Published 27 March 2026

Built on the site of the former Temple of Muses, London’s largest bookshop in the 18th-century, L&G Asset Management’s and L&O’s major redevelopment of London’s 38 Finsbury Square is transforming the existing office into a stunning sustainability-focused workplace known as FOLIO.

Brought to life by TateHindle’s architectural design, FOLIO will deliver a variety of exceptional modern work and amenity spaces across eight storeys and a basement level. Almost all the existing structure is retained, while a rooftop extension will be added. Externally, a new Wilson Street façade sits alongside the existing Portland Stone frontage.

Situated at a key location between Barbican, the City and Shoreditch, FOLIO offers 52,500 sq ft office space across seven flexible floorplates, with extensive views across Finsbury Square available at each level. Tenants will also benefit from access to a club room and communal rooftop terrace. At street level, building users will access FOLIO through a striking ground floor entrance lobby which is also home to a library lounge space. In addition, extensive bike storage, changing and shower facilities are incorporated within the basement level.

Waterman has been involved with FOLIO from the outset, seeing us provide multidisciplinary support including structures, mechanical and electrical, and sustainability services. With sustainability a core theme for FOLIO, our specialists worked in close collaboration with the wider design team to deliver on this ambitious and holistic brief. This saw our sustainability and building services teams provide designs and consultancy to help the redevelopment meet targets of EPC A, BREEAM ‘Outstanding’, and WELL Platinum Enabled, and we developed a Materials Passports strategy to embed transparency and future reuse of materials. The project was also part of the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard Pilot Testing programme and is currently undergoing IDR for NABERS UK DfP.

Tasked with unlocking the potential of the existing building, our structures specialists undertook deep analysis of the existing frame, enabling the vast majority to be retained. Our design solution for the internal spaces focused on maximising available space for clear, column-free office floors, whilst also increasing available amenity space and accommodating the four new roof terraces. At the top floor level extension, the exposed concrete and steel structure punctuates the space. The fully exposed precast concrete soffits are clean and uncluttered, facilitated by a new underfloor air ventilation system and perimeter trench heating and cooling solution. This can provide free cooling for up to 85% of the year and provides a simple and adaptable low embodied carbon solution for the additional floor.

38 Finsbury Square, terrace, pavilion

Our all-electric building services strategy features a Hybrid VRF heating and cooling system with low GWP R32 refrigerant connected to branch controllers that provide flexible, water based on floor heating and cooling circuits feeding fan coil units. Through the use of carefully designed raft ceilings, the office spaces will feature a striking balance of semi-exposed services and structure. In a further boost to efficiency, building controls will utilise Synapsis and Demand Logic platforms to map energy consumption and quickly identify equipment faults or inefficiencies. This real-time analysis ensures equipment operates as designed throughout its entire lifecycle, helping to close the performance gap between design and reality.