Burges Salmon has agreed a deal to expand its presence at Mapletree’s 216,172 sq ft One Glass Wharf office building in Bristol city centre.
The law firm is taking the entire building, which has been its HQ since 2010, on a new lease that runs until 2045. As part of the deal, Mapletree will undertake a multi-million pound refurbishment of One Glass Wharf, with the refurbishment and upgrade works set to deliver significant sustainability and environmental enhancements and major improvements to the building’s management systems and amenities.
Roger Bull, managing partner at Burges Salmon, said: “Our decision to extend our occupation at One Glass Wharf until 2045 reflects the growing demand for ‘offices of the future’ as businesses rethink how they bring people together. Alongside our existing projects in Edinburgh and London, the deal we have struck in Bristol with Mapletree demonstrates our belief that collaborative working is most productive for both our clients and our people, and we are expanding our office HQ to support the future success of our firm.
“Our office isn’t just bricks and mortar – it is a core part of how we create a healthy, inclusive and supportive workplace culture across the firm. We’re proud to be a major employer in Bristol and One Glass Wharf is a unique ecosystem where our people enjoy spending time, with spaces designed to champion wellbeing, innovation and connection, support hybrid working and help our community engagement initiatives. The extensive upgrade will deliver an even better working environment for all who experience it, strengthening the firm’s culture of collaboration and high quality client service.”
Emma Dowden, chief operating officer at Burges Salmon, added: “One Glass Wharf offers a space that is truly fit for the future. Its strong green credentials align closely with the ambitions of our Carbon Reduction Plan, ensuring we continue to invest in spaces and technologies that support our sustainability goals while delivering the best possible experience for our people and clients.
“We are also making significant, forward‑looking investments across our London and Edinburgh offices to create flexible, tech‑enabled, low carbon environments. From upgraded collaboration hubs and inclusive, wellbeing‑led design to smarter building systems and enhanced client suites, our workspaces support how our people deliver outstanding service. This is about future‑proofing our spaces so we can continue to reduce emissions, attract talent and give clients a consistently excellent experience across our network.”
Rory Carson, director, asset management for UK and Ireland at Mapletree, said: “This deal demonstrates the remarkable benefits of finding alignment between owners and occupiers of office buildings. The regear at One Glass Wharf allows us not only to invest in future-proofing the building through comprehensive upgrades to its operational sustainability, sense of arrival and staff amenity, but also to retain the embodied carbon in the existing building.
“The close collaboration between Burges Salmon and Mapletree when designing the upgrades and specifying the works means that our investment will deliver a headquarters that Burges Salmon can be proud to call home for years to come, as the firm continues to flourish.”
Burges Salmon was advised by Savills and Mapletree was advised by JLL.
