centre, and our plans for Pennine Five are all about opening it up to wider business and local residential communities as well.

“The plaza will be an inclusive and welcoming focal point. It will of course provide great outdoor space to support the wellbeing and creative thinking of our on-site businesses, but more than that, we believe that through regular art installations and event opportunities, it can help bring a new sense of place and identity to the whole area.”

Leasing at Pennine Five has started strongly, with three occupiers – First Intuition, Department for Work and Pensions and Sheffield College – already taking space. Several other businesses are currently in negotiations, including one of UK’s largest co-working companies looking to occupy over 30,000 sq ft.
“Interest in the campus has been strong, with lots of businesses supporting our bold and climate-conscious decision to renew the buildings rather than demolishing them and starting again,” added Chloe.

“We believe that Pennine Five can act as a blueprint for how urban regeneration projects can be done in a way that is far more environmentally friendly today, and not decades down the line.”

The final phase of the Pennine Five modernisation, which also includes modernising the 400 underground parking spaces, adding EV charging facilities and creating a cycle hub with over 280 spaces, will be completed within the next 12 months. The plaza expected to open in Spring 2023.