One Embassy Gardens, the flagship commercial building at Ballymore Group’s Embassy Gardens development in Nine Elms London, has been submitted for planning and the first images released. The 215,000 sq ft office building has been designed by Lee Polisano of PLP Architects, known for the City of London’s Heron Tower. It has exceptional commercial space over ten floors and a unique 360 degree roof terrace and winter gardens with spectacular views over the River Thames and central London. The building overlooks the new U.S. and Dutch Embassies, the linear park that will run through Nine Elms from Vauxhall to Battersea Power Station and the 2,000 new homes at Embassy Gardens. This announcement follows the exceptional sales success of the homes at Embassy Gardens following launch in 2012. In addition, Waitrose has been secured as the anchor retail tenant and Market Porter has opened as a new restaurant and delicatessen concept. As a result this is the optimal time to bring forward the commercial element of the scheme. Embassy Gardens is the first truly mixed-use development to come to market in Nine Elms on the South Bank. It is developing into a vibrant destination in its own right as the first residents move in. This will further increase over the coming months as new residential phases come to market and commercial tenants are secured. Sean Mulryan, Chairman and Chief Executive of Ballymore Group said, “Embassy Gardens has already been exceptionally successful in attracting the U.S. and Dutch Embassies, an anchor retail store in Waitrose and has seen significant achievement in selling hundreds of homes, many of which are now completing. This is a genuine mixed use estate and following the success of previous phases we now feel the time is right to bring forward our first office building at One Embassy Gardens. Our masterplan always envisaged a mix of complementary uses and we believe this will ensure Embassy Gardens is a genuinely vibrant estate of the highest quality buildings that can contribute greatly to the regeneration of this part of London.” Lee Polisano of PLP Architects commented, “We see this as a great opportunity to deliver a signature design for a building in a prime location facing the new U.S. Embassy, acting as an important urban landmark along a significant piece of public realm enhancement represented by the linear park. The design reflects the careful thought and ambition in creating a new London district with a distinct identity derived from the combination of high-quality architecture, urban design and landscape.” Simon Beckett of JLL which is advising Ballymore on One Embassy Gardens, added, “With central London office supply and vacancy rates at 15 year lows and 30% of new buildings now pre-letting, supply of new office space is set to remain well below average supply levels for the foreseeable future. This development is perfectly timed to respond to the heightened occupier interest in London’s most high-profile emerging area and the outstanding local environment will undoubtedly attract huge tenant interest.“