Reading: The Blade to be refurbished by Northwood
Northwood bought the 110,000 sq ft building last September from Aviva Investors and said it now intends to make a series of improvements within the building and to the surrounding streetscape.
The Blade is Reading’s tallest office tower and is home to occupiers including Bracket Global, Barton Wilmore, Gateley plc and Urban Science. Northwood will relocate to the building this month from its home in Newbury and plans to start internal works on the building the following month.
The three-month project will include reconfiguring the reception area and refreshing common parts such as lighting and carpets. New shower facilities will also be installed for cyclists.
In addition, the asset manager hopes to secure planning permission to improve the streetscape around The Blade. It intends to install a canopy and enhance external lighting and signage.
The Shepherd Robson-designed scheme was completed in 2009 and in 2016 set a record rent for Reading when law firm Gateley signed up for 7,200 sq ft of top floor space at £34 per sq ft.
Northwood’s Nick Turner said: “The Blade is already a hugely successful office building and we are making this investment so we continue to meet the needs of modern occupiers. We look forward to getting started on the internal work and using our hands-on asset management experience to stay ahead of the competition.”
Source: CoStar
