Baltic Place, Gateshead
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Summary
Developing iconic office space
Baltic Place was developed to be an iconic building in the Gateshead Quays regeneration area, to offer 131,000 square feet of Grade A office space for Tyneside. It comprises two eleven-storey tower blocks linked by a shared entrance foyer and underground car park with 100 spaces.
It was undertaken speculatively as a joint venture between Robertson Property and City & Northern with the space to be let by agents DTZ and GVA Grimley in Newcastle and Jones Lang LaSalle in London.
The development called for an understanding of the economics of the North East and aimed to act as a commercial driver for sustainable growth.
Grade A office space
There was an opportunity to respond to a lack of Grade A, open-plan office space available at a competitive rate in the Newcastle market.
Internally, it is designed so that space can be readily sub-divided, and is suitable for a variety of tenants, uses and layouts.
The design includes several elements that are attractive to occupiers. Floorplates provide a flexible working environment and are bright and airy with exceptional views along the Tyne over the Millennium Bridge to the Tyne Bridge and over the Newcastle city centre skyline.
All floors have air-conditioning and high-quality finishes as well as comfortable seating areas in the large reception area, a café and a landscaped external area.
A 21st Century quayside landmark
The challenge was to create a high quality office building with iconic status that would break the traditional occupier resistance to moving across the Tyne from Newcastle city centre.
Baltic Place sits alongside three of the most recognisable structures in the Gateshead Quays regeneration area: the Sage Music Centre, Gateshead Millennium Bridge and the Baltic Arts Centre.
The designers, Newcastle architectural firm Space Group, took steps to ensure that the towers work in harmony with the contemporary surroundings of the regenerated Gateshead Quayside area. The building's curved edges, glass fascias and slender structures offer businesses a 21st century identity.
Architecturally, full-height curtain walling gives the two building elements a distinctive appearance and, when illuminated at night, creates a true landmark on the waterfront.
Baltic Place achieved a BREEAM 'Excellent' rating for environmental performance.
Combined services to maintain and grow the investment
The building was opened in 2009 with 30% of the space already let and in spite of challenging market conditions following the launch, is now at 60%.
The flexibility of the floor plans has reaped benefits, allowing floors to be split into more compact units in response to enquiries from small and medium sized companies.
Post construction, South Shore Developments Ltd retained Robertson to provide property management services, as well as a full range of hard and soft facilities management. These combined services ensure a customer-focused and cost-effective tenant experience while protecting and enhancing the owners' investment interest.
